Last time we looked at the first two parts of a female’s reproductive life cycle; birth and puberty. If you didn’t get a chance read that, check it our here : The female reproductive life cycle ( part 1). Now, we want to look at the next stage which takes up the largest portion of a woman’s life: The reproductive years.
The Reproductive Years…
These are those bumpy, hormonal years between menarche ( start of periods) and menopause. Notice how all those words start with MEN? ( story for another day!). The reproductive years could be anywhere upto 30+ years long. Approximately from age 15 to age 45…..
These are the years where is possible for you to concieve and grow a baby in your womb and they often are the most intense years of a woman’s life. At this point in life, women continue to ovulate eggs cycle after cycle until they finally reach menopause. Simply put a woman menopauses when all her eggs are done.
DID YOU KNOW? Fertility generally peaks in the early 20’s and starts to slowly decline after age 35. This however does not mean that is it impossible to get preganant into your 40s….
Some random facts about the reproductive years are:
- A woman’s ovaries contain about 300,000 eggs at puberty, but only about 400 of these eggs will be ovulated during her reproductive years?
- On average, a woman will spend about 3,500 days menstruating throughout her lifetime. That’s nearly 10 years!
- The record for the most children born to one woman is held by a Russian peasant woman named Feodor Vassilyev. She gave birth to a total of 69 children, including 16 pairs of twins, 7 sets of triplets, and 4 sets of quadruplets, all between 1725 and 1765.
Pregnancy…
- During pregnancy, a woman’s heart can increase in size by up to 12% to accommodate the extra blood volume needed for the developing fetus.
- Pregnant women may experience “pregnancy brain” or “momnesia,” where they become more forgetful or absent-minded due to hormonal changes. ( it’s a real thing!)
- The hormone relaxin, which is produced during pregnancy, not only helps to relax the ligaments in the pelvis but can also make other joints in the body more flexible. This can sometimes lead to clumsiness or “pregnancy waddle.”
- Some women experience unusual cravings during pregnancy, known as “pica,” which can include cravings for non-food items like dirt, chalk, or ice.
- Women who breastfeed burn approximately 300-500 calories per day, which can help them lose pregnancy weight more quickly.
After reading all that, one can’t help but marvel at the female body and what it can do…
If you’re in your reproductive years, enjoy them as much as you can and more grace to you!
