Pregnancy health: What is a healthy endometrial lining?

Pregnancy health: What is a healthy endometrial lining?

If you are looking to prep for an In vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure or even go the natural route, you can aid your chances for successful pregnancy by keeping an eye on womb health. This is what you need to know about the endometrial lining. Quite a lot actually. The female body sheds the lining of the uterus or the endometrial lining every cycle – this process is termed menstruation. The thickness of the lining varies depending on the time of month and is affected by the levels of oestrogen and progesterone in your system. Dr Usha Kiran, Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecologist Laparoscopic Surgeon, Prime Hospital, explains: “During the reproductive age, when a woman is having her periods, the endometrial lining will start growing right after the period and will grow to the maximum just before the period. It can range anywhere from 6mm to 25 to 28mm. During the period, it sheds.” Dr Shreelatha Gopalakrishnan, Obstetrician-Gynecologist and IVF Specialist at Orchid IVF, explains: “Just before ovulation, the functional layer of the endometrium goes through specific changes. Structures called uterine glands become longer and tiny blood vessels proliferate making the endometrial lining thicker and enriched so that it's ready to