It is possible for you to get pregnant once menstruation has started, i.e. once you have had your first period (note – it is possible to get pregnant before your first period also). First menstruation usually happens at around age 13, but it can happen much earlier or later, everyone is different!
When the ovaries release an egg into the Fallopian tubes, this is called ovulation. Each egg released has the potential to become fertilised by sperm, from a penis. Around the same time of ovulation, the lining of the uterus or womb thickens, in preparation for a fertilised egg.
If the egg that has been released does not become fertilised, the lining of the womb will break down and leave the vagina – this is called menstruating or having a period (some people use slang terms like “TOM”, or being “on” – the list is endless!). After this, the cycle begins all over again, and this happens every month.
However, if the egg that is released becomes fertilised (through sexual intercourse), the fertilised egg will attach itself to the lining of the womb. The fertilised egg is then called an embryo.
Through the lining of the womb, the embryo will receive all the nutrients it needs to grow and thrive into a baby. The baby growing inside the womb is called a foetus, and pregnancy lasts 9 months.