It’s an exciting journey full of questions and curiosity to consider having a baby. Understanding the changes that occur in a woman’s body during this time is helpful in understanding how conception occurs. A lot happens in the background, from the instant of ovulation to the wonder of fertilization.
Ovulation is the term for the monthly release of an egg from a woman’s ovaries. Next, as it passes through the fallopian tube, the egg awaits the arrival of a sperm. In the meantime, the body is fostering a favorable environment for a possible pregnancy by getting the uterus ready to receive a fertilized egg.
When the egg arrives, if there are sperm in the fallopian tube, one of them might break through and fertilize the egg. As it approaches the uterus, where it will hopefully implant and develop into a baby, this tiny, new life starts to develop. Gaining an understanding of these stages can demystify the procedure and provide some clarity on the path to parenthood.
- What is it?
- Fertilization
- Changes in the body after fertilization
- Embryo implantation
- Violations
- How to increase the likelihood of conception?
- Video on the topic
- How life begins? | Why: questions of the universe | Discovery
- How fertilization occurs 3D. Conceiving a child
- Fertilization of an egg under a microscope
- 7️⃣ rules for successful conception of a child! What needs to be done to increase the chances of getting pregnant?
- How a child is conceived
What is it?
A child’s conception is a very complicated biological and chemical process that cannot fully be understood from a physiology perspective alone. There is always something that cannot be quantified or counted during conception. Because of this, conception can occasionally happen miraculously to people who shouldn’t have it medically.
The moment the male reproductive cell, the sperm, fertilizes the female reproductive cell, the egg, is known as conception in medicine. The actual pregnancy is said to have started at this point, marking the beginning of the embryonic gestational period. Beginning on the first day of the last menstrual cycle prior to becoming pregnant, the obstetric period is measured. A woman is therefore two to three obstetric weeks pregnant by the time of conception, which typically occurs during ovulation. The complete significance of this remarkable process is scarcely conveyed by the medical definition of the onset of pregnancy.
As soon as the sex cells fuse together, changes start to take place in a woman’s body in the first tenth of a second. A series of adjustments are made in response to fertilization in order to establish the most favorable environment possible for the upkeep and development of a new life.
Understanding the complex process that takes place inside a woman’s body is essential to understanding conception. During ovulation, an egg is released from the ovary and passes through the fallopian tube when a woman becomes pregnant. Fertilization is the process by which an egg and sperm combine to form a new cell that starts to develop into an embryo. Pregnancy begins with this amazing yet straightforward process, in which the embryo implants itself into the uterus and begins to grow into a baby.
Fertilization
A man can conceive a child on any day if he is healthy. Spermatozoa – male reproductive cells – are always in "full combat readiness". But in women, fertilization is possible only on certain days of the menstrual cycle. After the end of the next menstruation, the stage of follicle maturation begins. Several follicles mature in a woman"s ovaries, but only one or, in extreme cases, two of them will become dominant. Around the middle of the cycle, the size of the dominant follicle approaches 20 mm, which means that the egg inside has matured and is ready to exit. The moment of follicle rupture is called ovulation. In women, this day occurs depending on the length of the menstrual cycle on different days. If 28 days usually pass from one period to another, ovulation should be expected on the 14th day, if 30 days pass – on the 15th day.
- Menstruation
- Ovulation
- High probability of conception
In the event of a 28-day cycle, ovulation takes place on the 14th day, 14 days prior to the onset of the menstrual cycle. Because average values frequently deviate from one another, the computation is imprecise.
In addition to the calendar method, you can check cervical mucus, measure basal temperature, use special tests or mini-microscopes, and test for progesterone, estrogens, LH, and FSH.
Folliculometry (ultrasound) can undoubtedly be used to determine the day of ovulation.
- Losos, Jonathan B.; Raven, Peter H.; Johnson, George B.; Singer, Susan R. Biology. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 1207-1209.
- Campbell N. A., Reece J. B., Urry L. A. e. a. Biology. 9th ed. — Benjamin Cummings, 2011. — p. 1263
- Tkachenko B. I., Brin V. B., Zakharov Yu. M., Nedospasov V. O., Pyatin V. F. Human Physiology. Compendium / Ed. B. I. Tkachenko. — M.: GEOTAR-Media, 2009. — 496 p.
- https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Овуляция
When your menstrual cycle is irregular, it can be challenging to determine the day of ovulation on your own. However, with the use of ultrasound technology, you can do this by inserting a vaginal ultrasound sensor, which makes the follicle’s maturation and growth clearly visible. Folliculometry is a specialized ultrasound that is used to monitor the growth of follicles.
The ovaries are the site of egg formation. The female reproductive cell exits the ovary and enters the wide portion of the fallopian tube once the follicle ruptures. Fertilization should take place here. The actual process of cell fusion may take place a day later or right away following its release. The egg has a 24-36-hour lifespan and can continue to fertilize.
Sperm enter the vagina during unprotected sexual activity, and this is where they start their journey to find the egg. The sperm’s journey is comparable to that of natural selection and survival: only the toughest and strongest individuals among tens of millions of cells will make it through and accomplish their objective. In this instance, ovulation may not have happened by the time the sperm arrive, but male reproductive cells are endowed by nature with vitality, allowing them to stay in the tube and continue to function for three to four days.
Here, fertilization happens right after the egg is released. Fertilization happens about 30 to 40 minutes after ejaculation if sexual activity was done on the day of ovulation. Therefore, the day of ovulation, as well as two to three days prior to and following it, are thought to be the most favorable times for conception in women. The best days of the month to get pregnant are only five or six.
A woman can predict when ovulation will occur based on a few telltale indicators. Her libido usually rises; nature has provided this mechanism to ensure that the fair sex does not inadvertently miss the best opportunity. The discharge thickens and becomes copious, with a consistency akin to that of raw egg white. The mammary glands’ nipples become more sensitive, and the breast itself may somewhat enlarge.
Many women can even feel the exact moment of ovulation. Depending on which ovary went through ovulation—the left or right—they will experience a mild pulling pain in the lower abdomen as a result of the follicle rupture.
Some women do not experience this moment; this is also an exception to the general rule that everything is dependent on the unique physical attributes of the female body.
There is a three-layer membrane covering the egg. Once a sizable number of spermatozoa have reached it, the membranes are subjected to a massive "attack." Substances that can dissolve the egg’s membranes are secreted by special structures in the sperm head. But it will only be fertilized by one spermatozoon. The body gets a signal that fertilization has taken place as soon as the strongest, most persistent one breaks through the female cell’s membrane. The permeability of the egg cell’s membranes abruptly changes, preventing any more sperm from entering.
After digging around the egg for a few days, the surviving male germ cells eventually die. The egg itself dies a day after ovulation and starts its journey into the uterine cavity if fertilization is unsuccessful. After two weeks, the woman starts to menstruate, which removes extraneous biomaterial from her body through menstrual blood. If conception occurs, a new stage of development begins.
A fertilized egg should also go into the fallopian tube, but it should attach and make a comfortable "house" for the developing embryo. The future baby’s genetic makeup is formed in the first few minutes following the merger of the germ cells. His parents give him precisely 23 pairs of chromosomes.
Everything is known about a child from the very first minutes of life, including his gender, the color of his skin and hair, his physical characteristics, and any inherited illnesses. The genetic code contains all of this information. A zygota is a fertilized egg that is continually crushed and altered, and these processes happen at a speed comparable to space travel.
Changes in the body after fertilization
The body begins a massive operation to create new conditions that are ideal for the development of a new life as soon as the egg is fertilized. The production of progesterone begins in large quantities. Its job is to loosen the uterine walls more, allowing the embryo to attach itself to one and "grow" in the tissue. The placenta will then develop from this location.
Beginning in the initial minutes following conception, progesterone causes metabolic processes to accelerate slightly. Naturally, during the first few weeks following conception, a woman will not be able to feel these changes.
Everything needed for the baby’s development is provided by progesterone, which also lowers the mother’s immunity to prevent the embryo from being mistakenly identified as foreign and destroyed. This hormone causes the uterine muscles to relax and become less toned, resulting in the pregnancy being carried to term.
Beginning minutes after conception, the cervix responds to innovations and starts to perform its function. Its interior cervical canal, which is slightly open on the day of ovulation to facilitate the passage of sperm from the vagina, instantly closes and becomes dense with mucus.
Throughout the pregnancy, this mucous plug will shield the uterine cavity from harmful bacteria, viruses, and other intrusions. The mucous plug will only come out of place just before childbirth. Its departure is interpreted as a sign that childbirth is about to occur.
Numerous fascinating events take place within cells. Within the first thirty hours of conception, the zygote that the egg has become after uniting with the sperm starts to form nuclei. It continually divides, which implies that while the quantity of cells grows, the size of the cells stays the same—the new cells are just smaller. The division process takes roughly three days. Following sexual contact and fertilization, the zygote is constantly moving as it makes its way toward the uterus.
By the fourth day, the embryo has about sixteen cells. The division of blastomeres into inner and outer layers starts. After five days of conception, the zygote transforms into a blastocyst. At the start of the stage, it has roughly 30 cells, and by the end, it has about 200 cells. The blastocyst is shaped like a round spheroid. At the moment of embryo implantation, the former egg looks exactly like this.
Embryo implantation
The procedure known as "implantation" involves inserting the blastocyst into the uterine wall’s tissues. Usually between the seventh and eighth day following fertilization, the embryo attaches one week after conception. The human chorionic gonadotropic hormone, or "pregnancy hormone," is produced by the woman’s body from this point on and is the primary indicator of pregnancy in all pregnancy tests currently in use.
The blastocyst sheds its shiny shell as soon as the fertilized egg descends into the uterus, which is necessary for the contact with the endometrium to be tighter and the process of "docking" to be successful. The corpus luteum of the ovary starts to function actively when the fertilized egg attaches. Since maintaining the pregnancy is the primary function of the entire female body, even more progesterone is now produced.
The level of progesterone in the blood that maintains pregnancy and the embryo’s viability are prerequisites for implantation. Genetic errors increase the likelihood that the implantation process won’t be successful and the fertilized egg will be rejected if genetic errors are present in the baby.
Additionally, implantation-related sensations are entirely personal. A week or so after ovulation, some women may notice that they are getting tired faster and that their mood swings are similar to the weather in a seaside town. Others may not even be aware of the significant changes occurring in their bodies. A small amount of smearing bloody discharge may appear on the day of implantation, which is linked to an endometrial integrity breach. The bleeding that occurs during an implant usually stops after a day or two. Prior to the delay, it is the first clear indication of pregnancy.
Not everyone experiences implantation bleeding, and not everyone can feel the implantation. In any event, a week following implantation, a pregnant woman’s blood and urine contain enough chorionic gonadotropin to enable a laboratory blood test for hCG or the use of test strips—which are readily available at any pharmacy or even supermarket—to confirm the existence of a new life.
One can find accounts of post-conception sensations on women’s forums. Usually, they are abandoned by women who have long-term infertility problems and fantasies of becoming pregnant. These women frequently report that their lower abdomen hurts after the anticipated conception and that their breasts started to hurt almost the next day after sexual activity. Since there are no known causes for these kinds of aches and symptoms, doctors often refer to these experiences as psychogenic.
Even in the event that conception is successful, the breasts cannot develop rapidly or cause pain due to a lack of progesterone, and lower abdominal pain is unlikely to be related to cellular processes that are currently limited to the fallopian tube.
Violations
Everything sounds very promising in theory, but in reality, there can be violations during conception and the subsequent transfer of the fertilized egg into the uterus. Most of the time, these infractions result in an early pregnancy termination. It’s possible that some women never even realized they were pregnant. The next menstrual cycle simply occurs two or three days later, and generally speaking, women are not particularly aware that it is slightly more abundant than usual.
Even if sexual activity was done right at the time of ovulation, problems can occur from the very beginning. Poor egg quality or sperm properties can hinder conception.
Sexually transmitted infections, ovarian dysfunction, chronic gynecological diseases, and alcohol or nicotine addiction can all have an impact on women. Any woman can also experience anovulatory cycles, which are months during which there is no ovulation at all.
Infertility in men can be caused by hormonal imbalances, radiation exposure, toxic substances, alcohol and drug abuse, prostatitis, varicocele, STDs, and sexually transmitted infections. If one partner has a common cold during sexual activity, the likelihood of conception will decrease even further.
Issues may surface during the actual fertilization process. A triploid embryo is created when more than one sperm enters the egg; this embryo cannot develop or grow because its genetic makeup differs from the normal set of 46 chromosomes. If fertilization is carried out by sperm with modified morphology, such as a deformed or bifurcated head, a damaged acrosome, or mutations and malformations of the tail, genetic pathologies may also be established.
As long as a particular genetic anomaly permits it, such an embryo will grow. These pregnancies typically terminate in miscarriage or, less frequently, in an early, spontaneous abortion in the first trimester.
Unexpected problems can also occur during the zygote transportation stage. The egg is the largest and most immobile cell in the human body, and its passage into the uterine cavity is made possible by unique villi inside the tube.
The zygote may stay in the fallopian tube and, in the absence of a viable alternative, is in it on the seventh or eighth day after conception if the patency of the tube’s lumen is compromised or if inflammatory diseases of the female reproductive system impair the villi’s mobility. Next, an ectopic pregnancy starts to grow. Once detected, the embryo is surgically removed because it poses a major risk to the mother’s life. A ruptured fallopian tube can cause severe internal bleeding, which frequently results in a woman passing away before help arrives.
The fertilized egg may migrate to the isthmus or cervix if it does not make complete contact with the endometrium after descending into the uterus. The prognosis for such an ectopic pregnancy is more dangerous; with a cervical pregnancy, the condition can usually only be resolved by removing the entire uterus, which results in post-traumatic infertility afterwards.
Such a terrifying situation is uncommon, though. The majority of the time, when implantation procedures are interfered with, the egg just passes away prior to attachment and emerges with menstrual blood after a while.
After implantation, a fertilized egg may occasionally die. Hormonal deficiencies, non-viability of the embryo, and chromosomal abnormalities can also be the cause. The woman’s immune system may reject the fertilized egg if progesterone and hCG levels are too low. With insufficient progesterone, the uterine endometrium will not thicken and completely encase the fertilized egg.
Risk factors include exposure to chemicals, paints, varnishes, pesticides, and toxins; alcohol and drug abuse; smoking; and viral diseases in women at this stage of pregnancy, which can result in the fertilized egg being rejected from the uterine wall too soon and dying.
When a person passes away before their menstrual cycle delays, they frequently discuss a "biochemical pregnancy." Menstruation will still occur a few days after using it, but there will be a delay. The tests will reveal a second faint strip, indicating traces of chorionic gonadotropin in the urine.
There are no restrictions on conceiving after a biochemical pregnancy. For hormonal purposes, it is still recommended to have a spermogram and donate blood in order to rule out the possibility of a biochemical pregnancy, which can recur.
How to increase the likelihood of conception?
People who are considering getting pregnant are usually curious about what they can do to increase or decrease their chances of getting pregnant. In general, the answer to this question is in the affirmative; however, a lot relies on the spouses and how they view their overall health, including reproductive health.
It is best to see a doctor beforehand and undergo basic testing, such as a spermogram and testing for STDs, to increase the likelihood of conception. Although it is not a popular opinion among men, the male factor contributes to infertility in approximately 40% of cases of infertility.
Not only is it a decision to have children together, but planning a pregnancy involves specific actions as well. A man should begin taking vitamins A, C, E, and D, as well as zinc and selenium-containing preparations and folic acid, three months prior to conception. These compounds can be found in biologically active supplements like "Spermaktiv" and "Selenzinc" as well as in specific male vitamin complexes. One cycle of spermatogenesis takes three months to finish, during which time the seminal fluid’s composition is entirely renewed.
A woman should start taking folic acid and vitamins at least two months before she should conceive. As folic acid builds up in the body, it helps with the development of the fetus’s neural tube, future brain, and spinal cord. A woman can experience stimulation of ovulation and subsequent conception if she has a high number of anovulatory cycles throughout the year.
Following menstruation, hormonal therapy aids in the follicle’s maturation. When the ultrasound results indicate that its diameter is sufficient, the follicle ruptures and releases the egg, assisted by hormones that stimulate the process. Only under the supervision of a medical professional with experience should stimulation be performed, as mistakes in medication selection and dosage calculation can have unfavorable effects.
Both a man and a woman should refrain from alcohol and nicotine as part of their preconception preparation because these substances harm both male and female reproductive cells. Because of this, not only can conception become challenging in and of itself, but there is also a higher chance of having a child who has chromosomal abnormalities.
Additionally, because fast food, canned food, pickled goods, and factory-made sweets contain a lot of preservatives and dyes that can alter germ cells, people who are trying to get pregnant should avoid eating any of these foods. A couple can only properly prepare for conception with a balanced, vitamin-enriched, and whole food diet.
Remember your weight. Overweight women have much greater difficulty becoming pregnant, and those with anorexia or thinness may not be able to conceive at all.
It is important to maintain a healthy weight because it affects hormone levels. Even a 5% reduction in body weight raises the chance of conception by 30%.
To accurately determine when ovulation occurs and the best time to conceive, a woman must be well-versed in the characteristics of her menstrual cycle. Sex ought to be unguarded. Any position that guarantees a deeper penetration of seminal fluid into the vagina can be chosen by a couple. Sperm have a shorter journey when they ejaculate close to the cervix, which increases the chance of conception.
Douching before and after sex, intimate gels, and lubricants can all reduce sperm motility and mass kill them, which will significantly reduce the likelihood of fertilization.
It is wise to reschedule the crucial moment if one of the partners has recently contracted the flu or another virus. Similarly, if a man or woman took hormonal, anticonvulsant, antibiotic, or psychotropic medications just before the planned time of conception, they should take a break.
Yoga, swimming, and regular walks in the fresh air are beneficial for a woman who dreams of becoming a mother. When a person has an excessive amount of psychological focus on conception as the ultimate goal, the opposite usually happens: even with good test results and no clear-cut cause for infertility, pregnancy does not occur.
The truth is that stress hormones, which are released in significant amounts when a woman is unable to think about anything but getting pregnant, inhibit the biochemical synthesis of sex hormones, making pregnancy nearly impossible.
Less intense sexual activity should be done during the month that is set aside for conception. Sperm volume becomes more sparse and sperm concentration in ejaculate volume decreases with excessive sexual activity. Doctors advise having sex once every two to three days, and they advise waiting four to five days after menstruation before engaging in any sexual activity.
For a very long time, women have been aware of additional methods to improve their chances of getting pregnant, such as uterine massage, home cures, and specific Kegel exercises. Through the vagina and abdominal wall, the uterus is massaged. Its goal is to enhance the pelvic organs’ blood circulation. Internal manual massage should only be administered in a medical facility under the supervision of a qualified obstetrician-gynecologist. It should not be done at home.
When massage therapy is administered correctly, it does not hurt women. A few of these sessions can help with minor inflammatory processes, irregular menstruation, and improving the likelihood of conception.
Women particularly like a decoction of orthilia secunda among folk remedies; it is taken in small doses for the duration of the menstrual cycle before the month of planning. Additionally, a herb known by the intriguing name "red brush" has shown excellent results. It is used to make a water decoction that is consumed during courses. Sage has a genuine healing effect on women’s reproductive health.
Herbs are not as harmless and safe as many people believe, so it is best for a woman to speak with a doctor before utilizing any of the homemade alternative medicine recipes.
When used improperly, they can lead to severe allergic reactions, complications, and reproductive system issues. Furthermore, there is no chance that this will lead to a safe and successful conception.
A well-liked series of exercises for the pelvic muscles is called Kegel exercises. A woman who plans her pregnancy will find that she enjoys her sex more and spends more quality time with her partner. The pelvic muscles will then become stronger and more ready for labor with the aid of these exercises. The Kegel complex will help hasten recovery following childbirth.
Stage | Description |
Ovarian Cycle | The ovaries prepare an egg for release. This includes the development of follicles and the maturation of an egg within one of these follicles. |
Ovulation | The mature egg is released from the ovary and enters the fallopian tube. This usually occurs around the middle of the menstrual cycle. |
Fertilization Window | The egg can be fertilized by sperm for about 12-24 hours after ovulation. Sperm can survive in the female reproductive tract for up to 5 days. |
Fertilization | If sperm meets the egg in the fallopian tube, fertilization occurs. The sperm penetrates the egg, combining genetic material to form a zygote. |
Implantation | The fertilized egg (now called a blastocyst) travels to the uterus and implants into the uterine lining, marking the beginning of pregnancy. |
Demystifying the conception process aids in explaining how a new life originates. A woman’s body experiences many amazing changes during her pregnancy. When an egg is released from the ovary during ovulation, the journey begins. The fallopian tube is where this egg travels as it gets ready to be fertilized.
Sperm enter the reproductive system during sexual activity and move in the direction of the egg. Fertilization takes place when a sperm and an egg come together and penetrate each other. After this union, a zygote is created, which proceeds to the uterus to implant and develop.
Conception is a complicated but exquisitely planned sequence of events. Every stage in the process of creating new life—from the release of the egg to fertilization and implantation—is vital. Gaining knowledge of these phases can help one appreciate the wonders of human reproduction.