Young couples trying to start their family often wonder when does conception really happen? The female reproductive cycle is a complex process that is controlled by hormones and minute organs within the body that we generally don\’t think about on a daily basis. Conception is actually controlled by these hormones as well is the menstrual cycle and ovulation.
Another issue that often confuses women is that once she becomes pregnant the physician will estimate the time of conception, and therefore the due date, based on the first day of her last period. However, ovulation happened about two weeks after the start of the last period. And if everything is working appropriately that\’s exactly when conception occurred.
The real consideration is exactly when ovulation occurs. This is because if there is going to be a change in the timing or dates during the menstrual cycle, it is most often during the first two weeks before ovulation. Once ovulation has begun, menstruation follows in the next two weeks. The difference in time is in the first two weeks prior to ovulation. Physicians will then tack on those extra two weeks because they are unsure as to when the woman really ovulated.
Conception happens at the time when the sperm meets the egg and the cells begin to divide. This dividing cellular mass is called the zygote. In its earliest stages the zygote travels down the fallopian tube toward the uterus where it will later implant (around 10 to 14 days after ovulation) and grow into a new baby.
If you noticed the timing, ovulation occurs approximately 14 days after the start of your last menstrual period and implantation of the embryo is approximately 10 to 14 days after ovulation. Many women will experience mild cramping and minor spotting on a day around which they thought their period would have begun. This cramping and spotting can be caused by the implantation of the embryo into the uterus.
While conception literally happens in the fallopian tubes between the sperm and the egg the body does not recognize the pregnancy until the fertilized egg implants into the uterine wall. This is because before implantation there are no increased hormonal releases in the body that trigger changes. Once implanted, the fertilized egg starts sending hormonal signals to the body to continue producing progesterone in order to maintain the fertility of the uterus.
During this time minute levels of human chorionic gonadotropin are released and continue to double every other day. The earliest pregnancy test will show positive results approximately 7 days after ovulation or conception but it is very rare to see a positive test any earlier than that. The best chance of seeing a positive pregnancy test will be around 10 to 12 days post-ovulation when the developing baby begins to secrete human chorionic gonadotropin that is released into the urine.
All of this means that conception begins when the sperm meets the egg in the fallopian tube and begins to divide to produce a brand-new baby.