This is it! This is the week conception happens. Even though you are now 15-20 days into your new cycle, this is the week the sperm fertilizes the egg. It is a big week because the baby is conceived; only you will not know for sure until the next week or two. The moment of conception is exciting, the sperm penetrates the egg, and immediately the fertilized egg begins to multiply. It multiplies as it gently tumbles through the fallopian tube. The fertilized egg is called a zygote at first. As it tumbles through the tube and continues to divide, it becomes a blastocyst as it tumbles to the opening of the fallopian tube into the uterus.
It takes several days for the blastocyst to tumble through the fallopian tubes and finally make its way into the uterus. By now, the body has dropped the production of estrogen and increased on the production of progesterone. Progesterone helps the lining to be nice, thick, and spongy, a perfect environment for the blastocyst to call home. You will be clueless, wondering conception occurred, but the tiny baby, that is no bigger than the period at the end of this sentence, does exist. At anywhere from five to twelve days after ovulation, the blastocyst will locate a spot in the uterine lining and burrow in, making home for the next 9 and a half months.
You may experience some cramping when the egg burrows in. You may experience a tiny bit of spotting, caused from the implantation. You may experience nothing, it is all normal. If you are charting your basal body temperatures, you will see a rise, indicating ovulation has occurred. Once the fertilized egg implants, it signals the corpus luteum to continue with the production of progesterone, and this is when the body is alerted to pregnancy. This point on is when you may experience early pregnancy symptoms.
What are early pregnancy symptoms? Here is an inconclusive list, you may experience some, all, or none, and it is all normal:
- fatigue
- frequent urination
- mild cramps
- nausea
- heightened sense of smell
- moodiness
- breast tenderness
- darkening of areolas
You may not experience these right now. You may experience them later on, and that is normal. Not all women will have early pregnancy symptoms.
