eTopical Precious Finds
What does conception mean exactly? Find the real meaning of conception, and learn what happens during conception. In addition, the question on whether you can feel conception will be answered in this piece.
The greatest joy of womanhood is being able to conceive. It is that point that one knows that she is fertile. Nine months after conception, she brings to the earth a bouncing baby boy or girl. Many women do not know the period when they conceive. In fact, some do not even know the best time to conceive. Information is power when it comes to conceiving so that one succeeds when need be.
In addition, for some women who get pregnant after having sex with different men, they can know the real father of their unborn child by knowing the date of conception. This article will give the meaning of conception, and the processes involved for conception to take place. There are also signs that one can feel to show that one has conceived.
What Is Conception? – Conception Definition
Conception definition has been varied over the years. First, it was described as “to receive into the womb and … begin the formation of the embryo.” This was in the late 19th and early 20th century. In the mid 20th century, conception was described as the “formation of a viable zygote.” As it were, conception was linked to fertilization.
Another definition of conception as developed in the mid 20th century. In a bid to answer the question what is conception, Dr. Bent Boving said “conception is the implantation of a fertilized ovum.” Here the implantation is also included in the meaning. The finding of the right definition did not stop here, as there was yet another meaning developed in 1972. This meaning was, “Conception is the implantation of the blastocyst.”(Wikipedia.org)
Depending on the source you use to find the meaning of conception, you may find the last two meanings mostly. These two are correct, because conception entails the processes of fertilization and implantation.
What Does Conception Mean?
So, what is conception? What exactly does it mean? Conception means that a sperm has fertilized an egg in the fallopian tube. The egg is from a group found in sacs full of fluid normally known as follicles. When one egg breaks away from the follicle, ovulation takes place. This happens two weeks after last period.
Once the follicle releases the egg, it changes into corpus luteum. The corpus luteum is responsible for lining the uterus to make it ready for a fertilized egg. In case no fertilization takes place, the lining disintegrates leading to a period.
However, when a single sperm fertilizes the egg it blocks entry for other sperms. During this stage, the X and Y-chromosomes determine the sex of the baby. Such that if the sperm has Y-chromosomes, a baby boy starts to develop in the fallopian tube while X chromosomes in the sperm on the other hand would enable the development of a girl.
Once the stage of fertilization is complete, the egg stays at the fallopian tube for about four days. However, within 24 hours of fertilization the fertilized egg begins to divide into many cells. This division continues until the egg swiftly moves to the uterus for implantation. Normally when the egg is being implanted in the uterus, the lining is usually thicker and the cervix is closed up to enable the womb hold the embryo and growing baby.
During implantation, there may be spotting or bleeding in some women for about two days. Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) is the hormone that becomes present in pregnant women’s blood. This hormone is responsible for a positive pregnant test.
In order for any test to be positive, the hCG has to be in high levels in the blood. It takes about a week for any pregnancy result to be positive, however, it may take more time, about two weeks. This period allows for the levels of the hormone to rise in the blood for the test to come out positive.
As seen above, conception means two distinct stages of fertilization and implantation. There cannot be one without the other.
What Happens During Conception?
So what happens during conception in simpler terms? A single sperm fertilizes the egg released during ovulation. The lining in the uterus also becomes thick in readiness for an embryo to be implanted there. Throughout ovulation, it is the best time to become pregnant as the fallopian tubes have a ready egg waiting for the sperm to fertilize it. The egg can only be released two weeks after the last period. The two main stages during conception are:
- Fertilization
- Implantation
Can You Feel Conception?
Women struggle with the question whether one can feel conception. The answer to this is yes and no. It is a yes if you experience bleeding and spotting for about two days when conception takes place. However, not all women bleed during conception. These women may have to wait for another two weeks to feel that they have conceived. The signs experienced after two weeks that depicts conception include:
| Cramping | Cravings for certain foods |
| Headaches | Dizziness |
| Fatigue | Mood swings |
| Tender and swollen breasts | Nausea that may cause vomiting |
| Constipation | Missed period |
| High basal temperature |
Still asking: Can you feel conception? Ha! I hope this guide on answering the question what is conception has helped you discover the meaning of the term conception, when it is medically used, and most importantly what happens during conception.
More on Conception:
- How to Calculate Conception Date from Ultrasound & Due Date
- Find Out Conception Date by Due Date & Ultrasound
- Changed and Increased Discharge after Conception
- Stomach Cramping after Conception – Is it Normal?
- Chinese Conception Chart, Calendar and Calculator
- First and Earliest Signs of Conception & Physical Signs
- How to Determine Date of Conception by Calculation
- Conception Tips for Women and Men Trying to Conceive
