Conception & Pregnancy Pregnancy: How’d that happen??? Fetal Development & the Birth Process Chromosomes, DNA & Genes Birth Defects Effects of Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs

Pregnancy How’d that happen????

Conception During sexual intercourse, a man’s sperm fertilizes a woman’s egg

Journey of the Egg Each month, in one of a woman's two ovaries, a group of eggs start to develop in small fluid-filled follicles. The follicle ruptures and releases the egg from the ovary which is called ovulation and occurs about two weeks before a woman's next menstrual period begins. The egg is released and travels into the fallopian tube where it remains until a single sperm penetrates it during fertilization.

Ovulation Ovulation occurs when a mature egg is released from the ovary, pushed down the fallopian tube, and is available to be fertilized. The lining of the uterus has thickened to prepare for a fertilized egg. If no conception occurs, the uterine lining as well as blood will be shed. The shedding of an unfertilized egg and the uterine wall is the time of menstruation.

Key Facts of Ovulation An egg lives 12-24 hours after leaving the ovary Normally only one egg is released each time of ovulation Ovulation can be affected by stress, illness or disruption of normal routines Some women may experience some light blood spotting during ovulation Implantation of a fertilized egg normally takes place 6-12 days after ovulation

Key Facts Each woman is born with millions of immature eggs that are awaiting ovulation to begin A menstrual period can occur even if ovulation has not occurred Ovulation can occur even if a menstrual period has not occurred Some women can feel a bit of pain or aching near the ovaries during ovulation called mittelschmerz, which means "middle pain" in German If an egg is not fertilized, it disintegrates and is absorbed into the uterine lining

Tracking Ovulation Ovulation can be calculated by starting with the day the last menstrual period (LMP) starts or by calculating 12-16 days from the next expected period. Most women ovulate anywhere between Day 11 - Day 21 of their cycle, counting from the first day of the LMP. Ovulation can occur at various times during a cycle, and may occur on a different day each month. It is important to track your cycle; there are tools online to help you do this

Journey of the Sperm Semen is a fluid produced by several different glands in the male reproductive area and contains about 400 – 600 million sperm per ejaculate. Semen is ejaculated through the urethra of a penis during sex. Sperm travel through the uterus of a woman and into the fallopian tubes where a female egg waits to be fertilized.

Fertilization of an Egg When the sperm finds the egg, the first one to penetrate the egg causes the egg to create a barrier to all the other sperm. The cells of the fertilized egg begin to multiply, staying clustered in a ball called a blastocyst.

Implantation The blastocyst slowly makes it way down to the uterus 3 – 4 days after ovulation. Then burrows into the uterine wall in about 5 – 7 days after ovulation.

Pregnancy Tests Pregnancy tests look for a special hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), in the urine or blood that is only there when a woman is pregnant. hCG is produced when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus. This usually happens about 6 days after conception. But studies show that the embryo doesn't implant until later in some women. The amount of hCG increases drastically with each passing day you are pregnant. Many tests claim they can determine pregnancy on the day a period is expected. But a recent study shows that most don't give accurate results this early in pregnancy. Waiting one week after a missed period will usually give a more accurate answer.

How accurate are home pregnancy tests? Accuracy depends on many things: How you use them - Follow the directions and check the expiration date. When you use them - The amount of hCG or pregnancy hormone in urine increases with time. So, the earlier after a missed period, the harder it is to spot the hCG. More accurate results occur one week after a missed period Also, testing urine first thing in the morning may boost the accuracy. Who uses them - The amount of hCG in the urine is different for every pregnant woman. So, some women will have accurate results on the day of the missed period while others will need to wait longer. The brand of test - Some home pregnancy tests are more sensitive than others. So, some tests are better than others at spotting hCG early on. Many HPTs claim to be 99% accurate on the day you miss your period. But research suggests that most HPTs do not consistently spot pregnancy that early. And when they do, the results are often very faint.

How quickly can sperm reach an egg after ejaculate enters the vagina? Round #1 How quickly can sperm reach an egg after ejaculate enters the vagina? 2. How long can ejaculated sperm live inside a woman’s cervix? 3. How many eggs does a woman have? 4. True or False: Two sperm entering one egg = twins Fast-swimming sperm can reach the egg in a half an hour, while others may take days. The sperm can live up to 48-72 hours. Women have millions of eggs that degenerate through the lifetime…until menopause wipes them all out

Gestation The period of time between conception (fertilization of an egg) and birth during which the fetus grows and develops inside the mother's womb. The number of weeks of gestation is 38 weeks from conception, or 40 weeks from the onset of the last menstrual period.