A lot of individuals are conscious about what is conception. Some people may even think that pregnancy and conception is different from one another. But really, what is conception?
According to Biology, conception is the fertilization of the egg cell by the sperm cell which happens at the beginning of pregnancy. You may be wondering why ob-doctors usually ask you, the first day you have had your last menstrual cycle. Doctors ask that since that was the day of your menstrual age and that usually occurs two weeks ahead before conception takes place.
Many parents-to-be feel the need to know when their baby was conceived. With the help of a conception calculator based on due date, parents-to-be will be able to find out the conception date.
When a woman is confirmed to be pregnant, both the mother as well as the father are eager to know, when will the baby be born. That is when, the gynecologist makes use of due date calculator, to predict the approximate arrival date of the new addition to the family. However, after a few weeks, the parents want to know, when was their baby conceived. This is when the conception calculator based on due date comes in handy. It is also called as the reverse calculator, as on based on the due date, is the conception date calculated.
The two ways, used to calculate the due date, are using ultrasound and identifying the last menstrual period (LMP) date. Similarly to calculate the conception date, there are two ways. They are:
Conception calculator based on due date
Conception calculator based on last menstrual period (LMP)
Under normal circumstances, women do not know the conception date, as it is very difficult to figure out the exact date.
When we use the pregnancy conception calculator, there are a couple of details, which you will have to always remember. A woman is normally able to get pregnant for approximately 5 days each month. This is true, because a sperm can stay alive for 3 to 5 days in the woman's reproductive track. Hence, if the intercourse happens a couple of days before or after the ovulation, the woman can get pregnant. Ovulation and conception occur on an average 14 days before the next menstrual cycle is due. However, this is true, if the menstrual cycle of the woman is normal and is of 28 days. If the menstrual cycle is longer, then the day of ovulation and therefore pregnancy, will be more than 14 days. The average length of the menstrual cycle ranges from 22 to 44 days. A 44 day menstrual cycle is, however, rare. When the health care providers calculate the due date, they often consider the menstrual period cycle to be of 28 days. Therefore, chances are high, that the baby may arrive a little later or earlier, than the predicted due date.
The due date is calculated by adding 266 days to the date of ovulation and fertilization or ovulation. The alternative method is to add 38 weeks to the date of ovulation and fertilization. The duration of a normal pregnancy is anywhere between 38 to 42 weeks and the average term pregnancy is 40 weeks. Hence, to calculate the conception date based on due date, the reverse calculations will have to be implemented.
Let us take an example to understand, how to calculate the conception date, using the menstrual cycle. For example, the last menstrual period was on 1 January.
|
Cycle Days |
Conception Date* |
|
25 day Cycle |
12 January |
|
26 day Cycle |
13 January |
|
27 day Cycle |
14 January |
|
28 day Cycle |
15 January |
|
29 day Cycle |
16 January |
|
30 day Cycle |
17 January |
|
31 day Cycle |
18 January |
|
32 day Cycle |
19 January |
|
33 day Cycle |
20 January |
|
34 day Cycle |
21 January |
|
35 day Cycle |
22 January |
|
36 day Cycle |
23 January |
|
37 day Cycle |
24 January |
|
38 day Cycle |
25 January |
* - The values in the table are approximate values. You will have to calculate the conception depending on your ovulation cycle, which can either be longer or shorter than 28 days.
Many times, the early signs of conception and implantation can be mistaken for the signs that a menstrual cycle is about to start. If you are in need of some information on the early signs of implantation and conception, then keep reading here. Some of the most common symptoms that women tend to experience during early conception and even egg implantation are listed right here.
It is important for each woman to know that implantation does not occur until around the 6th to the 12th day after the embryo has fully implanted itself in to the wall of the uterus. Spotting is something that can occur around this time and it is very normal. You may notice a discharge that is a bright red or a light brown. The spotting does not happen for everyone, but for many women it does.
A sign that conception has taken place, is the woman’s basal body temperature which is slightly elevated and will remain that way until around the time you were to begin your menstrual cycle. Hormone fluctuations can occur around the time of conception causing dizziness and even headaches. This is due to changes in the levels of the estrogen and progesterone found in a woman's body. Early pregnancy can cause a women to feel to dizzy when standing to fast and this can be a sign that conception has taken place.
The next and most common sign that conception has taken place is the fact that there was a missed period. Some women can have some light spotting during the time that their cycle was suppose to start, causing them to mistake that for a period. The last telltale sign that conception has taken place is, having tender breasts. Because of the fact that the hormones estrogen and progesterone are out of whack, it can cause the breast to become tender. The hormones are elevated for the fact that the breasts are preparing for the production of milk.
It is all about looking for small signs when it comes to conception and implantation. If you are trying to conceive and have noticed any of these signs, it may be in your best interest to take a home pregnancy test or visit your OBGYN. Conception is something that takes a couple of weeks to fully happen when it comes to the release of the egg to the implantation into the ovary. Remember to watch for a few of the signs listed here and you could be able to tell if you have conceived or not.