Two weeks before conception
Pregnancy occurs when a mature egg is fertilized by a sperm cell. This occurs during ovulation. Obstetricians-gynecologists believe, however, that the beginning of pregnancy should be marked not during ovulation but at the beginning of the cycle during which conception occurs.
There are a few reasons for this. First, it is very difficult to accurately determine the moment of conception. Secondly, the egg from which the embryo develops is already formed at the beginning of the cycle.
Women tend to menstruate two weeks before conception. Menstruation itself is the consequence of the previous cycle, during which conception did not occur. In this case, the endometrium — the mucous membrane that lines the inside of the uterus each month — is discarded and bleeding occurs [1, 2].
At the beginning of the cycle, follicles form in the ovaries. They contain an egg cell surrounded by several layers of different tissue. In total, from 7 to 23 follicles are formed. They grow with the help of a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which is produced in the pituitary gland. Normally, only one of the follicles will reach maturity.
During ovulation, the follicle will rupture and release an egg into the abdominal cavity. The egg will then reach the fallopian tube, where it can remain for up to 24 hours awaiting fertilization [3]. A fertilized egg will then need to reach the uterus and attach to the uterus wall. The journey through the fallopian tube into the uterus takes about four days.
After ovulation, the endometrium becomes thicker to allow the embryo to successfully attach to the wall of the uterus. The endometrium will remain in place for the duration of the pregnancy [1, 2].
Discharge
For the first week of the cycle bloody discharge is normal, as this is the time of menstruation which can last anywhere from 3 to 7 days. During this time, women will lose an average of 30-40 ml of blood, but up to 80 ml is still considered normal. Excessively heavy menstruation does merit a consultation with your doctor since it can be associated with the risk of developing an iron deficiency [1, 4].
