It seems like a lot of men and women are a little in the dark as to what exactly is going on in the uterus after the egg is fertilized. This can, understandably, lead to a lot of confusion and concern, especially when a woman trying to conceive exhibits what is known as "spotting" (or slight bleeding) during early pregnancy. Is spotting a good sign? Is it bad? What's going on in there?
Super simplified explanation of post-fertilization activity:
- Once a sperm makes contact with the egg they form a single, genetically complete cell.
- This cell begins dividing rapidly without growing in size, until it becomes sphere of about 100 cells called a blastula.
- For the embryo to continue to grow, it needs a source of nourishment. The lining of the mother's womb is rich in tissue and blood vessels (the stuff that becomes menstruation) and the embryo will (hopefully) come in contact with the uterine wall and attach.
- The embryo essentially "digs in". The mother's arteries break down and the outer layer of embryonic cells establishes a connection that shares blood and nutrients with the embryo, what becomes the placenta.
- Its a few days after this stage, 10-15 days after ovulation, that as many as 30% of women experience spotting, which can be mistaken for an early, very light period. This is not a sign necessarily of a successful or unsuccessful pregnancy, since the implantation might not take. Its just a signal that something is going on in there.
- If the implantation is successful (and nothing else goes wrong), from then on out the developing fetus shares everything the mother puts in her body. So there you have it, a simple summary :)
If you would like a more in depth look at prenatal development, check out the Wikipedia pages on Prenatal Development and Implantation. Also, check out the American Pregnancy Association more information on spotting during early pregnancy.
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