How does fertilization take place?

Of course, you know that your egg needs to be fertilized in order to have a baby, but what exactly is fertilization and how does it happen? Fertilization is the joining of the egg and the sperm and occurs within 12-24 hours after ovulation in the fallopian tube. Fertilization occurs in the outer third of the fallopian tubes, not in the uterus. The fertilized egg then takes about a week to travel down the tube into the uterus. Implantation, on the other hand, does occur in the uterus about 6-12 days after ovulation/fertilization.

If fertilization does not happen within 12-24 hours after ovulation, the egg dies off.

Implantation, the attachment of the embryo to the uterine lining, happens on average about 9 days after ovulation/fertilization (between 6 and 12 days). Implantation is vital because the embryo must implant in the uterus in order for the embry to continue to grow and to become a fetus.

Calculate: Am I fertile today?

If you take a blood pregnancy test, it will become positive 3-4 days after implantation, while the urine pregnancy test takes several more days to produce a positive result.

What aids in fertilization? 

Knowing when your fertile window is and when you will ovulate is half the battle of conceiving. Your fertile window is composed of the 5-6 fertile days of your menstrual cycle. This is when intercourse will most likely result in a pregnancy. This fertile window starts 5 days before the day of ovulation until the day of ovulation. The most fertile days are the two days before plus the day of ovulation. Having sex more than 24 hours after the day of ovulation is not likely to improve your chances of getting pregnant.

Role of sperm

Researchers identify the glucose molecule that makes the outer layer of the egg cell ‘sticky’ which is important for capturing the sperm and egg and fusing them. Sperm is optimal when it ha the proper balance of quantity, quality, and motility.