Conception - from fertilisation to embryo

Conception is when an egg is fertilised by a sperm. This usually happens 1 or 2 days after ovulation.

Over 4 to 5 days, the fertilised egg travels along the fallopian tube to the uterus for the egg to implant itself, and for pregnancy to begin.

• Ovulation
• Fertilisation
• Zygote
• 2-cell stage
• 4-cell stage
• 8-cell stage
• Blastocyst
• Blastocyst (hatching)
• Implantation in uterus

Fetal development

• Week 3 — brain and central nervous system
• Week 3-4 — heart
• Week 4 — upper limbs (arms)
• Week 4-5 — eyes
• Week 4-5 — lower limbs (legs)
• Week 7 — teeth
• Week 7 — palate
• Week 7-8 — external genitalia
• Week 4-5 — ears