1 Week Pregnant: Preparing Your Body for Pregnancy
Week one of pregnancy begins on the first day of your last menstrual period, even though you haven't actually conceived yet. This is the time when your doctor will begin counting down your 40 weeks of pregnancy. Confusing, isn't it?
So why do we jump the gun on the countdown? Because each time you have a period, your body is essentially priming itself for pregnancy by sweeping away unfertilized eggs. Roughly two weeks after your cycle begins, your ovaries release a new egg—meaning that you're ovulating and ready to get pregnant.
More specifically, a number of hormonal changes happen during your cycle that aid in conception. First, the follicle stimulating hormone (also known as FSH) begins inducing egg production. Then, as each egg-carrying follicle matures, estrogen is produced. This hormone encourages thickening of the uterine lining and spurs the production of luteinizing hormone, which helps the follicles break through the ovarian wall. This process is known as ovulation.
Pretty amazing process our bodies go through each month, right? It happens without you even knowing it, but that doesn't mean you can't do things to help ensure that all goes smoothly.
If you're trying to conceive, talk to your doctor about prenatal vitamins. Typically, this consists of folic acid supplementation, which is known to help reduce the risk of certain birth defects. Your health care provider may prescribe between 400 to 800 micrograms daily during the months leading up to your pregnancy.
You may also consider talking to your physician about any medical conditions you have and how they could affect your pregnancy. For example, women with asthma, diabetes, depression, thyroid conditions, high blood pressure, obesity or epilepsy may need to take certain precautions or ask for help getting their condition under control before trying to conceive. Additionally, discuss any medications you are taking to make sure they are safe for pregnancy
This may go without saying, but you should also avoid drinking alcohol during this time and, if you're a smoker, make every effort to kick the habit. You may also want to steer clear of toxic chemicals and cat feces, as the latter can contain a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, a condition known to be harmful to fetal health.
2 Weeks Pregnant: Optimizing Your Chances for Fertilization
During what's technically your second week of pregnancy, your body still has not conceived. However, this is the time you’re most likely to ovulate, which is when your egg will be released and may be fertilized.
At week two, your menstrual period has ended and your uterine lining is thickening as your egg ripens, getting ready to be released into your fallopian tube. If all goes according to plan, toward the end of this week your egg should be perfectly positioned for fertilization.
Fertilization is the moment when the sperm makes its way to your egg, at which time a very important factor is determined. While it will be months before your health care professional is able to tell you if you'll be having a boy or a girl, your baby's gender is set as soon as the sperm completes its job.
Here's how it works: A total of 46 chromosomes will make up your baby's genetic material, and two will determine the sex. Your egg has an X chromosome, while sperm can carry either X or Y. If the sperm that gets through has an X chromosome, your baby will be a girl, but if it carries a Y, you'll have a boy.
Now the trick is getting that sperm to your egg. Conceiving can be a little trickier than simply having sex—though, as we all know, that's all it takes sometimes. Some experts recommend having intercourse every other day during this time to optimize your chances of conceiving. Knowing your ovulation cycle and timing intercourse around it are keys to success
You now know that ovulation generally occurs toward the end of the second week of your cycle, but the exact timing varies from woman to woman. Signs that you're ovulating include thin, slippery discharge, similar to the consistency of egg whites, and some women can feel their eggs being released. Typically, it feels like a slight twinge of pain on one side of the lower abdomen. In addition to becoming familiar with your cervical mucus, you may want to track your temperature throughout the month because it generally rises a small amount just after ovulation.
Some women prefer to use an ovulation kit. This is a daily at-home urine test that can be purchased at the drugstore to measure your levels of luteinizing hormone, which sends a signal to your ovaries to release an egg. To best detect the amount of this hormone in your urine, you should begin testing nine or 10 days after the first day of your last menstrual period.
3 Weeks Pregnant: Spotting the First Signs of Pregnancy
If all has gone according to plan, your baby is officially beginning to grow inside you during week three, even if she is only a bundle of cells at this point
After your egg is fertilized (and so now known as a zygote), it makes an astounding transformation by dividing several times and turning into a ball of cells about the size of a grain of sand. This cluster is called a blastocyst, and it will now travel from your fallopian tube to your uterus, the place it will call home for the next nine months.
Of course, you won't notice all of this action going on, and most likely it would be too early to take a pregnancy test, however, you may experience some signs of pregnancy.
You might have heard of something called implantation bleeding, which occurs anywhere from six days to two weeks after conception. This happens when your little blastocyst attaches to the wall of your uterus. Some women don’t have any bleeding, while others only see slight spotting and some may have what seems like a full-on period.
There may also be a slight rise in your basal body temperature upon conception. This is because your body is producing more estrogen and progesterone, which help it prepare for the changes it will undergo and may also lead to some unwanted side effects, like nausea. If you’ve been tracking your temperature for conception, you may notice this very early sign of pregnancy.
Speaking of nausea, you may soon begin to experience telltale morning sickness, which, deceivingly, can occur at any time of the day. Feelings of nausea can happen with or without vomiting and may be triggered by certain smells because your olfactory senses are now heightened. Your sensitive sense of smell may also cause cravings or aversions to certain foods.
Many women note changes in their breasts soon after conceiving. They may become tender, swollen or fuller than usual. Additionally, hormonal changes may make your nipples appear darker
Other symptoms that the surge in hormones may cause are fatigue, mood swings, dizziness and constipation. If any of these get severe, contact your health care professional to find safe, effective ways to alleviate them.
4 Weeks Pregnant: Suspecting Successful Conception
Now that your fertilized egg has made its way to your uterus, things are really starting to get interesting. This cluster of cells is dividing into two parts: one that will form an embryo and the other a placenta.
The embryo will eventually turn into a fetus, but for now it's about the size of a very small freckle, and the amniotic sac is forming around it. Encapsulating the tiny new life is the placenta, which will help deliver nutrients to your developing baby and carry away waste.
Embryos have three layers, which will ultimately make up specialized organs and body parts. The innermost layer is the endoderm. This part will become your child's digestive system, liver and lungs. The second layer is the mesoderm, and it is the early stages of a heart, sex organs, bones, kidneys and muscles. The outermost layer is known as the ectoderm, which will comprise the nervous system, skin, hair and eyes.
As all of these important little details are developing, you may just now be suspecting that you’ve successfully conceived. You may have missed a period and experienced some of the early symptoms of pregnancy like breast discomfort, fatigue, nausea and more
Because you're going to need a doctor to confirm your pregnancy even after receiving a positive at-home test, week four may be a good time to choose a health care professional.
There are a few key factors you should consider at this point, like whether you want a male or a female provider, and if you want to pick an obstetrician, your family doctor or a midwife. Studies find that care provided by midwives, family physicians and obstetricians is equally effective, although women are slightly more satisfied with care from midwives and family physicians.
Choosing a health care professional is an important decision, so you may want to talk to family and friends about their recommendations, as well as conduct interviews with prospective health care providers. If you know where you want to deliver your baby (such as at home or at a specific hospital or birthing center), make sure the health care professional you choose can deliver at that place
5 Week pregnancy
The fifth week of pregnancy is exciting because this is when your little one's heart and circulatory system start to form. However, you also may be greeted with the nausea and increased fatigue that some women cope with during the first trimester.
Your baby is still pretty small—about the size of a beauty mark. He resembles a small tadpole as the beginnings of a spinal cord develop and form a tail. His umbilical cord has formed, and your placenta is hard at work helping to deliver nutrients and keeping the bad stuff away from his fragile body.
Perhaps you are wondering if you should tell your family and friends the good news. It's important to examine the pros and cons and make this choice with the help of your partner. You may need time to adjust to the news and to discuss options with your partner for your pregnancy and beyond (Keep working? Work part-time? Quit your job?). If you're employed, you may want time to consider how to discuss your pregnancy with your employer.
Plus, the first three months are the most common time for miscarriage. Some women prefer to keep the news quiet until the baby has had time to get settled, while others prefer to share their pregnancy with close friends and family so they'll have support, if needed.
In the meantime, if you haven't already, now is a great time to begin forming habits that will contribute to a healthy pregnancy. This includes regular exercise and getting ample nutrients to support your growing baby. You'll gradually want to work up to 300 more calories a day in your second trimester.
Your diet should ideally consist of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean protein. Go light on the saturated fat (for example, red meat and whole-milk dairy products) and aim for as few processed foods as possible. Don't eat raw or undercooked seafood or meats or unpasteurized milk, cheese and juices
6 Weeks Pregnant: Emotional Ups and Downs
During your sixth week of pregnancy, your baby is starting to look less like a tadpole and more like a person as her face begins to form. If you could see her up close—she's just about the size of an earring back—you'd notice teensy dark spots on the head. Those are the eyes, nose and mouth, and the little indentations on either side will become ears.
And that circulatory system that was just starting to form last week? Well, this week it may be fully functioning, with a tiny heart pulsing 100 to 160 times each minute. Additionally, she's starting to develop buds that will eventually grow into arms and legs, as well as a pituitary gland that will spur the formation of muscles, bones and a brain.
If your mind keeps wandering between feelings of elation and anxiety, you should know that this is normal. You may be excited wondering whether your baby will have your mother's nose or your partner's eyes—and concerned about the big life changes ahead of you. Many women feel continual mood shifts at this point in pregnancy.
Mood swings occur for a number of reasons, both external and internal. If there are things happening around you, such as problems at work or family issues, they can seem even more intense in light of your pregnancy. Don't think that you need to suffer in silence during these conflicts. Consider talking things over with your partner, a close friend, your health care professional or a licensed counselor.
But your stress may also be related to hormone fluctuations, which can make you dancing-on-the-tabletops happy one minute and sobbing-in-the-fetal-position sad the next. It may help to remind yourself that your shifting emotions are a perfectly normal part of pregnancy. Additionally, relaxing activities like taking a nap, going for a walk, getting a massage or doing some light yoga can help slow your thought process and bring your mind back to its normal state.
7 week pragnancy
Now that you've reached week seven of your pregnancy, your baby is probably about the size of a fingernail. While he's still pretty tiny, he's far more advanced than the cluster of cells he started out as, because his brain cells are quickly developing.
His brain isn't all that's coming along; she's also growing other integral organs, such as a heart and kidneys. In fact, he likely has a heart rateof about 100 beats per minute at this point. Additionally, your baby may be developing a tongue, arms and legs.
Toward the end of your seventh week, your child is nearly double the length he was at the beginning, reaching roughly 13 millimeters, with the head making up the majority of the volume.
Even though your baby is no bigger than a berry at seven weeks, you may begin to feel pressure on your bladder. This isn't only due to your expanding uterus, but also an increase in a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which helps to get blood flowing to your pelvis.
This is a good thing, because blood flow stimulation allows you to better get rid of waste, and hCG plays an integral role in placentadevelopment—so just try to remember that the next time you're racing to the bathroom.
You may also keep in mind that some women experience alleviation in their constant need to go once they enter their second trimester. But it also may reappear toward the end of your pregnancy when your little one settles down into your pelvis, leaving not much space for your bladder.
What's important to remember is that even though your urge to urinate may seem intense and never-ending at times, don't try to cut down on time spent in the bathroom by forgoing fluids. You and your baby need to remain hydrated, and a lack of fluids may cause a urinary tract infection, which is most unpleasant
8 Weeks Pregnant: Preparing for Your First Prenatal Visit
By week eight, your little one is about the size of a ring, and there are many tiny, yet important, parts of her developing—including the fingers, toes, airways and brain cells
if you could see your baby, you'd notice that she has teeny webbed fingers and toes and perhaps even small eyelids that will soon cover her sensitive eyes. The very tip of her nose may also be starting to form, as well as the upper lip. Behind the face, nerve cells are beginning to connect with one another and form what will eventually become complex neural pathways.
A little farther down, your baby's breathing tubes are developing to reach her lungs. Moreover, her very important aortic and pulmonary valves in her heart have formed, helping the muscle to beat at an amazing 150 pulses per minute.
If your pregnancy is considered high risk, you'll likely have already been to see your health care provider. However, for many pregnancies, the first prenatal visit takes place somewhere between now and week 10.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR BODY: Physical Changes During Pregnancy
At your first appointment, your health care provider will complete a comprehensive health history. He or she will ask whether you have any medical or psychosocial issues, the date of your last menstrual period, your history of birth control methods and other medications, if you've previously been hospitalized, whether you have any drug allergies and about your family's medical history. You may want to write down these details if you think you could have trouble remembering everything.
The visit will include measuring your blood pressure, height and weight, as well as a breast and pelvic exam, with a pap test if you haven't had once recently. They'll also likely take blood to test for your blood type, anemia and other medical and genetic conditions. It's still a little early to hear your baby's heartbeat, so this exciting milestone may have to wait until your next visit.
Your health care provider may also talk to you about more extensive genetic testing and offer you screening tests that can give you some information about your baby's risk for Down syndrome as well as other chromosomal problems and birth defects.
There is a new two-part prenatal screening that can be done between weeks 9 and 13. It combines a blood test and a specialized ultrasound to assess your baby's risk for Down syndrome or trisomy 18. This screening is less invasive than amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS) but is not definitive. If risk is indicated, the screening may help you decide whether you want further testing.
If so, CVS is a genetic test that can be performed between weeks 10 and 12 of pregnancy. The doctor removes a small piece of your placenta to check for potential genetic problems. Although CVS cannot detect neural tube defects, some women prefer it because they can get results sooner than with an amniocentesis, which is usually done between weeks 15 and 18.
Both tests are invasive and include a very slight risk of complications, including miscarriage, so it's important to do your research and talk to your partner and health care professional to decide what testing is right for you.Click here to learn more about genetic testing.
Finally, your provider may speak to you about lifestyle considerations, including nutrition and exercise. Bring a list of questions regarding your concerns and current habits. Now is the time to ask about activities that you are concerned about continuing during pregnancy.
You also might want to ask about the practice's birth philosophy to make sure it's in line with your own. For instance, if your goal is to have a natural childbirth, talk to them about it and make sure they are supportive of your plans.
If you leave your visit doubting your choice of providers, keep in mind that you can always change practices if you feel uncomfortable or are concerned that their philosophy of childbirth differs from yours. If you want to continue with the provider you've chosen, you'll likely schedule an appointment for four weeks later before leaving the office