Your pregnancy by week: Weeks 1-4
Whether you've just gotten
pregnant or are trying to get pregnant, you have a lot of questions about what
to expect. How will your body change? What is going on inside you? Our weekly
guide will get you through nine months of pregnancy so you can be a smarter,
more confident, and better prepared mom-to-be. Every week you get information
about your body and your baby's body, as well as helpful tips that you can use
throughout your pregnancy. Let's start by looking inside the uterus.
Weeks 1 and 2
Baby: Your child is still just a twinkle in your eyes. It's
difficult to know exactly when conception occurred, so doctors calculate your
due date from the start of your last menstrual period. That's right - for
calculations, you are "pregnant" even before you get pregnant!
Mom-to-be: At
the beginning of menstruation, about 20 eggs, called ova, occupy fluid-filled
sacs called follicles. If you normally have your period every 28 days, then
about 14 days later, ovulation occurs: one of these follicles releases an egg
that travels down the fallopian tube, where it awaits fertilization. This time,
14 days after the start of your period and a day or more later, you are most
fertile. If you want to get pregnant, now is the best time to try. After
fertilization, the egg enters the uterus.
Don't be discouraged if you
don't get pregnant the first time. Depending on her age, every month a woman
has a 25% chance of getting pregnant, so you may have to try several times.
Tip for the week:
Make sure you schedule a pre-conception visit with your gynecologist to
determine genetic disease and environmental risks, and learn more about the
lifestyle changes needed to ensure a pregnancy and a healthy baby. Most
importantly, make sure you start taking 0.4 milligrams or 400 micrograms of
folate per day. Taking folic acid a few months before conception has been shown
to significantly reduce neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
Week 3
Baby: Congratulations! If your egg and your partner's sperm have
successfully fused, your embryo is really there, although it is very small -
the size of a pinhead. It doesn't look like a fetus or a child; it's just a
group of about 100 cells that multiply and grow rapidly. The outer layer of
cells will become the placenta and the inner layer will become the embryo.
Mom-to-be:
you will not notice any changes in the body at this stage. Remember that you
haven't even missed your period yet.
Tip of the week:
Can't wait to find out? Take a home pregnancy test. They are as reliable as a
urinalysis or blood test taken at the doctor's office, and you get results
right away. To ensure accuracy, please read the instructions carefully and make
sure all supplies you use are clean.
Week 4
Baby: Now that your egg is fertilized, it implants itself in the
lining of the uterus. This is called implantation.
Mom-to-be:
You're probably expecting your period this week, and if you don't, it could be
one of the first signs you're pregnant. You may also notice light spots when
the embryo implants in the uterus. You may not feel any change yet, but your
uterus is forming an amniotic sac that will be filled with fluid and a placenta
that will supply oxygen and nutrients to nourish your baby.
Tip of the week:
try to eat healthy, that is, choose a variety of foods from the recommended
food groups and drink at least 180-240 ml glasses of water per day. But you
don't really need to "eat for two"; you only need 300 extra calories
per day during pregnancy. And don't worry if your food intake decreases at
first due to morning sickness. If you have already eaten well, your baby will
get what he needs.
What is happening inside you?
A fertilized egg grows and a
dense sac is formed around it, gradually filling with liquid. This is called
the amniotic sac, and it helps slow down the growth of the embryo.
The placenta also develops.
It's a round, flat organ that carries nutrients from you to your baby and
expels the baby's waste products.
The primitive face takes shape
with large circles around the eyes. The mouth, lower jaw and throat develop.
The blood cells take shape and circulation begins.
By the end of the first month, your baby is about 0.6 cm tall, which is smaller than a grain of rice.