Pregnancy is counted from the first day of your last period which means that during 1 week pregnant, you are not pregnant yet, but your body is preparing for this event. You are still on your period when you are 1 week pregnant. Believe it or not, your baby won’t be conceived while you are 1 to 2 weeks pregnant!
Baby Development:
Your baby has yet to be conceived.
There is no baby growing yet when you are 1 week pregnant. Your hormones are preparing for ovulation. During this time, the egg that will be released & fertilized is starting to mature inside your ovaries. During this week the baby is called the blastocyte. The blastocyte is divided into two parts, the external part of which will become the placenta and the inner part will become the embryo during the 2nd week of your pregnancy. If more than one egg gets fertilized, multiple zygotes are formed. These zygotes carry 46 chromosomes from both the parents and these chromosomes determine the baby’s sex and other physical features.
Body Changes
Your body during the first week of pregnancy is going through the last menstruation. Your body is getting rid of last month’s egg and uterine lining. At this stage, usually in the two days of pregnancy or the first two days of your period, most women experience a heavier menstrual flow. Once your period ends, your uterine lining or endometrium will start to thicken again where the fertilized egg will implant itself after conception, ready to start growing.
Pregnancy signs week 1:
At 1 week pregnant, the symptoms of pregnancy you will experience are those typical to your period. During 1st weeks of pregnancy few women experience early signs of pregnancy discharge which is thin, milky white and has a mild smell. Vaginal spotting or light bleeding can be quite normal which is a sign of implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterine inner layer. At the same time, bleeding can be a sign of miscarriage symptoms. Contact your doctor in case of spotting.
Find your due date/Calculating your due date:
Unless you've been tracking your ovulation, for a health practitioner to exactly know when you ovulated and conceived is hard to say. Most women ovulate about two weeks after the first day of their period. So, to calculate a standard timing, most health practitioners calculate the due date from the first day of your last menstrual period.
Pregnancy symptoms: Week 1
Here are a few number of common symptoms a woman may notice throughout her Pregnancy Symptoms Week 1.- Vaginal bleeding
- Lower back pain and cramps
- Bloating
- Mood swings
- Headache
- Cravings
- Fatigue
Tips for You This Week
You can support your body to prepare for pregnancy by following the tips below:- Supplement balanced diet with daily multivitamins or prenatal vitamins or maternal milk supplements. Folic acid, which is found naturally in lentils, dried beans, peas, and whole-grain bread, helps prevent early pregnancy birth defects.
Note: Women who are attempting to become pregnant usually take 400 micrograms of folic acid a day. Adequate folic acid reduces the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. So talk to your Gynecologist regarding folic acid supplements.
- Maintain healthy habits in nutrition and exercise.
- Address any medical conditions or intake of prescription or non-prescription medications. Consult your doctor in such instances.
- Avoid smoking, alcohol, artificial sweeteners and caffeine intake