Overview of week 1 of pregnancy
During week 1 of pregnancy:
- Your baby 0in long
- You are in trimester one
- 39 more weeks to go
- You are currently menstruating
It may surprise you to hear that during your first week of pregnancy, you actually are not pregnant at all. In fact, you are currently menstruating and ridding your uterus of its uterine lining.
If you have a typical 28-day cycle, you will ovulate in 2 weeks and that is when conception will occur and pregnancy will begin.
Did you just get a positive pregnancy test? If so, you are further along than you think, you may skip ahead to week 4.
How big is baby at one week pregnant?
Surprise! There actually is no baby when you are one week pregnant. In fact, you aren’t even pregnant yet. Conception does not occur until about the third week of pregnancy. Because the actual date of conception is so hard to pinpoint, doctors will actually use the first day of your last menstrual cycle to determine the start of pregnancy.
Did you recently take a pregnancy test that came up positive? You are further along than you think! In fact, you are probably around 4 weeks pregnant right now.
Baby development during week one of pregnancy
Although you are not yet pregnant, doctors count the first day of pregnancy as the first day of your last menstrual cycle. So contrary to popular belief, during your first week of pregnancy, you are actually on your period and not even pregnant yet. Conception is still about 2 weeks away.
Right now, your body is currently ridding itself of last month’s unfertilized egg and the uterine lining, causing you to menstruate. While this is happening, the next egg is getting ready to mature within the ovaries. This is the egg that will be fertilized and become a baby.
Pregnancy Week 1 Symptoms
Menstruation
Doctors calculate the beginning of pregnancy based on the date of your last menstrual cycle. So, therefore, during week one of pregnancy, you are actually on your period. Any pregnancy symptoms for week one are not due to pregnancy, but instead due to your period. These may include period cramping, tender breasts, and mood swings.
Pregnancy week one tips
Start a prenatal vitamin
Starting a prenatal vitamin is recommended as soon as you decide to start trying to conceive. Making sure you have sufficient vitamin intake is important in the beginning stages of baby development. Most importantly is folate intake. Adequate folate levels can decrease the chances of developmental defects in your growing baby.
Prepare mentally
You have decided to take the leap and start trying to conceive. This is the time to make sure that you are mentally ready for this life-changing decision. Make sure you are in the right mindset and are realistic about the changes that will incur.
Make healthy life choices
Now that you have decided to start trying to conceive, make sure you are making the right life choices that will lead to a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. If you smoke, this is time to quit. That goes for alcohol as well. Start adding a few more fruits and vegetables to your diet and maybe start taking short walks around the block for more exercise.
Remember that these changes are for the benefit of your future child. Keeping this in mind may make the choices to change your lifestyle a little easier and give you some extra motivation.
