1St weeks signs of pregnancy

Pregnancy symptoms week 1: Early signs

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Some people have no pregnancy symptoms at week 1, while others may experience symptoms such as fatigue, breast tenderness, and mild cramping.

Typically, medical professionals measure pregnancy week 1 from the first day of a woman’s last menstrual period. Although a woman is not actually pregnant at this point, counting week 1 from the last menstrual period can help determine a woman’s estimated pregnancy due date.

However, this article will refer to pregnancy week 1 as starting a week after conception, meaning the literal first week of pregnancy.

A missed menstrual period is often the primary symptom of early pregnancy.

Conception, or fertilization, occurs when the ovary releases an egg (ovulation), and a sperm fertilizes it. This can happen about 14 days after the menstrual cycle starts, according to March of Dimes.

According to Planned Parenthood, implantation begins about 6–7 days after conception. This is when the fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus. This movement of the egg may break down blood vessels within the uterus wall, which may cause light bleeding and cramping.

Implantation bleeding is an early sign of pregnancy. It is not like a menstrual period. Instead, it is light bleeding that may involve a single spot of blood or a small amount of pink discharge. The spotting may last for a few hours, or it may last for a few days.

Women may also feel mild cramping as the embryo attaches to the uterus wall. Women may feel these cramps in the abdomen, pelvis, or low back area.

The cramping may feel like a pulling, tingling, or pricking sensation. Some women experience only a few minor cramps, while others may feel occasional discomfort that comes and goes over a few days.

Pregnancy symptoms in week 1 are different for every woman and every pregnancy. According to the Office on Women’s Health, the most common first sign of pregnancy is a missed menstrual period.

Other early pregnancy symptoms include:

• nausea with or without vomiting
• breast changes including tenderness, swelling, or tingling feeling, or noticeable blue veins
• frequent urination
• headache
• raised basal body temperature
• bloating in the belly or gas
• mild pelvic cramping or discomfort without bleeding
• tiredness or fatigue
• irritability or mood swings
• food cravings or aversions
• a heightened sense of smell
• metallic taste in the mouth

Not all of these symptoms are unique to pregnancy. It is also important to note that early pregnancy does not always cause noticeable symptoms.

The best way for a person to find out if they are pregnant is to take a pregnancy test.

A pregnancy test measures the amount of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) hormone in the urine. This hormone is only present when a woman is pregnant. As the egg grows into an embryo, the cells that surround it and later become the placenta produce hCG.

Planned Parenthood indicate that it is best to take a pregnancy test as soon after a missed period as possible. A pregnancy test may return a positive result as early as 10 days after a person has had sex without contraception. However, it typically takes about 3 weeks before there’s enough hCG in the urine to produce a positive pregnancy test.

There are many affordable and reliable pregnancy tests available over-the-counter (OTC) or online. A home pregnancy test can tell whether you are pregnant in a few minutes, with most claiming to offer almost 99% accuracy.

To help ensure an accurate result, the best time to take a pregnancy test is 1 week after a missed period. Results of a pregnancy test are either positive or negative.

If a woman takes the pregnancy test earlier than 1 week after a missed period, it may give a negative result, even if the person is actually pregnant.

If a person believes they are pregnant despite a negative test result, they should repeat the test after 1 week.

To avoid a false negative result, check the pregnancy test’s expiration date, and carefully follow the written directions.

A person can also have a blood test to determine whether they are pregnant. This test identifies the presence of hCG in the blood. The blood test can show a positive result a few days earlier than the urine test can, but it may take up to 48 hrs to get the results back from the lab.

Pregnancy symptoms are different for every woman. Some women may notice symptoms, such as spotting or a headache, during week 1 of pregnancy. Others may only experience a missed period. Some women will have no symptoms at all.

Whether a person has symptoms or not, the best way to determine if they are pregnant is to take a pregnancy test.

A range of pregnancy tests is available for purchase online.

1, 2, or 3 Weeks Pregnant—Early Signs & Symptoms

Pregnancy is a much anticipated time in your life, and you may be eagerly watching for those very early signs in weeks 1, 2, or 3. But, did you know that you’re not actually pregnant during these first couple of weeks? We know it’s a little confusing, and it’s also why you might not notice any pregnancy symptoms early on! Keep reading to better understand what’s going on in that body of yours during the first three weeks of pregnancy.

Before we get into all the details, here are a few highlights to look forward to during these early weeks of your pregnancy:

• Watching for symptoms in weeks 1, 2, and 3 of pregnancy. Are you wondering if it's possible to feel pregnant after two days, or during weeks 1 and 2 of pregnancy? You might notice symptoms like light bleeding, spotting, cramps, or bloating around week 3 when the egg implants into your uterus.

• Calculating your due date. Most healthcare providers track pregnancy along 40 weeks, starting with the last day of your previous period. That means you aren’t actually pregnant until fertilization occurs and your baby is conceived, between week 2 and 3 of your pregnancy.

• Making healthy choices early on. As early as possible in your pregnancy, you’ll want to adopt a healthy lifestyle that supports the development of your baby. Though your healthcare provider may offer specific advice, you'll likely want to incorporate certain vitamins, foods, and exercise into your daily life.

Here’s the thing: Because of the way pregnancy is usually measured, you’re not actually pregnant during the first two weeks or so of your pregnancy. Healthcare providers calculate the length of an average pregnancy as 280 days, which is 40 weeks, starting from the first day of your last menstrual period—this is known as the LMP dating method.

So, when you’re 1 week pregnant, you’re having your period. At 2 weeks pregnant, you’re probably ovulating. And since ovulation happens about 14 days after the start of your period (assuming you have a 28-day cycle), with fertilization and conception following, you can’t really become pregnant until around week 3 at the earliest.

It can be mind-boggling—we get it. But, for the sake of calculation, and what you and your healthcare provider will consider as 1 and 2 weeks pregnant, you’re not actually pregnant until week 3. But although at 1, 2, or 3 weeks pregnant you may not notice any of those very early signs of pregnancy, there’s still a lot happening on the inside.

“If I'm 3 weeks pregnant when is my due date?” It's natural to wonder about your due date right away when you find out you’re pregnant, as you’re already looking forward to meeting your new baby!

For an estimate, try our Due Date Calculator, where you can simply enter the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP) or the date of conception.

Again, healthcare providers use the LMP method to determine your estimated due date. So once you start to notice those early pregnancy signs or have the feeling that you might be pregnant, take a pregnancy test at home or confirm your pregnancy with your healthcare provider so you can calculate your due date!

Your healthcare provider will refer to your pregnancy in weeks, but you also might hear a reference to months. It gets a little tricky, given that nine months doesn't divide evenly into weeks, but the first month of pregnancy typically includes the first four weeks. So, at 1, 2, or 3 weeks pregnant, you’re in your first month of pregnancy, even if you haven’t noticed any belly bump or symptoms!

Your journey through pregnancy has officially begun, but as mentioned above, you’re not actually pregnant yet. This is a difficult concept to grasp at first, and many people wonder if there are any symptoms during the first 72 hours of pregnancy. Again, because of the way pregnancy is calculated, you won’t feel any symptoms of being pregnant during those first three days—or possibly three weeks. But after two weeks, an exciting series of events starts to take place inside your body:

• Egg release. One of your ovaries will release an egg around 14 days after the first day of your last period (assuming you have a typical 28-day cycle).

• Fertilization. The egg will travel down one of the fallopian tubes, where it may unite with sperm. If they find each other, they’ll join up in a fallopian tube to create a single cell called a zygote in a process called fertilization. This process determines the sex of a baby.

• First DNA. The zygote carries chromosomes from the egg and sperm and sets the first building blocks of your future baby’s genetic makeup.

• Development. The zygote then moves down the fallopian tube and toward the uterus as it starts dividing into a larger group of cells. Cells will continue to divide as your baby develops over the course of your pregnancy.

What this all boils down to is that you won’t feel any of those very early signs of pregnancy in weeks 1, 2, or possibly even 3. If you have yet to conceive, then it makes sense that you wouldn’t notice anything! Therefore, things like morning sickness can’t start at 1 week pregnant and you won’t feel symptoms like pregnancy-related belly pain or discharge at 1 or 2 weeks pregnant.

OK, so now you know that during weeks one, two, or three, you may not even suspect you’re pregnant and you likely won't notice any pregnancy symptoms at all, as it’s still very early (and you might not have even conceived until 3 weeks pregnant). However, there are several signs of pregnancy that you could experience in the following weeks:

• A missed period is often the first clue (among other signs and symptoms) that you may be pregnant, but it won’t happen until you’re 4 weeks pregnant, not before. At around the time you miss a period, you may start noticing more early pregnancy symptoms.

• Implantation bleeding is another early sign of pregnancy, as it occurs when the tiny ball of cells attaches to the uterine lining. Not everyone experiences it, but this light spotting is normal and can sometimes be mistaken for menstrual blood. Spotting, cramps, or light bleeding usually happens 10 to 14 days after conception, so around when you’re 3 to 4 weeks pregnant.

• Morning sickness is another common symptom of early pregnancy, but it usually crops up between weeks 4 and 9.

• Other symptoms like gas, fatigue, breast tenderness, moodiness, and frequent urination can also occur during these early weeks.

Now that you know these early signs of pregnancy, take our quiz to test your knowledge!

Every person and every pregnancy is different, so you could start to show earlier or later than others. It’s safe to say that you won’t see any difference in your pregnant belly’s size at 1, 2, or 3 weeks. Remember that you’re not actually pregnant during those first two weeks and it’s still early during the third week.

Even though your belly bump won’t be noticeable at 3 weeks pregnant, your baby's development is under way with cells dividing and multiplying. Still, by around 3 weeks in your pregnancy, your little one is just 1/25 of an inch long—too small for a bump just yet.

Can you get a positive pregnancy test at 3 weeks, you may wonder? It’s possible, but it’s always best to wait until after your missed period to take a pregnancy test, as you’ll receive more credible results. That’s because a home pregnancy test responds to the levels of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, in your urine, which begin to increase shortly after conception. So, although your hCG levels may be high enough in week 3 to result in a positive test, you’ll want to confirm with your healthcare provider that you’re pregnant.

Think you might be pregnant? Take our Am I Pregnant quiz. It won’t tell you for sure, but it’s all good fun!

Knowing how far along you are in pregnancy is helpful for both you and your healthcare provider. Your provider will use this information to check on your baby’s growth and development, keep an eye on your health, and schedule tests and exams.

The weeks of pregnancy can be grouped into three trimesters:

• First trimester: 1 to 13 weeks (roughly months one to three)

• Second trimester: 14 to 27 weeks (months four to seven)

• Third trimester: 28 to 40-42 weeks (months seven to nine).

Check out the illustration below to see how far along you are in your pregnancy:

Even though you probably haven’t experienced any signs of pregnancy very early on in weeks 1, 2, or 3, you’ll want to do everything you can to stay healthy and safe. In fact, it’s always wise to take some precautions as soon as you start trying to conceive or learn that you’re pregnant.

Even simple adjustments can help support you as you start your pregnancy! Though you’ll want to consult your healthcare provider to determine what’s best for you, some worthwhile lifestyle changes and precautions include

• eating healthily

• staying hydrated

• reducing stress

• getting regular exercise.

When you start trying for a baby or learn that you’re pregnant, folic acid is essential, as it’s a B vitamin that helps reduce the risk of certain birth defects that affect the baby’s brain and spine. Your healthcare provider can recommend a prenatal vitamin that contains at least 400 micrograms of folic acid.

Prepregnancy is also a great time to eliminate some less healthy habits, too, including

• smoking

• exposure to secondhand smoke

• drinking alcohol.

In addition, your provider may recommend limiting your daily consumption of caffeine. Consult your healthcare provider to learn the best ways to stay healthy and safe when you’re pregnant.

For more general advice, download our pregnancy guide!

Yes, it’s early, but it’s also an exciting time! As you anticipate your new pregnancy, consider the following to-dos:

□ Even if you’ve already taken one, you might want to complete another home pregnancy test after your missed period for the best results.

□ Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to confirm your pregnancy with a blood test.

□ Check out our pregnancy calendar to know what to anticipate in the next few weeks.

□ Though you can’t find out your baby’s gender just yet, have a little fun with our Chinese Gender Predictor!

first signs, photos of the abdomen, tests and ultrasound of the fetus

The first signs of pregnancy - a period of 1 week

Expectant mothers should immediately remember that there are two views on the duration of pregnancy: obstetric and embryonic. We are talking about 1 week of pregnancy after conception, that is, about the embryonic period. Doctors usually operate obstetrically, where the last day of menstruation is taken as the starting point. To get obstetric from the embryonic period, you need to add two weeks. That is, the first week of pregnancy after conception corresponds to the third obstetric week.

At this time, the restructuring of the woman's body has just begun. Very few people notice the first signs of pregnancy during this period.

“Some women may feel pregnant even in the first week after conception, but these are usually few,” explains obstetrician-gynecologist Dina Absalyamova . - I am inclined to believe that a more psychological factor plays a role here, although the pregnancy hormone - human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) can also have an influence. It is produced by a fertilized egg.

Sensitive women may notice that their mood and taste preferences change. Among the signs of pregnancy in the first week, some even note toxicosis, but usually it appears after a couple of weeks.

Belly photo

In the first week of pregnancy (from conception), the figure remains the same. The fetus is still too small for the belly to become visible. The zygote, formed by the egg and sperm, divides quickly, but not enough: into 2 cells, 4, 8, and so on up to 32 cells. Accordingly, a photo of the abdomen at 1 week of pregnancy is not indicative.

A fetus in the first week of pregnancy is called an embryo, but it does not actually become a fetus until the sixth week.

While the embryo is in a small sac with liquid and is fed not from the mother, but from the yolk sac. The size of the future baby at this time is approximately 0.1–0.2 mm. Given how small it is, no one can guess the interesting position of a woman from a photo of the abdomen at 1 week of pregnancy.

How to check pregnancy at 1 week

It is almost impossible to check pregnancy at 1 week. Changes in the body are too small for tests or an ultrasound machine to detect them. To get convincing evidence that you are in a position, you need to wait at least the 7th, and preferably the 10th day of pregnancy, when especially sensitive tests can already show the coveted two strips.

Tests

A test at the first week of pregnancy will either give nothing or show a dubious result. Too little time has passed since conception for changes to become noticeable.

“If you take a regular pharmacy test in the first week of pregnancy, where you need to urinate on a strip, it will certainly show a negative result - the period is too short,” explains gynecologist Dina Absalyamova . - The same problem will be with the analysis for hCG. Fluctuations in the level of human chorionic gonadotropin are so insignificant that the results will be regarded as doubtful.

It turns out that the expectant mother can only wait until the gestational age exceeds 10 days and the tests become more reliable.

Ultrasound

Don't rush to get an ultrasound. In the first week of pregnancy, ultrasound is not indicative, even the most modern equipment is not able to visualize the fetus.

Ultrasonography this early is generally recommended for women who have symptoms specific to an ectopic pregnancy. It can be dangerous, therefore, to exclude such a diagnosis, a gynecologist may prescribe an ultrasound diagnosis.

Those girls who hope to get the first pictures of their unborn child will have to wait until 2-3 weeks.

How can you feel at 1 week

- During the first week of pregnancy, the mother feels good and rarely notices that something has changed in her body. There are especially sensitive women who, already on the 3rd-4th day of pregnancy, notice that their mood and taste preferences are changing: they suddenly start eating foods that they did not like before, or vice versa, they give up their previous preferences. Some of them even begin toxicosis at such an early stage, but there are very few such women, explains obstetrician-gynecologist Dina Absalyamova .

Most of the sensations that a woman may experience during the 1st week of pregnancy are similar to those that usually precede critical days. For example, characteristic pains in the lower abdomen, and about a week before the start of the cycle.

Some pregnant women note that their breasts become more sensitive, even painful. In some, the pigmentation of the nipples increases and freckles appear. In general, the signs of pregnancy at 1 week are almost invisible.

Menstruation

Since conception occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle - about 13-14 days in a standard 28-day cycle - a woman may not suspect that she is pregnant. Monthly something still ahead. The first week of pregnancy after conception ends at about 21-25 days, so there is no need to talk about menstruation and delay yet.

When the time comes, and menstruation does not appear, it will become clear that the woman is expecting a baby.

Pain in the abdomen

This is a misleading sign of early pregnancy. Many women experience pain before critical days, so they do not attach importance to discomfort in the middle and second half of the cycle. However, future mothers often note that it was the pain in the lower abdomen that became the first sign of pregnancy for them. They are usually felt 5-7 days before the cycle, that is, at the end of the first week of pregnancy.

However, pain can also be caused by other causes, such as intestinal dysbacteriosis or a violation of its functions. Often, pain in the pelvis provokes the spine. For example, with osteochondrosis, pain can be given just to the area in the lower abdomen. They may also be associated with pelvic adhesions from previous gynecological surgeries or caesarean sections.

Usually, pain in the lower abdomen is considered as a possible symptom of an ectopic pregnancy, when a fertilized egg is attached not in the uterine cavity, but in the fallopian tube, cervix or on the ovary. However, in the first week of pregnancy, there may not be any discomfort. More often they occur as the embryo grows, by 3-4 weeks.

What to do if you get pregnant

For starters: do not be nervous and make an appointment with a doctor. Whether it is a desired pregnancy or an unplanned one, a trip to the gynecologist is essential. The doctor will register you, give recommendations on tests that will need to be taken in the near future, prescribe vitamins and write out an action plan for all 9 months.

Sometimes there is no opportunity to go to the gynecologist for an examination, then remember a few simple rules and try to follow them until the next visit to the doctor.

In the first week of pregnancy, do not drink alcohol, avoid antibiotics, avoid hot baths and stress, do not lift weights and try to avoid cigarettes and smoking. Take care of your health: even catching a cold at such an early date is undesirable.

Try to get more rest, walk in the fresh air, strengthen your immune system and do things that give you pleasure.

Popular questions and answers

Obstetrician-gynecologist Elena Kollerova answers questions about the features of the first week of pregnancy .