How does it feel when your pregnant
Pregnancy Week By Week | First Month Symptoms and Signs
In This Section
- Month by Month
- What happens in the second month?
- What happens in the third month?
- What happens in the fourth month?
- What happens in the fifth month?
- What happens in the sixth month?
- What happens in the seventh month?
- What happens in the eighth month?
- What happens in the ninth month?
- What happens in the tenth month?
What happens in the first month of pregnancy?
Pregnancy is divided into 3 trimesters. Each trimester is a little longer than 13 weeks. The first month marks the beginning of the first trimester.
What’s gestational age?
Pregnancy timing is measured using “gestational age.” Gestational age starts on the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP).
Gestational age can be confusing. Most people think of pregnancy as lasting 9 months. And it’s true that you’re pregnant for about 9 months. But because pregnancy is measured from the first day of your last menstrual period — about 3-4 weeks before you’re actually pregnant — a full-term pregnancy usually totals about 40 weeks from LMP — roughly 10 months.
Many people don’t remember exactly when they started their last menstrual period — that’s OK. The surest way to find out gestational age early in pregnancy is with an ultrasound.
What happens during week 1 - 2?
These are the first 2 weeks of your menstrual cycle. You have your period. About 2 weeks later, the egg that’s most mature is released from your ovary — this is called ovulation.
Ovulation may happen earlier or later, depending on the length of your menstrual cycle. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days.
After it’s released, your egg travels down your fallopian tube toward your uterus. If the egg meets up with a sperm, they combine. This is called fertilization. Fertilization is most likely to occur when you have unprotected vaginal sex during the 6 days leading up to — and including the day of — ovulation.
What happens during week 3 - 4?
The fertilized egg moves down your fallopian tube and divides into more and more cells. It reaches your uterus about 3–4 days after fertilization. The dividing cells then form a ball that floats around in the uterus for about 2–3 days.
Pregnancy begins when the ball of cells attaches to the lining of your uterus. This is called implantation. It usually starts about 6 days after fertilization and takes about 3–4 days to be complete.
Pregnancy doesn’t always happen, even if an egg is fertilized by a sperm.
Up to half of all fertilized eggs pass out of your body when you get your period, before implantation is complete.
What are the signs of pregnancy?
For a lot of people, the first sign of pregnancy is a missed period. Most pregnancy tests will be positive by the time you’ve missed your period. Other early pregnancy symptoms include feeling tired, feeling bloated, peeing more than usual, mood swings, nausea, and tender or swollen breasts. Not everyone has all of these symptoms, but it’s common to have at least 1 of them.
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16 early signs of pregnancy
You’ve got one question on your mind: Could I be pregnant?
A pregnancy test is the only way to know for sure. But if it’s too early to take a test, you may be on the lookout for early signs – or maybe you think you’re already experiencing some early pregnancy symptoms.
Is it too early to tell if you’re pregnant? What symptoms may be the earliest signs of pregnancy? Below, we answer those questions and more.
How early can you tell if you’re pregnant?
Again, you’ll need to take a pregnancy test at the right time to confirm your hopes or suspicions. But when it comes to the first symptoms of pregnancy, everyone is different. Some people start to notice changes within a week after conception. Others might not notice anything until they miss their period.
When should you take a pregnancy test?
It’s usually recommended that you take a pregnancy test after you’ve missed your period.
This is because pregnancy tests measure the level of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in your body, which is a hormone that starts to build up when you conceive. It can take around three to four weeks from the first day of your last period for there to be enough hCG in your body to show up on a test.
What are the first symptoms of pregnancy?
The most common sign of early pregnancy? A missed period.
Your menstrual cycle is your body’s way of preparing for a possible pregnancy each month. Part of that is the thickening of your uterine lining, which is where a fertilized egg would implant to begin a pregnancy.
If you’re not pregnant, your period is how your uterus sheds that extra lining. If you are pregnant, that lining stays put and you don’t get your normal flow. This is why a missed period is often the earliest sign of pregnancy.
Of course, a delayed or missed period doesn’t always mean you’re pregnant. If your body is under a lot of stress or you have a hormonal imbalance, you could be experiencing an irregular menstrual cycle.
What other symptoms can be early signs of pregnancy?
Every person – and every pregnancy – is different. So, if you are pregnant, you’ll likely experience a unique combination of common, not-so-common and sometimes overlapping symptoms. And, they may show up earlier or later than expected. Here are more than a dozen possible symptoms of early pregnancy.
1. Spotting or light bleeding
Many women are surprised to learn that spotting or light bleeding can be an early sign of pregnancy, but about one-third of women experience it. This is often called implantation bleeding because doctors believe it occurs as the fertilized egg attaches (or implants) itself into the uterine lining. This is different from bleeding that could occur from something like a miscarriage – which is usually heavier.
When does implantation bleeding occur?
Implantation bleeding typically occurs 10 to 14 days after conception, which is just before or right around the time your period is due.
So, you may think you’ve gotten your period.
But implantation bleeding is a light flow, which may start and stop over a couple days. And while it can take on a range of colors, it’s more likely to be pink, brown or light red.
Your period, on the other hand, may start off light in flow and in color but after a couple days becomes heavier, changes to a crimson red color and lasts up to a week or so.
2. Lower abdominal pain or cramping
While cramps and lower-abdominal pain can signal a coming period, they can also be a sign of egg implantation.
What do implantation cramps feel like?
Implantation cramps can occur with or without spotting or bleeding, and may feel different from period cramps. For example, you might feel mild to moderate prickling, pulling or tingling that comes and goes over a few days.
But menstrual cramps can often feel like a throbbing or dull ache, and typically start a day or two before your period.
3. Higher basal body temperature
If you’ve been tracking your basal body temperature (BBT) to increase your chances of getting pregnant, you probably know that your BBT goes up slightly right after ovulation.
If you’re pregnant, your temperature may remain elevated rather than dipping back down.
Of course, you could be running hot for other reasons, but if it lasts more than a few weeks, pregnancy may be the explanation.
4. Changes in cervical mucus
If you’ve already been checking your cervical mucus to figure out when you’re most fertile, here’s a reason to continue: In the first few weeks of pregnancy, the amount of cervical discharge may increase and become stickier and whiter.
5. Breast tenderness, swelling or tingling
When you’re pregnant, your body experiences big changes in hormones – specifically, increases in estrogen and progesterone – to support your growing baby. This change in hormones can contribute to many symptoms, including breast tenderness.
Oftentimes, increased breast tenderness, swelling or tingling start to become noticeable a few days before a missed period.
If you usually experience breast tenderness leading up to your period or shortly after it begins, pregnancy-related breast tenderness and swelling will likely be more intense than you’re used to and stick around.
You may also experience nipple soreness.
6. Fatigue
Fatigue in early pregnancy is common, and some women might notice it before they know they’re pregnant. In fact, fatigue may set in as soon as one week after conception. This is thanks to those sudden changes in hormone levels, particularly increasing progesterone.
7. Frequent urination
If you’re making more trips to the bathroom than usual around the time your next period is due, it may be a sign of pregnancy.
Certainly, your drinking habits play a big role in how many times you pee in a day. However, pregnancy increases the amount of blood in your body, which gives your kidneys more fluid to filter and more waste to get rid of.
So if you’re pregnant, you may notice you’re peeing a lot more – a symptom that can start early on and (unfortunately) last throughout your pregnancy.
8. Nausea or vomiting
Morning sickness might be the most well-known of all pregnancy symptoms, taking the form of food aversion or nausea, and even vomiting for some.
This symptom can set in as early as two weeks after conception, which is around the fourth week of pregnancy and right around the time you’d miss your period if you were pregnant.
But some may not experience nausea or vomiting at all. And despite its name, morning sickness can actually happen at any time of the day or night.
9. Darkening areolas
When you’re pregnant, your areolas (the areas round your nipples) will likely grow and darken. Usually, these changes are gradual and continue throughout pregnancy. However, some women notice these changes really early on in combination with other symptoms.
10. Bloating or constipation
We all experience bloating or constipation from time to time, but both are quite common during pregnancy. Once again, those changing hormones are the culprit. They slow down digestion, which can cause a buildup of air in the gut and lead to constipation.
Early on, bloating or constipation may be mild and accompanied with other pregnancy symptoms.
But – as a heads up – if you really are pregnant, these symptoms may stick around throughout your whole pregnancy.
11. Metallic taste in your mouth
Many women report a metallic taste in their mouth during pregnancy. Once again, hormones are to blame – specifically, estrogen.
Typically, this symptom (as well as changes in taste overall) is common in the first trimester but may occur at other times too – including before a missed period.
12. Sensitivity to smell
Many women report that sensitivity to smell was one of their first signs of pregnancy. In fact, as many as two-thirds of women become more sensitive or reactive to the smells around them during pregnancy.
And oftentimes, this heightened sense of smell can stick around through the first trimester or beyond, and contribute to other symptoms such as nausea, and food cravings or aversions.
13. Mood changes
From a stressful day at work to the natural wonders of your menstrual cycle, there are a lot of things that can affect your mood.
But changes in mood are very common during pregnancy – and they may be especially noticeable early on as your body gets a sudden burst of estrogen and progesterone.
If you are pregnant, any mood changes you’re experiencing are likely coupled with other symptoms such as fatigue or nausea. You may feel more sensitive or weepy. Or perhaps your fuse is a little shorter and you’re more easily annoyed.
14. Headaches
Headaches are a part of life. They come with colds and allergies. They come with stress or fatigue, or when you cut down on caffeine to help prepare your body for pregnancy. But they can also come with pregnancy.
Headaches can happen thanks to the increasing blood volume and hormonal changes that occur in early pregnancy. You can also get headaches if you’re dehydrated as a result of nausea.
15. Dizziness
As blood flow increases during pregnancy, blood pressure can also decrease and lead to dizzy spells. Usually, dizziness is more of a second trimester symptom, but some women may notice it very early on, too.
16. Nasal congestion
A lot of people are shocked to learn that nasal congestion can be a pregnancy symptom. You may wonder if you’re coming down with something or your allergies are acting up. But if you’re noticing a stuffy or runny nose along with other pregnancy signs, you might be taking a pregnancy test in the near future.
The mucous membranes in the nose are also affected by hormones and increased blood flow throughout your body. This can cause blood vessels to swell, resulting in congestion and even sneezing.
Could you have early pregnancy symptoms and not be pregnant?
Yes. As we’ve mentioned, many early pregnancy symptoms can overlap with symptoms of other conditions, especially premenstrual symptoms. So, the best way to know if the symptoms you’re experiencing are pregnancy related is to try to relax and patiently wait until it’s time to take a pregnancy test.
When should you see a doctor about a new pregnancy?
If you’ve taken a pregnancy test and it’s positive, go ahead and make your first prenatal visit right away.
This is also a great time to start looking into educational resources like the myHealthyPregnancy app.
At the first prenatal visit, you’ll get a physical exam and other tests to make sure everything is looking healthy, and you’ll learn about the rest of your prenatal appointment schedule. You’ll also get to talk through any expectations and questions you have, such as which foods to eat and avoid while pregnant.
Pregnancy in questions and answers - Useful articles
What to expect? How to eat? How to deal with difficulties? How to do everything right? These and many questions will be answered by Irina Alexandrovna Soleeva, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Sadko clinic.
- How is due date calculated?
From the first day of the last menstruation. To determine the due date, 280 days are added to the first day of the last menstruation, i.e. 10 obstetrics, or 9calendar months.
Usually, the calculation of the due date is simpler: from the date of the first day of the last menstruation, 3 calendar months are counted back and 7 days are added.
So, if the last menstruation began on October 2, then, counting back 3 months (September 2, August 2 and July 2) and adding 7 days, determine the expected date of birth - July 9; if the last menstruation began on May 20, then the expected due date is February 27, etc.
Expected due date can be calculated by ovulation: from the first day of the expected but not arrived menstruation, count back 14-16 days and add 273-274 days to the found date.
- And if you know the exact date of conception, how many days to add?
A large-scale study was conducted with a large number of pregnant women, according to various indicators, the gestational age and, accordingly, the date of birth were determined. It turned out that the woman most often remembers the date of the last menstruation. And from this fixed date, as the study showed, childbirth occurs at the 40th week ± a couple of weeks. Obstetrician-gynecologists are guided precisely by this system of calculations.
- Should I change my diet, if so, how?
4 meals a day are recommended in the first half of pregnancy, 5-6 meals a day in the second. It is better to eat often, but little by little. For healthy women, there are no forbidden foods (except alcoholic beverages), only more or less preferred ones.
So, the body absorbs easily digestible milk fats and vegetable oils better. The latter are not only a source of essential linoleic acid, but also vitamin E, which has a positive effect on the course of pregnancy.
To eliminate constipation, it is worth enriching the diet with sources of dietary fiber (fiber, pectins) - vegetables and fruits, buckwheat and oatmeal.
In the second half of pregnancy, sugar, confectionery and flour products, rice should be eaten in very small quantities. Do not get carried away with fried, spicy, salty foods, because. during this period, the liver and kidneys of a pregnant woman function with tension. It is better to prefer boiled and steamed dishes.
The main thing is to include a variety of foods in your diet: vegetables, fruits, juices - and you will provide yourself and your unborn child with everything necessary for normal development.
- I really want olives, but they are canned. Can?
It depends on the gestational age. After 20 weeks, I would not recommend eating too salty foods, including olives. And in general, any canned food is not the most suitable food for a pregnant woman. Although olives, in themselves, the product is very useful. Therefore, within reasonable limits, say, a jar can be eaten in two days.
- And the grapes?
Grapes are very well digestible. It's fructose. It is immediately absorbed and quickly raises blood sugar. But if you are overweight, it is either not recommended at all, or it is allowed in small quantities. It is allowed to eat a small brush, or you can treat yourself to something else.
For some reason, it is customary for us to believe that if you are pregnant, you have to eat for three or whatever you want.
As a result, pregnant women buy grapes in boxes and eat them in kilograms. Such a diet does not lead to anything good: sugar appears in the urine, blood sugar rises, babies are born large. Moreover, a large load falls not only on the mother's pancreas, but also on the child's pancreas - the baby from birth will be predisposed to being overweight.
- Is it possible to reduce excess weight during pregnancy and cleanse your body with the help of special teas?
All cleansing teas are contraindicated during pregnancy. We have drugs that improve the functions of the liver and kidneys, which have a diuretic effect. We assign everything individually. There are no special cleansing procedures during pregnancy. However, we have fasting days - here is the best cleansing procedure for you.
- Which vitamins are best for pregnancy?
Now there is a huge selection of various vitamin complexes for pregnant women. Of course, they are all close to each other in composition.
One or two components or the dosage of some vitamin differ. In order not to harm yourself and the baby, to achieve the maximum effect, each patient needs to select vitamins, based on the advice of her doctor, who controls the course of pregnancy.
- How long should I take them?
Do not take multivitamin preparations continuously. The necessary course can be selected only by a doctor, taking into account the state of your body. We have different periods when it is better to stop taking vitamins altogether. In certain weather seasons, when there is enough sun, fresh vegetables and fruits, there is no need to take vitamin complexes.
- Can I continue playing sports?
Not only possible, but necessary. From the first months of pregnancy. They will help to maintain good physical shape, and this will definitely help during childbirth, relieve excessive tension and improve mood. The main thing that you should not forget is that the training program should be specially adapted for pregnant women and should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor or an experienced instructor.
- Do I really have to push in prenatal classes? Will not diligence create the danger of premature birth?
No, there is no danger in this exercise. If there is anything to beware of, it is cycling, horseback riding, roller skating - all sports with an increased risk of injury.
- Can I take a contrast shower?
If a woman used this procedure before pregnancy. But during pregnancy, the water should not be too hot. By the way, hot baths and a bath should also be excluded.
- Can I continue to have sex while pregnant?
Each couple decides for themselves. If it gives pleasure to both, if the woman is comfortable, then you can keep your sex life almost until childbirth. Of course, too active sex will have to be excluded, and completely stopped 2-3 weeks before the birth: too vigorous sexual intercourse: it can provoke premature birth.
If earlier it was very strict: from 30-32 weeks, sexual life stops, now sex life is excluded by the doctor only if there are any deviations.
After a while, he may allow you to resume intimacy. There are cases when sexual life is excluded for all 40 weeks.
- Do I need to use protection during pregnancy in order not to get pregnant again?
Very funny question. If one pregnancy has already occurred, re-conception during this period can no longer occur. The need for protection is therefore eliminated.
- Can I sleep on my stomach?
On short terms it is possible. The uterus comes out of the pelvic cavity after 12-13 weeks. Before that, it is protected by the pelvic bones, which means that we will not cause any harm to the fetus.
- So, the work of the expectant mother. Is it worth revising your working day, taking into account the new state?
Working during pregnancy is perfectly acceptable if there are no abnormalities. It is important to remember that pregnant women should not lift weights, work in heat and high humidity. Contact with harmful substances and prolonged standing should be avoided.
- Can motorists continue to drive?
You can drive a car if there are no contraindications from the doctor who monitors you during pregnancy. And it is not desirable in the later stages after 30 weeks, because there is a very strong load on the muscles of the pelvic floor, legs and arms work, concentration of attention is required - this is an additional stressful situation for your body. And of course, do not neglect the seat belt. He will not pull your stomach, but will pass under it and under your arm obliquely.
- How to deal with the symptoms of varicose veins?
It depends on the degree of varicose disease, its severity. Despite the rich selection of various drugs for internal and local action - tablets, drops, ointments - the most effective method of struggle is, nevertheless, wearing compression underwear. By the way, those who spend most of their working time sitting at a table, or vice versa, standing on their feet, should also think about the prevention of varicose veins.
It is better to stop your choice on tights: an elastic band or a stocking squeezes the leg too much, and when bandaging the legs, it is difficult to determine the necessary compression.
Tights should be selected by a doctor. A phlebologist works in our clinic. He will be able to choose the desired degree of compression.
Do not be afraid that underwear will be too tight on both legs and stomach: there are special tights for pregnant women. A special insert on the stomach fits him, supporting him, without squeezing at all.
- How to be smokers: won't quitting a bad habit cause stress for the body if the smoking experience before pregnancy was quite long?
Smoking during pregnancy is very bad. This applies equally to active and passive smokers. The fetus develops chronic hypoxia - a constant lack of oxygen. And it primarily affects the development of brain structures. The result is deviations from the norm in mental development.
Even if the violations are minor at first, in infancy, most likely, they will manifest themselves in kindergarten or school, when the maximum load falls on the child's intellect. It will be difficult for the baby to learn, to perceive some information.
Moreover, there is a growing threat of premature births, miscarriages at different stages of pregnancy. Babies are often born small.
Stories that giving up habitual smoking will become a strong stress for the body are far from the truth. Our expectant patients break this bad habit without much difficulty. Even if you regularly inhaled tobacco smoke both before and after conception, you should not think that it is still too late to quit. The harm you will do to your baby if you continue to smoke is incomparable to the reluctance to part with a cigarette.
- Where and how to find a qualified doctor who can be trusted to take care of yourself and your unborn child?
The women's health center of the "SADKO" clinic gathered the best specialists of the city: obstetricians-gynecologists, mammologists, ultrasound doctors, therapists, psychologists, exercise therapy doctors.
Modern equipment of gynecology allows you to accurately and quickly carry out all the necessary diagnostics, and, if necessary, treatment. The advantages of such an integrated approach are obvious: you don’t have to go far, but the main thing is that you are served by one team, one hand. We will be happy to help both expectant mothers and those who really want to become them.
A pregnant wife: instructions for her husband
During pregnancy, new processes begin to occur in a woman's body, often incomprehensible to both spouses.
Emotions, appetite, dizziness, changes in bodily sensations... Of course, all this affects relationships in the family. Husbands experience extreme stress and often do not know what to do - as if their wife had been replaced.
Of course, much in a relationship during pregnancy depends on how desirable the unborn child is. And on how the couple knows how to express their love for each other.
Communication with a pregnant wife requires special understanding, patience, and knowledge of the situation.
To facilitate communication, we offer the husband some tips to help him get through this difficult period without loss.
Try to understand what cannot be experienced by yourself
It is not physically possible for a man to feel what is happening to a woman. Talk to your wife about things that she feels are bothering her. This will allow you to understand it better. Yes, you do not feel the same, but you are actively involved, you are there. You are one hundred percent in the process. A man can simply sympathize and provide comfort. Knowing that a husband is worried about his wife is very important. This will give her strength and calmness.
Take on more household chores
Listen to your wife's wishes. Any. Household or even requests for small things. Take out the trash, hang up laundry after washing, take over the washing of dishes or finally install a dishwasher. Any help is important, this is a real manifestation of care and love. Even if you were brought up with the understanding that there are “male” and “female” jobs in the house, you will have to break the stereotype.
Take into account that such times are already in the past, when women did not work, but took care of the house. In a modern society, where both men and women work equally, it is also customary to share responsibilities, and even more so in such a difficult period for a woman.
Take care of your wife and fulfill all her "whims"
It may seem to you that your wife has turned into a terrible shrew and asks for the impossible. This is not so, in the body of a woman during this period, hormones made a real mess, hence the strange behavior, habits, requests. Believe me, your wife does not mock you. And if she wanted peaches in the middle of the night in winter, then run headlong through all the supermarkets in search of what she wants. All the same, she will not let you fall asleep and will throw a tantrum. Because it is very important for her, no matter how strange her request may seem to you. It is likely that she herself will then be surprised by her behavior.
If she asks you not to wear cologne, hide it away.
Does she no longer like your beard? Shave without regrets. If she does not want intimacy, then she will have to put up with it. Not always women experience pleasant sensations from sex during pregnancy. Do not rush her, be affectionate and gentle and she herself will seduce you if she wants to.
A woman's legs get very tired during pregnancy. Still, the weight is growing, the blood vessels of the legs are compressed under the weight of the fetus, and the ankles are also swollen. Give her a foot massage with lavender and peppermint oils before bed. This will relieve tension before going to bed and relax a woman. Your wife will be grateful to you. Offer to help with everything, even if you need to shampoo and blow dry your hair.
Trust your wife and don't give too much advice
Men often give advice to their wife that they once heard from their mother. When showing concern about the state of pregnancy, it is important for a husband to use any information in moderation.
Even doctor's advice may not always be appropriate. Believe me, a woman feels better what exactly she needs at this particular moment - women's instincts are perfectly developed. And the information from your mother may no longer be relevant, even worse, it will irritate your wife. It is better to read the popular modern literature on this topic yourself and invite her to discuss the book together.
"Filter" the environment and external information
Try to protect your wife from negativity during this period. These can be people who are unpleasant to her (even from among relatives), violent films and programs, discussions of unsuccessful pregnancy and childbirth on Internet forums.
A woman is too receptive at this time and can think up a lot of unnecessary things, and people unpleasant to her will cause her stress. Better bring her more good videos about children, animals and happy love. Come up with reasons for her why she can't go to the birthday party of a cousin she can't stand
cannot.
