Overview

The first week of pregnancy is normally undetected by most women as they assume the delay of their monthly cycle to be a normal phenomenon especially if the pregnancy is unplanned. The pregnancy symptoms are not visible immediately after conception however certain signs of pregnancy such as tiredness, frequent urination and mood swings might be noticed which are very common. Once the pregnancy is detected by going to a gynecologist or a pregnancy test you can try and calculate the first day of your last monthly menstrual period as it is from this day that the nine month period is calculated and the exact due date of expecting the baby can be found out. The ovulation cycle is a 30 day period during which an egg from the ovary goes into the fallopian tubes where a sperm fertilizes with it and this fertilized egg descends into the fallopian tube to the uterus where it clings to the inner lining. You are officially pregnant from the time your periods stop and the due date can be calculated accordingly. Some articles mention that in the actual sense during the first two weeks you are not really pregnant because if the due date is calculated from the first date of the last period then one cannot get pregnant immediately after the menstrual cycle is over and the actual pregnancy begins in the second week when the fertilization takes place. This is the time when you do not notice any changes at all and in fact continue with your daily activities without any change in routine or schedule. There are some women who do not know that they are pregnant while others can immediately tell the symptoms.

Baby’s Development

In the first week there is no development of the baby and you are actually not pregnant at this time because the first week is the time immediately after your monthly periods are over and conception itself occurs after about two weeks after your periods end. Hence this period is included in your pregnancy even though you may not necessarily be pregnant in the actual sense. It is only after the first week that fertilization takes place and the sperm and egg unite in the fallopian tube to form a zygote. After fertilization the cell starts dividing. In the first week the baby is called as a blastocyte which is a mass of 100 cms and the external part of this blastocyte will become the placenta later while the internal part will be the embryo. If more than one egg gets released and fertilized there may be multiple zygotes formed. The zygotes have 36 chromosomes which are equally obtained from both partners and these chromosomes have genetic material in them that determine the details about the baby such as sex, hair color, features, skin color, height, eye color, intelligence and personality traits.

Changes with your body

The first week of pregnancy does not have any noticeable changes in the physical structure however there are a number of internal changes that start taking place within the body. If the due date is calculated from the first date of the last period that you had then you may actually not be pregnant in the first week at all as the actual conception occurs only after the second week from the time you end your monthly cycle. However there are some common signs which occur early in pregnancy which are experienced by most women which are useful to know. There can be digestive problems such as gas, uneasiness, constipation or nausea and morning sickness. You might feel less hungry during this period and the sudden hormonal changes can lead to mood swings which can leave you feeling depressed or frustrated. Some women can experience frequent urination and in some the breasts grow larger with the areolas becoming darker. Some women might develop varicose veins on the breasts. Most women feel tired, exhausted or even dizzy and faint due to low blood pressure. All these symptoms vary from person to person and some might not experience much change in the first week of pregnancy. These symptoms can be remedied by a healthy diet with high fiber and chewing food more slowly to aid the digestion of the food which is the major problem in the initial stages as well as later. There are not many noticeable changes in the woman’s body and most women in this stage carry out their daily tasks just like before unless she has been advised to take it easy. It is at this stage that one is completely free to do any activity so you must try and enjoy yourself the most during this stage as well as improve your diet and health to prepare for the coming weeks.

What to expect

As you notice the initial symptoms and find out the status of your pregnancy you can start preparing for a healthy delivery right from the beginning. The most important thing that can be expected of you is to start including a healthy balanced diet daily. You must stop all negative habits and lifestyles that can pose to be a threat for you and your baby such as smoking and consuming alcohol if any. If you are taking any medications or drugs you need to consult your doctor regarding the continuation of the same. In a planned pregnancy you can expect to start planning your pregnancy at this stage by taking proper care of your diet and leading a healthy lifestyle as this can help you in giving birth to a healthy baby as well as maintain your own health in the entire pregnancy period. Before planning the pregnancy you can start consuming a folic acid tablet which increases your fertility chances and the ability to conceive faster. Having a healthy body can help you in reducing the negative symptoms which occur in most pregnancies. You can start reading articles on pregnancy which give you insight as to what you can expect from each week or month in your pregnancy and prepare yourself well in advance to make your pregnancy experience a smooth one.