First Month Being Pregnant:
Pregnancy Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
The first month of pregnancy (weeks 1,2,3,4) is the beginning of a nine month journey where the only travelers are you and your baby. During the nine months your baby will go from being a single egg to a fully developed human being. Not only will she literally grow a body, she'll also develop the bodily functions necessary to sustain life outside the womb, and her brain will develop to the point where it can function at full capacity, allowing her to think, to feel, and to learn. Of course, all of this development could not be done if your body wasn't capable of changing and giving your baby the environment necessary to grow in. This is why pregnancy is a journey, because you and your baby work together to create life. You'll notice many of these changes as they occur. Some will be uncomfortable, some you'll wish would never change, and some will be amazing. All of them together create your unique pregnancy experience. Only you will ever grow the life you are growing now.
The first day of your last menstrual period is considered the first day of the first month of your pregnancy. However, you won't technically be pregnant until a couple of weeks into the month, when you ovulate and the dropped egg is fertilized. This is the true beginning of life taking root in your body. After the egg is fertilized it will split into two parts. One part will become the placenta while the other will grow into your baby. The placenta is not formed immediately. Instead, it goes through a stage where it becomes a type of yolk sac. This sac helps to protect and nourish the fetus.
The second part of the egg immediately begins to multiply, creating cells which will become organs, facial features, skeletal structure, nerves, veins, and everything in between. At this point in pregnancy this rapidly forming group of cells is known as the blastocyst. By the end of the fourth week, it will have formed into the shape of a very small tadpole, one that is less than one eighth of an inch in length and weighs less than .03 ounces. The fetus is mostly head at this point, although the head has no facial features. A tiny opening is forming on the head that will eventually become the mouth. Your baby's brain and heart are forming, and the heart is already pumping, though it is too small at this point to hear with a Doppler. In a very short two weeks your baby has gone from a single cell organism to a tiny, tiny fetus. This rate of growth will continue for the next nine months, until you have a perfect little newborn in your arms.
While a lot of change and development is going on for the baby and for you during the first month, you probably won't even know you're pregnant until sometime during the second month. Because of the way it is calculated, most women aren't aware of the pregnancy until they miss a period, or until they get a pregnancy test. This is usually around the fourth or fifth week of pregnancy. It's important to remember to take your folic acid, especially if you are planning a pregnancy. Folic acid is essential to the development of the fetus, particularly during the first few weeks of life. Without it, developmental problems can occur before you are even aware of the fetus, and before you have a chance to change them. It's always better to be safe than sorry.
As soon as the fertilized egg implants in the uterus, your body implements changes that will allow the baby to grow in a healthy environment. The hormone progesterone immediately increases, thickening the uterine lining and increasing the supply of blood flowing to the uterus. It is also what causes your body to stop menstruating. A mucus plug will form over the cervix. This helps the body keep foreign elements outside of the uterus.
As your body adjusts to the new changes, you will begin to notice some pregnancy symptoms. The most common sign of pregnancy is a missed period. However, there are more subtle signs to watch for. You'll probably need to urinate more often, and you may feel like you just can't get enough sleep. Fatigue is very common among women during the first trimester. Because of the adjustment in hormones, you will also notice that your mood isn't stable, and may change over the tiniest thing. Your breasts may also change, feeling tender and sometimes full or swollen. If you are wondering if you are pregnant, any of these symptoms could be an indicator. The best way to be certain of a pregnancy is to take a pregnancy test. You can either do this at home, or have a blood test done at your doctor's clinic. The blood test is a bit more accurate than a home pregnancy test, but they both have the power to put your mind at rest.
Some women experience light spotting or cramping during the first trimester of pregnancy. If these remain light, it is nothing to worry about. You and your baby should be fine. However, if the cramping interferes with your regular activities or the bleeding seems excessive (it should not be anywhere near what you bleed during a regular period), you will want to talk to your caregiver. These could be warning signs of a baby trying to miscarry. If you have cramps or bleeding, take it easy, rest when you need to. Sometimes a little rest is all it takes to get them to stop.
By the end of your first month of pregnancy you have a tiny fetus in your body, you are one third of the way through the first trimester, and you might know you are pregnant. The second month is really when pregnancy starts for the mother because this is when the maybe becomes a yes. For the next eight months your life will revolve around you and your unborn baby.
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