What happens in the 1st week of pregnancy?

A lot of women, who are expecting, remember the day their period started. This makes a clear starting point in order to determine your baby's due date.

It can be a bit puzzling to remember to start counting from when your period starts and that in fact you don't become pregnant until about 2 weeks later. For instance, if your doctor or midwife tells you that you are 12 weeks pregnant (from your LMP), then you conceived about 10 weeks ago.

You’ll be excited about starting a family at this point. When you are planning to conceive, take the time to prepare for motherhood. Start planning ahead (if you haven't done it already), by making sure that you and your baby won't be exposed to harmful things during pregnancy.

You must start taking vitamin supplements or prenatal vitamins. Abstain from smoking, drinking alcohol and using over-the-counter medications now. You should start good habits now- that is before conception- to give your baby the best and healthiest possible start.

By the end of first week of pregnancy, your menstrual period should have let up and your uterine lining starts to build up once again. The uterine lining also thickens to receive the egg. Several eggs are ripening and one or the other ovary is set to release a single egg that is ready for fertilization.

Your Body

There are some signs and symptoms that most women experience during the first weeks of pregnancy. Although you might not experience all or any of these the first week, you will probably start experiencing many of them in the following weeks. Common symptoms that women experience during ovulation include mild cramping, occurring on one or both sides of the body.

It is very common to feel some ovarian cramping during ovulation. You may also realize a greater amount of clear discharge during your most fertile time. When your discharge is most abundant, clear, slippery and stretchy, you must know that you are at your fertile peak and you have maximum chance of conceiving. Fertile cervical mucous is stretchy. You can generally stretch it one inch or more between your fingers.

During pregnancy, your healthy habits have a direct impact on your baby's health. While preparing to conceive, take the time to prepare your body for motherhood. Before you become pregnant, you should:-

• Stay away from alcohol, drugs, and tobacco products. These substances are likely to cause birth defects, respiratory problems, fetal alcohol syndrome, low birth weight, and other health problems.

• Talk to your doctor about any prescription and nonprescription (that is OTC) drugs you are on. Special precautions need to be taken by you with medications since many prescription and over-the-counter medications may negatively affect the fetus. However, remember to consult your health care provider before you stop taking prescription drugs, as he/she will help you weigh the potential benefits as well as risks of stopping your medications.

• Make sure that you are taking a diet that contains ample amount of vitamins, especially folic acid. Women who are trying to become pregnant must take 400 micrograms of folic acid a day. Sufficient folic acid intake lessens the risk of neural tube defects (birth defects that are caused by incomplete development of brain or spinal cord), like Spina bifida. Ensure that you talk to your doctor or health care provider about taking a folic acid supplement whilst you are trying to conceive.

Your Baby's Development

The first week of your pregnancy is in fact your menstrual period. As your expected delivery date (that is, EDD) is calculated from the first day of your last period, this week is actually counted as part of your 40-week pregnancy even though your baby has not yet been conceived.