Concerns about the First Weeks of Pregnancy

Posted on Mar 12, 2013 | Being Pregnant Category | | Print This Article

 

 

From the very first moment you discover you’re pregnant, you’re going to be caught up in a whirlwind of emotions. You’re excited about becoming a parent, and about the nine-month journey that will get you there. You’re also terrified, on some level or another, that something will go wrong.

From the time the egg and the sperm get together, your baby is undergoing a rapid development process. If you understand what exactly is happening inside your body, you can alleviate some of those fears that go along with the early days of pregnancy.

Here are some your baby is growing and your body is changing those first few weeks of pregnancy:

• Weeks 1 and 2. At this point, your period is over and you’re about to ovulate. Typically, a woman ovulates between 11 and 21 days from the start of her last menstrual period. That’s how pregnancy is measured – from the start of your last period. This is the stage during which conception occurs and the fertilized egg will imbed into the lining of your uterus.
• Week 3 and 4. During these weeks, your endometrial lining will thicken and the fertilized egg will burrow further in. An ultrasound can sometimes detect this, but not always. During this time levels of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) are rising, which will give you a positive pregnancy test result.
• Week 5. At about this time, the gestational sac has formed and the yolk sac – the earliest source of nutrition – develops. Both hCG and progesterone are rising during this time.
• Week 6. At this point, a vaginal ultrasound may be able to detect a fetal pole or a fetal heartbeat. If not, you’ll usually come back in four to seven days for another vaginal ultrasound.
• Week 7. By week 7 your baby’s heartbeat can usually be detected by an ultrasound. Once you get to this stage, the odds of your pregnancy continuing are between 70% and 90%. You’re almost through the early miscarriage days.
• Weeks 8 and 9. The embryo becomes a fetus at this stage, with a strong hearbeat. It’s at this stage that, if the baby’s heartbeat can’t be detected, you’ll be given the choice of whether to wait and miscarry naturally or undergo a D&C to remove the non-viable fetus.

If you have concerns about your pregnancy, it’s important that you discuss them with your doctor. She can provide information as to the current state of your pregnancy.

 

   Top of Page