Congratulations!
Stunned, frightened and excited are common emotions felt by the newly
pregnant woman. Often, all three hit you at the same time, even if you
carefully planned this conception. You may not even truly believe you
are pregnant, despite the six home tests you have taken. Adding to the
disbelief may be the lack of pregnancy symptoms you are experiencing.
In fact, you could swear that your period will arrive at any second
due to the crampiness you feel.
Meanwhile,
the fertilized egg has completed a seven to ten day journey to the
uterus, where it settles into the endometrial lining. It has divided
in two: one part becoming the placenta and the other, the embryo. From
a medical perspective, even though you have been pregnant for two
weeks, you are technically four weeks pregnant. Pregnancy dating
begins from the start of your last menstrual period.
It may
be only a week since you found out that you are pregnant, but inside
your uterus, a whirlwind of activity is occurring. At five weeks, your
embryo measures a mere two millimeters, but every organ is already
under development. Even facial features, such as eyes and ears, begin
to form. Leg and arm buds sprout outward!
By the
time you are six weeks along, you KNOW you are pregnant. How can
something that only measures four millimeters be making you so ill?
Nearly one half of pregnant women suffer from "morning
sickness," which actually may occur at any time during the day or
night, and can be attributed to a higher level of estrogen as well as
the rapid expansion of the uterus. It may be difficult to stomach
those prenatal vitamins, but they are very critical at this stage of
development. Prenatal vitamins contain many important nutrients,
including folic acid. Studies show that folic acid helps reduce the
incidence of neural tube defects.
Even
in these first few weeks, you may have a host of symptoms, from
dizziness and irritability to fatigue and headaches. "Will I have
this to look forward to for the next nine months?" You may be
thinking. But rest assured, many of these symptoms will vanish by the
beginning of your second trimester.
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