Even though we call this the first week of pregnancy, you are not actually pregnant.
This might sound a bit confusing, but your pregnancy will be initially dated based on the first day of your last period. Which means that week one is the week of your period when your body is developing a follicle and before you ovulate (release an egg). You may be hoping that this is the month you will achieve a pregnancy!
Even though we call this the first week of pregnancy, you are not actually pregnant.
How my Baby Grows
- In this section every week we will talk about the actual size that your baby is, and what common item you might compare it to in size so you can visualize how quickly your baby is growing
- Every week in this section we will talk about what organ development is miraculously taking place as your baby grows
Symptoms Mama may Feel or Experience
- In this section each week we will talk about the symptoms you may be feeling, what is normal, and how to minimize the discomforts
- This is the week of your period and you will be bleeding and maybe cramping for anywhere from 3-7 days, make sure to note if this period is a normal one for you or if it is particularly short and more like spotting, this will be helpful information in dating your pregnancy
- You could be wondering/hoping that this is the last period you will have for a while, won’t that be nice
Thoughts to Consider
- Make sure to mark down the first day of your period because your health care provider will want to know this date
- Do you feel comfortable knowing when you ovulate, or should you think about an ovulation prediction kit, more to come on that next week, knowing when you ovulate is important because you will want to make sure to time sex around the days you are ovulating (releasing an egg) for the best chance of getting pregnant
- Hopefully you are already on prenatal vitamins, the six weeks before you become pregnant, and the first six weeks of a pregnancy are the most important times to be taking the folic acid that helps prevent neural tube defects (spina bifida and anencephaly)
- Many women keep a pregnancy journal, it is filled with notes about their journey, their thoughts and goals
- Not only will you enjoy reading through this later in life but think about how sweet it will be to one day share it with your child as he/she is older
- You can even keep this information in your “My Story” section on the StorkAdvisor app!
Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy
- Water, water and more water! Your body needs to be adequately hydrated to function properly so you should be drinking at least ten 8-ounce glasses every day according to the Institute of Medicine
- Take an inventory of your daily habits, are you active, do you smoke, what medications or drugs do you take, how is your stress level, your sleep, and your diet?
- Choose one or two healthy changes that you would like to make and write them down in your journal, we will check on those in the weeks to come
