We start with this article the long and beautiful way towards maternity, week by week … But first of all, why do we start with the second week of pregnancy? If you want to become a mother or this joy has already happened, perhaps you asked and you know: because the date of birth and the pregnancy period is calculated considering the first day of the last menstrual cycle.
In this first week, you’re not actually pregnant, the fertilization taking place in the second week of pregnancy – one week after the last day of menstruation. However, in the first week of pregnancy almost nothing happens, and practically, the conception appears in the second week, and the third week is actually the second week pregnancy (yes, it sounds very weird)…
About the baby…
This is the week when the egg is released by the ovary and then it is fertilized by a sperm, becoming a product of conception. This embryo is divided into cells that form three layers: an inner layer that will form the respiratory and digestive system, a middle layer that will turn into the skeletal and circulatory system, and an outer layer that will form the nervous system and the skin. The product of conception has only about one millimeter (!) and it is not attached yet to the uterine lining, floating in the uterus.
You must know that we don’t speak about the fetus yet; the name is “product of conception”.
…and the future mother:
You still haven’t heard the happy news and there are not significant changes in the second week of pregnancy; however, because of the hormones (estrogen), you can feel more energetic than usual. Very rarely, you can confront, on the contrary, with fatigue and lack of sleep (some future mothers are very irritable even at this stage).
Even at this stage there can occur a mild state of nausea and some gastrointestinal disorders (bloating or constipation); the need to urinate is also more frequent. But most often, in the second week of pregnancy, none of these symptoms are manifested. If, however, you try to have a baby and you face such signs, try a pregnancy test – but it’s too soon to be conclusive.
This is a very vulnerable period for the embryo, and even if you don’t know yet that you’re pregnant and you have been trying to get pregnant for a while, you should ensure that:
– you have a healthy and balanced diet that gives you the necessary amount of vitamins and minerals and keeps your weight under control (no bad fats and sweets in excess);
– you have quit your vices: alcohol, smoking; and you have a regular lifestyle;
– you have not taken any medications that may be harmful;
– you have already started to take some multivitamin supplements – especially of folic acid (and depending on what your body lacks: calcium or iron).
If you have not done these changes, it is time to do them as quickly as possible.