Your Pregnancy, Weeks 1-2
Pregnancy is an exciting time! Starting from Week 1, your body and your baby will undergo an incredible transformation. Even early in your pregnancy, long before you’re showing or experiencing any of the symptoms associated with pregnancy, there are changes that affect virtually every part of your body.
By understanding these changes and knowing what you can do to help support yourself and your baby, you’ll be able to better handle the uncomfortable parts of pregnancy as well as give your baby the best chance for a healthy start in life. Research has shown that the decisions you make even before pregnancy can have a lasting effect on your baby.
Most women experience no symptoms during the first two weeks of pregnancy, but in those two weeks the most important aspect of a successful pregnancy occurs. It’s important to understand what happens during these two weeks.
When does pregnancy begin?
Most people think that pregnancy happens when a sperm fertilises an egg. However, the medical definition of pregnancy is when the fertilised egg implants into the wall of your uterus, which usually occurs about five days after fertilisation. Up to 50% of fertilised eggs never implant, so in order for a doctor to calculate your due date, he or she will work from your last day of menstruation, which is usually about two weeks before your egg was fertilised.
These two weeks are included in your overall pregnancy timetable, so a typical pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, including the first two weeks. If you want to calculate your own due date, add 280 days to the date of when your last period began. Another quick way to do this in your head is to subtract three months from your last menstrual period and add seven days. This is the same method your doctor will use to calculate your due date.
Doctor’s Tip:
“Having a pre-pregnancy visit can ensure you are doing everything possible to get your pregnancy off to its healthiest start.”
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