Congratulations! The decision to have a child is an exciting one.
It may seem strange but it is true, by that time you see that positive result you have already been pregnant for nearly four weeks. It is difficult for doctors to pin point the exact moment when sperm meets egg, so to keep things consistent, most consider the start date of your 40 week pregnancy to be the first day of your last period.
For the first two weeks before your egg is fertilized, your body is training itself for your pregnancy even if you do not plan to have a baby. During this time, your uterus sheds its lining and your body releases estrogen which promotes the growth of a new one. You also release a hormone called LH or Leutenizing Hormone encouraging your ovaries to release an egg 24 to 36 hours later. Once your egg is released, you have a seven to ten day window to conceive. If a sperm meets the egg during this time, you will officially be pregnant.
The fertilized egg will spend the next two weeks making its way down your fallopian tubes into your uterus. There it will borrow into the uterine wall to make its home for the next nine months.
By the end of the first month, your baby will be about the size of a poppy seed. He or she, yes! Sex is already been genetically determined, has developed specialized cells which will become bones, organs, muscles, hair and skin. Your baby is also forming its placenta, which is the organ that provides food and oxygen as well as its amniotic sac, which are your thin membranes filled with fluid to cushion your baby. After your egg is fertilized, you may experience typical premenstrual symptoms such as mood swings, bloating and cramping, although some women do not even notice this.
Because the changes during month one are so minuscule, it is unlikely you will know you are pregnant before seeing that positive test. But if you are trying, it is never too early to act like you are pregnant. That means eating nutritious foods and exercising moderately. It also cannot hurt to start taking your prenatal Vitamin since the folic acid in it may help prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. At the same time, restrict your alcohol intake and avoid smoking and other potential harmful activities. As soon as you know you are pregnant, it is time to make that initial appointment with an Obstetrician Gynecologist. He or she will guide you through the following months and help to ensure your healthiest child.
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