There is a misconception as to when pregnancy really starts. Before the tests read positive, there are two weeks before where the pregnancy starts but it is unconfirmed. As you read the hundreds of baby books and talk to many people you will see that pregnancy starts from the minute of fertilization. It is important to read the books or check online to see if this is accurate. That is why when they say pregnancy is 42 weeks not 40 you will understand why this is.
This is true since when your doctor gives you your estimated due date, they will tell you that they give a 2 week window. You could go two week earlier than your due date or two week later. Most women as the pregnancy processed hope it is earlier rather than later. The pregnancy has already occurred but it is just a matter of being confirmed. If you are trying to become pregnant and you suspect that you are pregnant, there is no better time than the present to start implementing some lifestyle changes.
If you smoke you will want to quit and if you drink you will want to stop and if you don’t exercise, you should start doing something extra like going for a walk about 20 minutes a day. The more you exercise the better you will feel during the pregnancy. Don’t do anything too strenuous, swimming or walking are great ways to move around.
Baby’s Development
With these pregnancy tests being able to tell if you are pregnant the second it happens (we are exaggerating but it seems like it though). This makes 42 weeks the longest of your life. The development of the baby is very minute. There isn’t much happening until the second week of pregnancy. As you take a look at the biology of pregnancy, the process starts with the egg becoming fertilized and it starts to travel through the Fallopian Tubes, the result of this process is called a Zygote. The cells will start to split and the cells will have 23 chromosomes each with the DNA of both parents. The baby is now called a Blastocycle.
The Blastocycle will take the form of the placenta and the embryo will start to develop inside the placenta. As this chromosomes development the baby’s eye color, sex, hair color and even the personality of the baby will develop.
Changes In Your Body
During the first week of pregnancy you really won’t notice any changes in your body, even though there are plenty of changes happening. Some books will tell you that you are not pregnant during the first week. Once fertilization occurs you are technically pregnant though it cannot be confirmed for another 7 to 10 days. By reading a week by week calendar about how the pregnancy should be progressing you will understand more about what is happening and what and when to expect changes.
Though you are still unofficially pregnant, some women may start to feel the symptoms of pregnancy that early. Every woman is different and even though you may think so, symptoms can occur. You may start to feel nausea, nervousness and even constipation. Though as these symptoms may be happening you may not know what is causing them. If you start to feel these symptoms you can try a pregnancy test though it may be too early. Pregnancy can be exciting and it can be scary all at the same time. If you are older, you may start to thinking of the risk of birth defects and other problems that can arise. Don’t panic right away, you have not been confirmed to be pregnant yet so don’t stress out. Everything at this stage is fine.
Pregnancy is an honor and privilege and you should treat it as such. Try not to stress out, relax and enjoy every minute of it. If you are feeling any anticipation at whether or not you are pregnant then talk to your significant other and by talking about it, it can really help you to feel better.
What To Expect
As far as what to expect when you are pregnant, the first week you should not really expect too much. You should be feeling great and looking forward to the pregnancy. Don’t start panicking about finances or baby names, 42 weeks is a long time. What you may want to start doing is changing up your lifestyle a little bit. If you eat a lot of fast food a few times a week. Now would be a good time to cut back to one day a week for now. Your doctor may suggest a bit further down the line that you don’t eat that type of food anymore.
Start to eat more fruits, salads and vegetables. Start your pregnancy off on the right foot. Stay hydrated and get plenty of rest you will need it in the coming months. The first trimester is the most exhaustive; you could be sitting down and feel like you ran a marathon. Plenty of rest, good food and staying positive are the best things you can do for your baby.
You could ask your doctor on the premise that you are pregnant, you want to ask them to set an exercise routine and ask for suggestions for eating healthy. Start taking prenatal vitamins and drink plenty of Orange Juice for Folic Acid.
Tips/Advice
Though at this point, there is a lot of internal changes going on you and you won’t be feeling too much of it. Now that the fertilization has occurred, you are on your way to a long journey. If you have any concerns about the pregnancy, talk to your doctor, they are the only ones who can talk to you on a medical level. They will tell you what you can expect, what appointments have to be made and what could happen if things go wrong. But they will be honest and up front about it.
Remember, every pregnancy is different, so if you have friends that have been pregnant, they may try to tell you their experience and if you hear something that happened to them, keep in mind that it may not happen to you. 42 weeks is a long time, you don’t want to start rushing into planning baby showers or panicking over baby names. You have plenty of time. Take one day at a time and enjoy every minute of the pregnancy. If you are experiencing any problems, call your doctor right away. Never dismiss any feelings that you have, you know your body well and only you will know if there is a problem.
