1 Week Pregnant – What To Expect In Your First Week

1 Week Pregnant

According to the books, you’re 1 week pregnant.

Except… you’re actually not pregnant yet!

In fact, at 1 week pregnant, your period has just started.

This is because week 1 of pregnancy begins on the first day of your last period.

Even though your baby has not yet been conceived, you’re in the time window classed as part of the nine months of pregnancy.

Why Am I Considered 1 Week Pregnant?

Pregnancy is calculated from the first day of your last menstrual period.

This gives doctors a solid date from which to work out an estimated due date.

Conception usually occurs about 14 days after the start of your period and pregnancy gestation is usually about 40 weeks.

We don’t know exactly how long it takes each woman to grow her baby.

The average human pregnancy lasts between 37 and 42 weeks, which means your due date is really a ‘guesstimate’.

Week 1 is called the first week of pregnancy because, well, it’s easier.

If you’d like to work out your baby’s approximate due date, try BellyBelly’s due date calculator.

How can I tell if I’m pregnant after 1 week?

The early signs of pregnancy won’t happen until after conception.

Remember we start week 1 of pregnancy from the first day of your menstrual period.

Meanwhile, your body is gearing up to release another egg and preparing your uterus for a potential pregnancy.

You won’t know if it’s successful until around the time you miss your next period.

If you’re planning on conceiving, make sure you’ve read BellyBelly’s article Pre-Conception Checklist – How To Prepare For Pregnancy.

Becoming pregnant – whether it’s planned or unplanned – is a life changing experience.

It can be a rollercoaster of decisions and emotions.

People react very differently to the idea of becoming parents. You might worry about finances and your career, or wonder whether you’re even ready to be a parent.

Sometimes it’s quite a challenge to deal with all the different feelings.

Talking to a trusted friend or family member, or even journalling your thoughts and feelings, can help you process it all.

1 week pregnant belly

Let’s take a look at what’s happening to your body when you’re 1 week pregnant.

Once your period finishes, your endometrium (the inner lining of your uterus), begins to thicken in preparation for the implantation of a fertilised egg.

An increase in the hormone progesterone is the primary cause of this thickening process.

If implantation does not take place, progesterone levels fall, and your body gets rid of the thickened layer and the unfertilised egg. This is the bleeding we call a period.

Pregnancy Symptoms Week 1

There are no pregnancy symptoms during week 1.

You won’t experience any early signs of pregnancy until a few weeks after conception.

If you’re keeping track of your basal body temperature, you might notice the chart stays elevated past the date of your expected period.

This is the time to take a home pregnancy test if you want to.

Pregnancy symptoms, such as morning sickness and mood swings, are on the horizon – but won’t happen just yet.

For now, make sure you are taking a good quality prenatal vitamin to prevent neural tube defects.

You can read more in Folate – Why It’s So Important Before And During Pregnancy.

1 Week Pregnant – Your Baby

When you’re classed as being 1 week pregnant, your baby-to-be is still a small, single celled egg, hiding in one of your ovaries.

The egg is called an ovum and is only just visible to the naked eye.

It’s completely unaware of what’s about to occur!

In the next week, if it’s fertilised, it will make its way down one of your fallopian tubes, before settling into your uterus for around 9 months.

1 Week Pregnant – For Men

Listen up men — there are a few things you can do to help increase the chances of conception in the next week or two.

Cutting back on caffeine, alcohol, smoking, and unhealthy processed foods (sugars and grain products) can have a positive impact on your health and fertility.

Here are some other ‘things you should know’ that can give you a boost right now.

• Stress can interfere with sperm production. Get plenty of sleep and try some relaxation techniques like massage or acupressure to help relieve stress.
• Studies have shown that men who eat soy foods could have a lower sperm concentration than men who don’t eat soy foods. Avoid soy!
• Another study published in Fertility and Sterility showed that your mobile phone might also affect your fertility. They found that men who used a hands-free device with a cell phone and kept their phone close to their testicles had impaired sperm quality.
• Tight fitting underwear, or environments where overheating can occur – for example, a hot spa – can also have a negative impact on sperm production.
• Although not necessary to guarantee conception, the female orgasm can certainly improve the chances of a fertilised ovum implanting successfully. This article talks you through the how and why. Maintaining intimacy and connection while planning to conceive and during pregnancy is very important.