1 Week Pregnant – What To Expect In Your First Week

1 Week Pregnant – What To Expect

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 which is 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 have a solid date to work out an estimated due date.

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

We don’t know exactly how long it takes each woman to grow her baby, but the normal length is between 37 and 42 weeks, which means your due date is really a guess date!

So, this is why it’s called the first week of pregnancy – because it’s easier.

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

Becoming pregnant is a life changing experience, planned or unplanned.

It can be a rollercoaster of decisions and emotions.

You might wonder if you’re ready to be a parent or worry about finances and your career.

People react to the idea of becoming parents very differently.

Sometimes it can be a challenge to deal with all the different feelings.

Talking to a trusted friend, family member or even journaling your thoughts can help you process your thoughts.

1 Week Pregnant Belly

So 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 thickening in preparation for implantation of a fertilised egg.

An increase in the hormone progesterone is what primarily causes this thickening process.

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

It won’t be for a few weeks after conception that you will experience early signs of pregnancy.

If you’re keeping track of your basal body temperature, you may notice the chart stays elevated past the date of your expected period. This is when you can take a home pregnancy test.

Pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness and mood swings are on the horizon, but not 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 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, a fertilized egg will make its way down one of your fallopian tubes, before settling into your uterus for around 9 months.

1 Week Pregnant – For The Men

Listen up men — there are a few things you can do to help increase your 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 may not know about 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 may 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 may 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 impact on sperm production.
• While 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.