Pregnancy week by week

You

You are pregnant! In case of 28-day cycle you should have the next menstruation at the end of the fourth week. Although some women feel their new status already earlier, the absence of menstruation is in general the first symptom of pregnancy.  Externally your body is still the same, but you could be more tired than usually, as your hormonal balance is changing. Also, you could feel slight spasms in your stomach similar to the menstruation pains. These are the signs of the increased uterus. Some women could have minor bleeding when the fertilized egg attaches to the mucous membrane of the uterus.

Your baby

By the end of the forth week the baby is just one millimetre long embryo reminding of the little tadpole and could not be yet seen in ultrasound. Though it is possible to see fetal egg in the uterine cavity and the modified mucous membrane of the uterus. The fetal egg includes the yolk sac where the fetus gets is food and primary blood cells. The placenta is gradually created. The brain and spine of the child and from the fourth up to the tenth week also the organs start to develop. During this period the embryo is very receptive as to the external irritants and its development is easily vulnerable.

What to do?

If your menstruation has not started, it is recommended to carry out the pregnancy test of the morning urine 2 days after the beginning of the expected menstruation. If 2 stripes occur on the test strip, you should be congratulated for your pregnancy. If the result is negative, but you still think you are pregnant, repeat the test in a week’s time. In case of positive result you can book the first doctor’s appointment 2-3 weeks after the positive pregnancy test. If this is IVF pregnancy or you have had ectopic pregnancy, caecum operation, sexually transmitted infections, it is reasonable to book a doctor’s visit 1 week after the positive pregnancy test for the early detection of ectopic pregnancy.

If you wish to know whether this is live intrauterine pregnancy and specify the size of pregnancy, you might be interested in our detection of pregnancy and fetal viability assessment.