First month of pregnancy symptoms

The very beginning for baby

Weeks 1 & 2

• Although the first two weeks are part of your pregnancy countdown, you are not technically pregnant. Your body is however working hard to prepare for that moment and it is counted as your first steps towards motherhood. An increase in oestrogen and progesterone prepares your body for your baby to live and grow.

3 Weeks

• Your uterus is now ready with a blood-rich lining. Erupting from your ovary, one of your eggs enters a fallopian tube, waiting to be fertilised by one of millions of sperm.
• Once the sperm’s nucleus merges with that of the egg, if the sperm carries a Y chromosome, you can hope to welcome a little boy; if it carries an X chromosome, a little girl.
• Over the next 8 months or so this single cell multiplies and goes through a number of stages to give you your bundle of joy! Once the two cells fuse, they form a zygote.

4 Weeks Pregnant

Your baby is now a part of you!

• Implantation is when the tiny mass of cells attaches itself. A lot is happening inside your body now. A small ball of cells called the blastocyst is rapidly multiplying; producing hormones that help cease the menstrual cycle and keep the lining of the uterus from shedding. By the end of this week, a hormone called HCG can be detected, confirming your pregnancy.
• Once implanted, this tiny mass of cells will divide further to become an embryo and the placenta.  The placenta will provide your baby with all the oxygen and nutrients it needs and will link you and your baby until birth, when your baby can breathe and feed on its own.
• This week is also an important milestone in embryonic development: the beginning of what is called organogenesis. The outlines of many internal organs and even the bloodstream are starting to form.
• Amniotic fluid begins to collect in the cavity that will become the amniotic sac and protect your baby through the entire journey until birth – by cushioning the embryo against your movements and by providing the growing embryo with nourishment through you

Your body in the first trimester

• Every women is unique and different in their pregnancy journey. Some early signs and symptoms of pregnancy include:
  • Changing breasts - Your breasts can start changing soon after conception, becoming fuller and more sensitive. You may notice the small bumps around your areolas more – these are oil-producing glands that lubricate your skin surrounding the nipple.
  • Queasiness - Morning sickness (and not just in the morning!) can kick in any time after conception
  • Mood swings – you may be irritable due to hormonal changes in your body. Learn more about the hormonal changes during pregnancy.
  • Spotting or cramping – following ovulation, when the embryo attaches to the uterus lining, you may experience a light pink spotting.
  • Frequent urination – early in your pregnancy hormonal changes may cause frequent trips to the bathroom.
  • Food cravings – even in early pregnancy you may experience cravings or aversions to foods
  • Changes in smells and tastes – pregnancy hormones can affect your taste buds and sense of smell. Morning sickness may affect your appetite.

Other changes? – pregnancy hormones may cause other symptoms like dizziness, backaches, lower abdominal cramps or bloating, heartburn, headaches