4 Weeks Pregnant

What Do You Need to Know About 4 WEEKS PREGNANT?

A General Overview

Having a baby is one of the most precious feelings that a woman could ever feel. A magical journey starts right after anticipating till the day you bring your little baby to life and take them home with you.

No matter how you plan for your baby’s arrival, whether it’s your first pregnancy or not, you may not be fully prepared. Therefore, knowing everything in advance and learning exactly what to expect will keep you steps ahead.

First of all, you may not look pregnant yet, which is totally normal but you will definitely feel pregnant. Mainly because pregnancy plays a key role in the changes in hormones you are having. It’s like riding a rollercoaster of emotions! From fatigue to flatulence, mood swings, and other pregnancy symptoms, it’s all-natural as your body is being prepared to be the house of your beloved baby for the next nine months.

So, understanding pregnancy week by week will help you be ready for what changes you are going to face. As well as eliminating your feelings of fear and anxiety of what will happen inside your body till your baby finally is inside your arms.

Therefore, we made you this guide to help you know more about the pregnancy’s first trimester, what to expect, main symptoms, etc.

First trimester: key stages

As we have mentioned before, we are here for you step by step throughout your pregnancy journey. The first trimester begins on the first day of your last period until the end of the 12th week of pregnancy. During the first trimester, you would be already sure of your pregnancy and around five or six weeks pregnant to be specific.

There are a lot of changes in these three months. First, the fertilized egg is then divided into cells and implanted in the wall of the womb. These layers later develop into an embryo which is the name your baby is called at this stage of pregnancy. At this point, your baby is growing very fast; in fact faster than any other time.

Baby’s growth during the first trimester

During the first symptoms, your baby changes from one fertilized cell into the embryo that stays in your uterine wall. Your baby’s organs start to form and develop and they start to move. In addition, here are the main changes:

Eyesight: optic nerves start to form by four weeks pregnant as well as the lenses.

Heart: around week 4, the tube that will later develop to form your baby’s heart, start to beat and you will be able to hear it during the fetus at 4 weeks ultrasound.

So what happens inside your body?

The most obvious symptom of pregnancy is missing one period. Besides, you can expect the following symptoms throughout the 4 weeks pregnant including:

1 Week Pregnant Symptoms

At 1 week pregnant, you are still at an early point in your pregnancy journey. You are expected to experience the following symptoms that may last from three days to one week:

Bloating: the changes in hormones can lead to a bloated belly before and after your menstrual period.

Mood swings: again, the changes in your hormones can make you feel like you are riding a rollercoaster of emotions.

Vaginal bleeding: this is another common symptom at this stage because of the shedding in the uterine wall.

Headache: complaining from headaches or migraines is another hormone-related symptom that pregnant women face.

2 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms

At 2 weeks pregnant, you will experience the following symptoms:

Breast soreness: most pregnant women experience breast soreness or tenderness during the second week of pregnancy. This usually happens due to hormone changes.

Cervical mucus: at this stage, your cervical mucus becomes thinner and clear. Especially when you are getting close to the time of ovulation because it helps the sperm to travel to reach the egg.

A better sense of smell: surprisingly, most pregnant women become extraordinarily able to smell and distinguish different scents. So if you catch yourself sniffing too often, no worries this is totally normal.

Pelvic ache: you may experience some pain on one side of your abdomen as a result of an ovary-releasing-egg process.

- Light spotting: This is another common symptom that you may have during the second week of pregnancy. You may notice some red or brown dots in your underwear which is very normal.

Increase in sex drive: You may notice an increasing desire of having sex, generally, this happens around the time of ovulation.

3 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms

The following are the most common symptoms you may have during 3 weeks pregnant:

Nausea: This is the most common symptom that all pregnant women actually hate. Nausea happens because the hCG hormone starts to take control of your body. You will be frequently feeling nauseous to the moment that you will actually throw up.

Changes in breasts: You may also notice that there are some changes in your breasts; they will get sore and your nipples may become a little darker. This mainly happens because your body is getting ready to offer milk to your baby. In other words, it’s like the food-making factory is being issued!

Missed period: This is the most obvious symptom that makes you suspect being pregnant. Menstrual period cycles are generally shorter than 28 days, so if you miss one or two periods, you should take a pregnancy test.

4 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms

Here are some symptoms of what you should expect at 4 weeks pregnant:

Bloating: The pregnancy hormone progesterone is the main reason behind feeling bloated. Get more comfortable pants!

Spotting: At 4 weeks pregnant, you may still experience some light bleedings. This light spotting is totally normal as a result of implantation.

Mood swings: Again, you will experience some mood swings. It mainly happens because of your fluctuating hormones.

Sore breasts: It hurts, I know! Having swollen or tender breasts are very normal at this point in pregnancy.

Morning sickness: Most pregnant women have upset stomachs at four weeks pregnant. So, you may face nausea or even vomiting especially in the morning.

Fatigue: This is also one of the most common four weeks pregnant symptoms that almost every pregnant woman experiences. It is a totally normal feeling because your body is working so hard to develop cells into an embryo.

Frequent urge to pee: frequent urination is one of the most common symptoms that appear in the first trimester. So if you notice that your trips to the bathroom have increased recently, do not worry.

Light cramps: at 4 weeks pregnant, you may face light cramps. This symptom happens because the baby has been implanted in the lining of the uterus. This is a normal symptom however, if you face severe cramps, contact your doctor immediately.

Food cravings: It’s common during the first trimester to crave some odd food that you have never tried before. Or even you may find yourself eating some

4 Weeks Pregnant Belly

Having a 4 weeks pregnant belly means having a little bloated one that will not make you look pregnant yet. You may not look pregnant, but your baby’s development process is ongoing. Therefore, make sure you provide your body with all the essential factors that make you stronger and help your baby grow bigger and healthier. Prenatal vitamin and folic acid will be your best friends at this stage.

You may notice that your tight or skinny jeans will not fit the way they did before. At least you may face difficulties button those jeans. Do not panic! I know what you are thinking now, but trust me I have been there and having looser clothes will fix this problem. You will still look fabulous and stylish the way you are.

4 Weeks Pregnant Ultrasound

4 weeks pregnant is the milestone where the embryo and placenta develop. A lot of things are taking place; your baby’s neural tube, brain, and backbone have already developed. In fact, you may not have an ultrasound at four weeks pregnant.

What does your baby look like?

The little person growing inside of your belly is about the size of a poppy seed. Your baby’s nervous system and heart are developing. Your baby gets his or her energy and nourishment from a yolk sac.

During this stage, your baby which is known as, the embryo develops inside the uterus. During the first trimester of pregnancy, the placenta which is developed from the outer layer takes control of providing nourishment to your baby.

What are the chances of miscarrying?

Thinking of this potential is devastating, but it’s true that one on five pregnancies may end in a miscarriage in the first trimester. Experiencing the following symptoms such as bleeding, spotting is normal. However, having severe stomach pain or severe bleeding is a danger alert. You should contact your doctor right away to seek their advice.

First trimester to-dos:

It’ highly recommended to stick to the following to-do list in order to have a healthy pregnancy during the first trimester:

Make sure you get a sufficient amount of prenatal vitamin supplements. They play the main role in reducing the risk of neural tube defects.
Plan ahead and choose your practitioner. Do some research, ask your friends and family members for their recommendations as well.
Make sure you have a healthy, nutritious, and well-balanced diet. Besides, this is the time you should quit drinking alcohol and limit or cut down caffeine.
Have sex with your partner, this could incredibly decrease your feeling of stress. Don’t worry it’s totally safe for your baby!
Start thinking of baby names for your baby; have both options ready either for a girl or for a boy. This also can help you enjoy and reduce stress!