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PREGNANCY WEEK BY WEEK

Week 1
Understanding the differences between gestational and fetal age

The 1st week of pregnancy is called preconception, because it actually begins with the
start of your last menstrual period. Why? It's hard to pinpoint exactly when your egg
becomes fertilized, butthe date of your last cycle is a more accurate starting
point.Your doctor will calculate your due date by counting 40 weeks from the start of
your last menstrual period.

This is called the gestational age, and it's how most doctors measure pregnancies.
Because ovulation and conception take place about two weeks after your period begins,
your baby's fetal age (which begins when your egg is fertilized) will be two weeks less
than his gestational age. So, when you're 8 weeks pregnant, your baby's fetal age is 6
weeks.
Early pregnancy nutrition tips
During preconception, your body is preparing for your baby. In fact, during every period,
your uterus has shed its lining. This creates a new lining that's rich in blood vessels to
house and nourish a developing baby. Now it's setting the stage for your pregnancy.
You can take action right now to make sure your body has the nutrition and exercise it
needs and that is best for your baby in the months to come. During preconception, here
are some guidelines to follow:
Be sure to eat balanced breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners.
To gauge just how balanced your diet is, try writing down your meals and snacks for a
week. Then, compare what you're eating to what is recommended on
ChooseMyPlate.gov.
Supplement your balanced diet with prenatal multivitamins that include folic acid and
other essential minerals and vitamins needed for pregnancy. Folate is found naturally in
lentils, dried beans, and peas. Folic acid is added to fortified whole-grain breads. Talk
with your OB/GYN about prenatal vitamins if you haven't already.
Address any medical conditions. If you're taking prescription medications, you should
consult your doctor or OB/GYN prior to becoming pregnant.
Exercising during your pregnancy
Pregnancy puts extra physical demands on your body. So being physically fit
beforehand can help get you and your baby off to a good start.


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When you're 1 week pregnant, and throughout your pregnancy, abalanced exercise
program might be as important as a balanced diet. Here are some different types of
workouts to consider:
Cardiovascular or aerobic exercise
Muscular endurance
Muscular strength or resistance training
Flexibility exercises
Note that focusing on muscles in your lower back and stomachis particularly good
when preparing for pregnancy. However, be sure to check with your doctor before
beginning any new exercise routine.



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Week 2


Figure 1 After ovulation, the egg moves into your fallopian tube and waits to be fertilised

Maternal nutrition
Growing a baby from a single cell into a healthy newborn draws
tremendous energy, nutrients, and resources from your body. A
healthy diet can help you maintain your energy. At 2 weeks
pregnant:
Remember, eating the right foods provides enough energy to
support you and your growing baby.
Eat a balanced choice of foods (including nutrient-rich foods
containing protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins, and minerals).
Balance the five food groups to help keep your body healthy.


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Try to eat foods in the proper proportions. You can try to
mentally divide your plate in half. Vegetables and fruits should
make up half of your plate. Proteins and grains compose the other
half. Use moderation when it comes to fat, sugar, and salt.
How your diet affects your baby
From the moment your baby is conceived, your diet determines if the building blocks of
good nutrition will be there when your baby needs them. However, every organ and cell
has its own schedule, which is why you should eat healthy, nutritious meals before and
throughout your pregnancy.
Prenatal multivitamins offer a great way to ensure that you're getting the vitamins and
minerals you and your baby will need. Though similar to adult multivitamins, prenatal
multivitamins often contain levels of vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid and iron,
specifically modified to meet the needs of pregnant women. Talk with your OB/GYN
about prenatal multivitamins.

Baby Development
There's no baby yet, but your body is preparing for
ovulation and, ultimately, conception. If you are wondering how
you can be 2 weeks pregnant before your baby is conceived,
there's an easy explanation.
Conception typically occurs when you are two weeks pregnant, or
two weeks after your period starts. Even while you're menstruating,
your body is getting ready for pregnancy.
An egg, maturing within one of your ovaries, releases.
This process, called ovulation, usually occurs approximately 11 to
14 days after your period.
After ovulation, the egg moves into one of your fallopian tubes,
which connects your ovaries and uterus, and waits to be fertilized.
If you have intercourse during ovulation, you might become
pregnant.
Sperm can live in your body for up to six days, but your egg, once
released during ovulation, must be fertilized within 12 to 24 hours.
At this point, your egg is 1/200 of an inch too small to see with
the naked eye.


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A short conception window, filled with possibilities. Your egg, after it is released
during ovulation, must be fertilized within 12 to 24 hours. If your ovaries produce
more than one egg, this can result in fraternal (nonidentical) twins, triplets, or more, if
multiple eggs are fertilized.
Physical changes
Your menstrual period finished last week and disposed of the
uterine lining and your body is now making a new lining to receive a
fertilised egg as well as provide a home for w growing foetus.



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Week 3

Figure 2 The microscopic-sized zygote divides again and again, growing at an astounding pace
The morula hollows out, is filled with fluid, and becomes known as a blastocyst. Towards the end of
the week the blastocyst will attach itself to the endometrium: the lining of the uterus. This is called
implantation; some women experience light bleeding at this time known, appropriately as implantation
bleeding. Implantation is an extremely important step and its success is the first of many factors that
determine whether or not a pregnancy will be viable. If the blastocyst does not implant, it is unlikely
the pregnancy will continue, such as in the event of an Ectopic Pregnancy. The endometrium provides
the developing embryo with nutrients and removes waste. As time goes on, the implantation site
becomes the placenta. Some women released more than one egg from the ovaries that were then
fertilized. This will result in fraternal twins (or triplets or more), also known as multiple gestation. Eggs
that split into two separate embryos are identical twins (or triplets if it split three ways). Fraternal
twins are only alike as any other brother or sister born to the same parents are. Identical twins have
the same genetic makeup and will appear mostly identical.

You wont be able to feel anything yet, but you are now pregnant and have a baby growing inside you!
What an exciting time you are about to enter. During pregnancy it is your job to nourish your baby and
help him grow and develop. Once your pregnancy is confirmed you will be given prenatal, but you
should still maintain a healthy diet. It is essential that your intake of certain nutrients is adequate:


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Folic acid is especially important as it helps prevent neural tube defects such as Spina Bifida. The
neural tube is the structure that creates the brain and spinal cord, and is developed early in
pregnancy.
Protein is important in creating new tissue
Calcium is necessary for creating strong teeth and bones
Iron is essential for mothers to be as you are supporting the increase of your babys blood volume
as well as your own.

Week 3: Your fertilization and implantation
Although you don't know it yet, you might have conceived already. Fertilization occurs
when an egg and sperm connect and form a single cell, called a zygote. Here's what is
happening during your 3rd week of pregnancy:
The microscopic-sized zygote divides again and again, growing at an astounding pace.
Your baby already has all of the genetic material she needs for life half of the 23 pairs
of chromosomes from you and half from your partner.
Your baby's gender already is determined.
Cell division and repetition
Approximately 12 hours after fertilization, your baby right now, only a one-
celled zygote divides into two identical cells. These two cells each split, creating four
cells, which then split to become eight. This process continues as the total number of
cells in your baby doubles every 12 hours. While this division occurs, your zygote is
moving down the fallopian tube to your uterus.

Your Week 3 nutrition and health
Refocus your nutrition to account for your pregnancy
Even prior to the 3rd week of pregnancy, how well you eat and care for yourself make a
big difference in the quality of nutrition your baby receives.

What do the nutrients in your food do?
Calories provide energy to help your baby grow.
Iron helps make the extra blood needed during pregnancy.
Folic acid is critical during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy for central nervous system and
fetal brain development.
Protein helps produce blood and builds your baby's tissues and muscles.
Calcium and vitamin D work together to build your baby's bones and teeth.
At 3 weeks pregnant, remember:


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Continue to take your doctor-recommended folic acid supplement or prenatal
multivitamin.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Respond right away if your body indicates that you should slow down or even stop.
Exercise and pregnancy
If you're already in good condition and regularly exercising,
pregnancy shouldnt prohibit you from continuing a safe exercise
routine.

Good exercises for women in their 1st trimester of pregnancy
include:
Walking
Swimming
Aerobic Activity
Also, please consult your doctor before starting any new physical
exercise.



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Week 4
Figure 3 Your baby's body now has three distinct layers from which all of his organs will develop.


Week 4: Your baby has embedded in your uterus and is growing at an
amazing rate
This is it the week you'll likely miss your period and find out you're pregnant. Here's
what is happening during your 4th week of pregnancy:
Your baby's body now has three distinct layers from which all of his organs will develop.
From the beginning of the 3rd week of pregnancy through the end of the 4th week of
pregnancy, your baby grows to the length of the head of a pin about 1/25th of an inch
long.

Your placenta's remarkable role
During the 4th week of pregnancy, the placenta, which will carry nutrients from you to
your baby, begins to form. It's made primarily from your baby's tissues, with help from


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cells from your body. Here's a look at what it does:

During the 4th week of pregnancy, the placenta thickens and continues to thicken until
the 4th month of pregnancy.
The placenta actually matches the needs of your baby with the specific
nutrients available from you at the time.
Although it's made up of shared tissue, the placenta does not allow your blood and your
baby's blood to come in direct contact.
Your Week 4 nutrition and health
How to start hydrating properly starting at your 4th week of pregnancy
Drinking enough fluids is most important early in your pregnancy. Your body begins to
increase blood flow and your baby needs more fluids. Drinking enough fluids also can
help you fight fatigue and possible constipation.
Choose water or nutritious drinks, such as skim milk, low-fat milk, 100% fruit juices,
or low-fat fruit smoothies.

The vegetarian mom-to-be
You can follow a vegetarian diet throughout pregnancy, and with careful planning you
can get the nutrients you and your baby need. According to the American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists, vegetarians might need to focus on protein. In
addition, supplementation with iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin D is recommended. Check
with your doctor to make sure that your prenatal multivitamin and mineral tablet includes
adequate quantities of these micronutrients.

Scheduling with your doctor
If your home pregnancy test came back positive, you should schedule an appointment
with your doctor. Most doctors will schedule the appointment between your 6th and 10th
week of pregnancy. To help you get ready for that first appointment, see our 1st Prenatal
Visit Checklist.
Getting informed is an important part of a healthy pregnancy, but it might seem as if
health warnings and pregnancy recommendations always are changing. Advice you
receive now might even conflict with what youve learned before. Always consult your
doctor about any questions.



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Week 5
Figure 4 Your baby's heart begins to beat and could be visible on an ultrasound


Vital organs start to form
Week 5: Your baby begins to take shape
After weeks of rapid cell development, your baby takes on a more distinct form. During
the 5th week of pregnancy, here's what is happening inside:
Your baby's heart and circulatory system take shape a bulge indicates where her
heart is developing. By the end of the 5th week of pregnancy, your baby's earliest blood
vessels form.


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Around the 5th week of pregnancy, your baby's heart begins to beat and might be
visible on an ultrasound.
The umbilical cord replaces the yolk sac. The umbilical cord works with the placenta to
bring nutrition and oxygen to your baby and remove waste.
At 5 weeks pregnant, your baby is the length of the tip of a pen, about 1/17th of an inch,
and growing rapidly every day.

Your Week 5 nutrition and health
Learn which types of foods you should be eating
Pregnancy is one of the best times to pump up your nutrition intake, because your
choices now affect both you and baby. During your 5th week of pregnancy:
Continue to follow a balanced diet.


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Remember, the balance is not in the individual foods. For healthy, balanced food
plans, www.ChooseMyPlate.gov has a helpful nutrition section specifically for pregnancy
and breastfeeding.
While it's essential to keep well hydrated and to drink lots of water, you also can count
skim milk, low-fat milk, 100% fruit juices, or low-fat fruit smoothies as part of your fluid
intake.
Small nutrition changes that can make a big difference
As you start down your pregnancy journey, you'll find that there are many nutrients,
vitamins, and minerals you should be getting every day. Here is the first part of a three-
part series that provides you with simple tips you can start implementing today to get the
nutrition you need for the rest of your pregnancy.
Switch from white to whole-grain bread. This simple switch will add more fiber to your
diet as well as increase the magnesium and chromium. Additionally, you'll get more zinc,
copper, vitamin E, and vitamin B6.
Get more whole grains. Trade sugary cereals for whole-grain cereals, brown rice,
whole-wheat pasta and whole-grain bread. Try wild rice or barley in soups, stews,
casseroles, and salads. Look for products that list whole grains, such as whole-wheat
flour, first in the ingredients list.
Making the most of your doctor visits
Regular prenatal care remains a critical part of monitoring your health and the health of
your baby throughout your pregnancy. Now is the time to schedule your first prenatal
visit. Most OB/GYN offices will schedule the appointment between your 6th and 10th
week of pregnancy.
Your first prenatal doctor visit will be one of the most involved. During this visit, your
doctor will confirm your pregnancy and record your medical history. Your doctor probably
will perform a physical exam and a series of additional routine tests to make sure you
and your baby are healthy.
Good communication is a key to success with your doctor. If you don't understand
something at any doctor visit, be sure to ask for clarification or additional details.
Get informed and be equipped. The more informed you are, the better able you'll be to
make the best choices throughout your pregnancy.
Look beyond the belly. Remember to keep up with other areas of your overall health.
Schedule routine dental visits and promptly address other health concerns as they arise.
Get ready for the beginning of pregnancy symptoms
Most women start to feel pregnancy symptoms (commonly referred to as morning
sickness) at 5 weeks. This can include breast changes, nausea, heightened sense of
smell, frequent urination, and/or mood swings.



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Week 6
Figure 5 Your baby which who is now considered an embryo is clearly visible on the
ultrasound


Week 6: Your baby's nervous system starts to develop
During your 6th week of pregnancy, your baby grows at a phenomenal rate and his
systems develop significantly. Here's what is happening at 6 weeks pregnant:
Your baby, now called an embryo, is clearly visible on ultrasound. He is about 1/8 of
an inch long, about the size of a grain of rice.


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When you're 6 weeks pregnant, his nervous system and all major body organs
heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs begin to form.

Facial features jaw, cheeks, chin, nose, and eyes begin to develop around the 6th
week of pregnancy.
Your baby's heartbeat is beating about 80 times per minute and gets faster each
day.
Your Week 6 nutrition and health
How nutrition can help manage symptoms of morning sickness
Morning sickness is caused by elevated levels of hormones in the body. The most
common symptoms are nausea and vomiting, as well as mood swings. A good way
help relieve these symptoms is to make some nutrition changes, including:
Eating small meals or snacks frequently throughout the day
Limiting or avoiding greasy, spicy, or fried foods
Drinking fluids to stay hydrated, especially if you are vomiting
Indulging healthy cravings
It also might help to:
Avoid those odors in your daily routine that make you queasy.
Get enough sleep and rest.
What to expect at your first prenatal visit
What's your due date? How is your pregnancy progressing? What can you expect in the
coming weeks? There are many questions at this early stage of pregnancy. That's why
it's time to begin prenatal visits with your doctor.

This prenatal visit checklist can help you get ready.

You and your doctor probably will go over:


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Your medical history:
o Date of last period ___________________
o Contraceptive use ___________________
o Prescriptions ___________________
o Allergies ___________________
o Medical conditions ___________________
o Exercise ___________________
o Nutrition habits ___________________
Your due date (Knowing your due date helps your doctor more accurately monitor your
progress and baby's growth.):
Due date _______________________________________
Baseline tests:
o Weight ___________________
o Blood pressure ___________________
o Heart rate ___________________
o Urine and blood lab work___________________
A pelvic exam and possibly a Pap smear
Your questions:
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________




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Week 7
Figure 6 Baby's face becomes more defined

Week 7: Facial and body features emerge
During the first 6 weeks of pregnancy, your baby's heartbeat was the big event. When
you're 7 weeks pregnant, the major milestone is your baby's developing facial and
physical features. Highlights for your 7th week of pregnancy include the following:
By the 7th week of pregnancy, she is 1/3 of an inch to 1/2 of an inch long barely the
length of your pinky fingernail.
Your baby's face becomes more defined when you're 7 weeks pregnant. Her mouth,
nostrils, and ears begin to appear.


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When you're 7 weeks pregnant, the lenses in your baby's eyesbegin to form and the
iris color is visible.
Her arms, shoulders, hands, legs, and feet begin to take shape by the 7th week of
pregnancy, with the early formation of fingers and toes just another week away.
Around the 7th and 8th week of your pregnancy, your baby's body elongates and her
neck straightens.
Your baby's brain becomes more complex during the 7th week of pregnancy. The
skull that's growing to protect it is transparent and rounding.

Your Week 7 nutrition and health
Increase your iron intake from food, and take your prenatal multivitamins as
prescribed by your doctor
Between the 5th and 8th weeks of pregnancy, nutrition plays a huge role in developing
your baby's nervous, digestive, respiratory, circulatory, and reproductive systems. At 7
weeks pregnant, continue to make nutrition a priority by following these two tips:


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Iron intake from foods and prenatal vitamins is important. Increased blood volume
during pregnancy and the demands of your growing baby put pregnant women at higher
risk of iron deficiency or anemia. The most readily available iron in foods is called heme
iron, and it can be found in lean meat, including beef, pork, and dark-meat poultry. Plant
foods that contain iron, such as leafy green vegetables and dried beans and peas,
should be eaten with foods high in vitamin C such as tomatoes or oranges to
enhance iron absorption. Prenatal multivitamins also include extra iron.
o The Dietary Reference Intake level of iron that is recommended during pregnancy is 27
mg, which can be found in most prenatal multivitamins.
Keep taking prenatal multivitamins. They provide an extra source of iron, folic acid,
and other important vitamins and minerals. Remember that prenatal multivitamins are
not a substitute for a healthy diet.



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Week 8
Figure 7 Your baby's tiny fingers and toes start to develop

Your baby's shifting body parts
Week 8: Toes and fingers develop, while the face gets more defined
When you're between 7 and 8 weeks pregnant, your baby's body parts and proportions
continue to develop and change quickly. Here's what's going on during your 8th week of
pregnancy:
At 8 weeks pregnant, your baby is more than 1/2 of an inch long around the length
of a lima bean.
Your baby's tiny fingers and toes develop.
His arms and legs grow longer.
By the 8th week of your pregnancy, his wrists, elbows, and ankles are visible.
His eyelids form, and his ears, upper lip, and nose tip become more defined.


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Your Week 8 nutrition and health
Focus on wellness
As your body changes throughout pregnancy, it's important to adjust your exercise
regimen and diet. As always, speak to your doctor about the right changes for you and
your growing baby.

There are many things you should do more of throughout your pregnancy from eating
different foods to participating in new activities. However, there are also certain things
youll want to do less of as well.

Most doctors agree that the consumption of foods and drinks containing caffeine
should be limited.
This includes limiting sugar-sweetened sodas containing caffeine (which also contain
empty calories from added sugar).
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) suggests limiting
caffeine intake to 200 mg per day. This is equivalent to two 8-fl-oz cups of brewed
coffee.
Ask your doctor about how much caffeine you can have daily.
According to ACOG 2010 guidelines and the Position Paper of the American Dietetic
Association and FDA, artificial sweeteners are safe to use in moderation. The list
includes the following: saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame-K, and stevia. If you
normally consume diet soda containing nonnutritive sweeteners, the caffeine content still
needs to be considered.
Incorporate certain foods into your diet safely
Some foods can help you and your baby get the essential nutrients you need during
pregnancy, but not all varieties are good for you.
Eating fish is a great way to get your omega-3 fatty acids, which are an important
component for your baby's brain and neurological development. But you need to avoid


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shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury
that may potentially harm your unborn baby.
Refrigerated pate or meat spreads from a meat counter can also cause health problems
if eaten, as can salads made in the store ham salad, chicken salad, egg salad, tuna
salad, or seafood salad.
Raw (unpasteurized) milk, along with any food products that contain unpasteurized milk,
might contain listeria and are capable of crossing the placenta and infecting your baby.
Soft cheeses such as feta, queso blanco, Brie, Camembert cheeses, blue-veined
cheeses, and Panela that are clearly labeled "made with pasteurized milk" are safe.
An alcohol- and tobacco-free lifestyle will reduce the risk of disease and health defects
in your unborn baby, and can improve your health during and after pregnancy.
In addition, you should also try to limit the following:
Activities that could cause you to fall, or that put pressure or force on your belly
Overly vigorous, intense exercise if you're too out of breath to talk, you're
probably exercising too hard.
Certain over-the-counter and prescription medications (talk with your doctor
about what's safe during pregnancy)
Exposure to chemicals and fumes from paints, cleaning products, and solvents.
Latex, or acrylic, paint generally is considered to be safe. But check with your
doctor so you can safely and confidently help with preparing the nursery or with
completing other projects around the house.
Saunas and hot tubs
Get ready for increased flexibility
When you're pregnant, hormones cause your joints to become more flexible and even
cause ligaments to stretch. These changes will help you during labour and delivery.



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Week 9
Figure 8 Your baby's skeleton begins to harden


Your baby's body is starting to take shape
Week 9: Your babys skeleton, intestines, and reproductive systems begin
to form
When you're 9 weeks pregnant, your baby's body parts and proportions continue to
develop and change quickly:
During the 9th week of your pregnancy, your baby grows to about 1 inch, which is about
the length of an olive.
By your 9th week of pregnancy, your baby's skeleton begins to harden. Hardening of
the bones (ossification) begins with the formation of cartilage.
Her fingers, toes, knees, and elbows develop.
Nipples and hair follicles form.
Her intestinal system pancreas, bile ducts, gallbladder, and anus forms.
Her intestines elongate.


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Your baby's reproductive organs begin to develop internally when you're 9 weeks
pregnant.
Muscles develop and your baby may start to move you might feel her movements in
several more weeks.


Your Week 9 nutrition and health
Why healthy habits should start now
Being pregnant gives you a new perspective on how your health habits can affect your
body and your baby. There are many benefits to good nutrition during pregnancy.
Good nutrition includes a healthy diet supplemented with a prenatal multivitamin as
prescribed by your doctor. Starting now in your first trimester will help you maintain these
habits throughout your pregnancy.

What to expect at your second doctor visit
At your second doctor visit, which most often occurs sometime between the 8th and
12th weeks of pregnancy, you will possibly hear your baby's heartbeat.
This visit might be shorter than your first prenatal visit, but it will include a check on
many of the same vitals:
Weight
Blood pressure
Urine for sugar and protein
Uterus size
Height of fundus (the top of the uterus)
Your pregnancy questions or concerns
Get ready to hear your baby's heartbeat
At your second doctor visit, your doctor will use a special listening device, called
a Doppler, to project the sounds of your baby's beating heart.



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Week 10


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