Prenatal Development: Week 4

So it's now two weeks after conception, which means that you have officially been pregnant for two, not 4, weeks. Right now, your baby is an embryo that moves down into the fallopian tubes and then into the uterus. There it will find a suitable spot to attach itself to the uterin wall. Once settled in, the embryo will start to split into two groups. One group will form the placenta and the other will develop into your baby.

Pregnancy Tip   Taking a prenatal vitamin is always recommended to help keep you and your baby healthy. Biotegrity's Stage 1 provide you with exactly the right nutrients you need during your first trimester, like extra folic acid.

The Embryo's The Size of a Pinhead!
At this early stage of your pregnancy, the embryo is the size of a pin head, roughly 0.0006 inches. The embryo consists of three different layers. The inner layer, known as the endoderm, will develop into your baby's lungs, liver, and digestive system. The middle layer, called the mesoderm, will eventually be your baby's bones, muscles, kidneys, sex organs, and heart.

Finally, the ectoderm, or outer layer, will make up your baby's tissues and organs such as the skin, hair, eyes, and nervous system. Should the embryo fail to find a secure place to implant itself, the fertilized egg will pass out with your next period, which you would have been expecting at the end of this week.

In many cases, this may happen without you even knowing that you were pregnant. Otherwise, where implantation has taken place, and for some reason it has come loose from the uterus wall, you may experience a heavy period. This can sometimes last up to 10 days and is a miscarriage in the most basic form.

What Not to Eat
There are numerous foods that you should avoid when you are pregnant. Try to avoid eating soft cheeses, pate and smoked or raw seafood. This is because many of these carry listeria, which is a bacteria that can cause fetal damage or lead to a miscarriage.

Time to Take A Pregnancy Test
A maternal blood or a urine test this week would show a positive result because the embryo is secreting human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), the pregnancy hormone. Home pregnancy tests, which test for hCG in the urine, may show a positive result but are not as accurate as blood tests this early in pregnancy.

Early Signs of Pregnancy
Due to these new hormones, you may start to feel the first few pregnancy symptoms, which are similar to those that you would normally be feeling when expecting your period. These include tender or swollen breasts, cramping, mood swings and fatigue.

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