Symptoms Of Pregnancy In The First Week

Pregnancy is described as the period when one or more offspring develops inside a woman. It is also called gestation. A multiple pregnancy involves more than one baby growing in the womb. Conception occurs when the egg leaves the ovary and travels to the fallopian tubes. It meets the sperm and gets fertilized. This fertilized egg then travels and implants itself into the ovary. Some believe that in the first week, the woman is not pregnant as fertilization takes place in the second week. This is speculative and not a proven theory. Also doctors start the calculation of 40 weeks from the first week after the last periods.
This gestation period lasts for 40 weeks from the last menstrual cycle, after which there is childbirth. There are a few signs which confirm a pregnancy. Some of them can be seen at the beginning of the pregnancy itself, though some may take a few weeks to show.

When a woman is not planning a pregnancy, the first week may actually pass without her realizing that she is pregnant. In fact even the next week may pass by without this realisation. In a few others, the cycle may be erratic and a delayed or a missed period may not be noticed.

Body Signs at 1 Week Pregnancy

In the first week the baby is called blastocyte. There are a few symptoms of pregnancy in the early weeks of conception. There are no immediate and obvious signs except for a missed cycle. But in many women, there are signs which make them realise that they could be pregnant and maybe should get a blood or urine test done to confirm the same. Let us detail them out.

• Fatigue: The first and most common symptom is fatigue. Women tend to feel tired and drowsy all the time. This also gives rise to irritable moods because they are not able to do their normal activities with the same energy and zest. Women, in many cases behave erratic too. It is advised that you listen to your body and rest whenever you feel tired It is good to nap even at odd hours.

There is nothing much you can do about the fatigue in the initial weeks of pregnancy, except rest. But if fatigue is accompanied by dizziness, heart palpitations or breathlessness it is better to seek medical advice.

• Tender breasts: Change is tender breasts can start as early as the first week of conception. The breasts feel tender and heavy. They are usually painful to touch. In many cases women move to a next larger size of bra.
• Constipation: This is a common occurrence in pregnancy. There is an increase in the progesterone levels which relaxes the muscles of the digestive tract, thereby slowing down digestion. All intestinal muscles also relax and this results in a woman being constipated. This is not a reason to worry unless you pass blood in your stools or have stomach pain. Then it is better to go to a doctor and seek advice. 

Pregnancy Hormones Changes At 1 Week

Hormonal changes: When a woman becomes pregnant, there are a lot of hormonal changes that occur in the body. One hormone is HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) which is what gets picked up in a blood or urine sample in a test to confirm a pregnancy. This hormone increases the blood supply to the pelvis which results in a sensitive bladder. This is the reason why pregnant women feel the need for frequent urination.
The other main hormones are estrogen and progesterone, which are also called the pregnancy hormones. There is an increase in the estrogen level which helps the uterus and placenta to transfer nutrients and support the baby. This increase in estrogen level causes nausea and morning sickness.
Progesterone helps in transforming the small pear-sized uterus to a size that can accommodate a baby. Both these hormones also bring about mood swings in a pregnant woman. Over reaction to a simple situation or the smallest act starting flow of tears is quite common.
There could be sudden feeling of joy at being pregnant at times. At other times, women feel depressed at the thought of all the effort and risk it entails. This is something which settles down as women progress into their pregnancy.
Even at two weeks of pregnancy all the above symptoms may be present. In a few women, the symptoms might be totally absent and it may take a while for them to even realize that they are pregnant. Each pregnancy is unique, so it is not possible to say these symptoms will definitely show at such and such weeks’ time. But these are the common symptoms present in the first and second week of pregnancy.