Pregnant Week 4
At the end of week 4 of pregnancy, you’re probably expecting your menstural period (or crossing your fingers it won’t come, if you were trying to conceive).
Most women don’t notice any early pregnancy symptoms quite yet, but some may already. Typically, a missed period is one of the first signs of pregnancy.
Many of the early pregnancy symptoms are very similar to those you get every month right before (or during) your period, including breast tenderness, light cramping, fatigue and mood swings.
During this week, the newly-implanted ball of cells are growing very rapidly, multiplying and grouping together. It divides into two parts, one becoming the placenta and the other becoming your baby. Different layers of cells are forming, which develop into specialized parts of your baby’s body. These three germ layers are the ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm.
The amniotic sac and the amniotic cavity will begin to form and the yolk sac has also appeared. The yolk sac will later give rise to your baby’s digestive tract. Your tiny little one is undergoing many great changes.
A home pregnancy test may show a positive at the end of this week. Many tests can provide positive results as early as 10 days after conception, but you may want to wait a few days for more accurate results.
You should be avoiding all medications (even over-the-counter and herbal ones), unless you’ve checked with your doctor or midwife about their safety during pregnancy first. Many things that are safe for you when you’re not pregnant can hurt your baby now. Some cold medications, sinus drugs and pain-relief products can cause problems for you and your developing baby.
