A Glimpse of Your Little Sweet Pea ?? Picture a tiny little face with cheeks, a chin, and a jaw. That's your baby at 6 weeks, no bigger than a sweet pea! Although pregnancy symptoms can be tough to deal with, just think of the tiny life growing inside of you. The sight of your baby's developing face can make all the discomfort disappear, even if just for a moment. Your baby's face is starting to take shape, with two little indentations that will soon become adorable dimples. And, with a beating heart of 110 beats per minute, your baby's tiny heart is working hard to keep up with the growing demands of their body. Your doctor will measure the crown to rump length to determine the exact week of your pregnancy, and your baby is now about a fifth to a quarter of an inch long. While your baby's circulatory system is developing and pumping efficiently, your own body is experiencing some changes too. Heartburn is a common symptom in pregnancy, caused by the relaxing of muscles that keep the opening between your stomach and esophagus sealed. To help manage heartburn, try eating small, frequent meals, avoiding greasy and spicy foods, wearing comfortable clothing that accommodates your growing bump, and eating a healthy and balanced diet. It's normal to have a lot of questions about your pregnancy, so don't hesitate to bring them up with your doctor. And remember, even though you're pregnant, it's not an excuse to eat twice as much as you normally would. Stay mindful of your hunger cues and choose nourishing foods that will support you and your growing baby. This time in your pregnancy is a magical journey, as you watch your little sweet pea transform into a beautiful, healthy baby. Embrace the ups and downs, and enjoy this special time with your little one. ??

Sore boobs can be — well, a pain. But if you’ve been trying to get pregnant, you may be thinking that the ache in your bra is the sign you’ve been waiting for. Could this be it? Am I pregnant?! Already gotten those two pink or blue lines on a home pregnancy test? Alas, this sore feeling could last a while. But try not to worry — most of the changes your girls are going through are totally normal. We’ll talk about this more in a minute. Wondering if you’re pregnant? Well, what’s frustrating is that sore boobs can occur for so many different reasons. Some relate to hormones that ebb and flow not just during pregnancy, but also during your regular cycle. Before you let your disappointment settle in at another inconclusive sign, though, let’s look a little closer — there are some distinguishing features that often make sore boobs a little different in pregnancy. What it feels like during pregnancy Like breasts themselves, breast pain comes in many varieties. It can happen in one or both breasts. You may feel it all over, in a specific spot, or moving outward into your armpits. The soreness can be constant, or it can come and go. During the earliest weeks of pregnancy, breast pain tends to be dull and achy. Your boobs may feel heavy and swollen. They can be super sensitive to the touch, making exercise and sex play very uncomfortable. (Pro tip: Wear a reliable sports bra and also communicate with your partner to explore other areas during this time.) If you’re a stomach sleeper, the pain can keep you up at night. For many women, the nipples are particularly sensitive in these early weeks. They can be so tender to the touch that it hurts to dry off after a shower or put on a bra (go braless with confidence!). But extreme nipple sensitivity typically passes within a few weeks. As the first trimester progresses, you may notice fullness and heaviness rather than tenderness. Some women also experience a tingling sensation in the nipples and areolas during the first trimester. Sharp breast pain — which can feel like a knife being stabbed into a specific area of one breast — isn’t common during pregnancy. While it can happen, this type of pain is less common with pregnancy. Why breast pain occurs in early pregnancy Breast pain is often the first symptom of pregnancy, occurring as early as one to two weeks after conception — technically, weeks three and four of pregnancy. That sore boob sensation peaks in the first trimester because your body is flooding with hormones. These hormones have an important job, preparing your body to grow a tiny human — a hungry little human. To feed that hunger, hormones work quickly to prepare your breasts for breastfeeding. Blood flow to the area increases and your boobs grow larger. The cleavage may be pretty great — but this growth can also be painful, even causing skin irritation and itching. Ouch! The milk ducts in your breasts also grow to prepare for breastfeeding. And hormones stimulate the growth of milk-producing glands. Basically, your boobs go through a massive growth spurt. Other breast changes in pregnancy Pain is not the only breast-related symptom you can expect during your pregnancy. During your first trimester, you may also notice blue veins pumping extra blood into your breasts and changes to the size or shape of your nipples. During your second trimester (weeks 13–26), you may notice that your areolas — the pigmented areas around your nipples — have grown darker. And they’ll continue darkening throughout the second and third trimesters , too. You may also notice tiny bumps on the areolas and wonder what is going on — but again, this is completely normal. These are called Montgomery’s tubercles. They’re oil-producing glands that lubricate the breasts during breastfeeding and make the process a little more comfortable for you and your little one! During the second and third trimesters you may also begin leaking a yellowish fluid called colostrum. This can be a little disconcerting, but don’t worry! This is the good stuff. Colostrum is an immune-boosting fluid that your baby will drink in the days following delivery, before your milk comes in. This super nutritious fluid is sometimes called “liquid gold” because it’s so good for your baby! Nipple discharge can happen anytime, but it’s particularly common during nipple stimulation. Nipple discharge can vary in color from creamy white to, yellow, green, or brown (might want to warn your partner about that one). Bloody nipple discharge can also happen during pregnancy. Usually, it is the result of growing milk ducts, but sometimes it can be a sign of a blocked duct. Although all this may sound horrifying — and potentially pretty embarrassing if it happens at the wrong time — leaked fluid and discharge actually happen in really small amounts. Concerned about discharge or a leak interrupting your day? Breast pads (inserted into your bra), designed to soak up any leaks during breastfeeding, also work like a charm during pregnancy. In the final weeks of your pregnancy, you may notice that your breasts have become even larger and heavier than before. Nipple discharge may become more frequent. And you may notice red streaks known as — you guessed it — stretch marks. You’re about to meet your little one!

5 Weeks Pregnant: You Can See A Tiny, Orange-seed Like Figure If you haven’t pee on a stick yet, do it now. When you are 5 weeks pregnant, the level of your human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG) is high enough for the stick to show positive results.  If you are curious about your child’s look, ever see an orange seed? Good, now add up a rudimentary head and a tail. Sure, they have a tail but fortunately, they would lose them a few weeks later. They wouldn’t have the right look yet, but slowly and surely, you would see them the way they will be. There’s too much to do up to this point.  Which system or organ would function first when you are 5 weeks pregnant? We have a few systems to cover and everything (circulatory, digestive, nervous, urinary system etc.) have to be made from scratch. There is no template for it. Your child is as unique as they will be. Try to guess which system would work first when you are 5 weeks pregnant?  The answer is the heart. It will be at as early as this week but unfortunately for you, it’s usually visible by the 6th or 7th week onwards. No worries though. It’s unusual for anyone to meet their doctors for an examination during the fifth week. Right about now, their heart is composed of two tiny channels. It hasn’t fused to a full functioning, 4 chambers heart yet but it sure will. It needs to go ahead and activate first so that all cells would have their share of nutrients and oxygen from the maternal circulation.  Apart from that system, their neural tube, which is the precursor of their spinal cord and brain will start to work as well, although right now, it still hasn’t sealed itself. It will be next week but not now, when you are only 5 weeks pregnant. Their placenta is still under construction One of the most important organs for your child is the placenta. Though it’s still under construction when you are 5 weeks pregnant, it’s a vital organ which allows a proper connection between the developing foetus and the uterine wall, or else, your child would be struggling in search of adequate nutrients and oxygen. Regardless, the connection between a foetus and the uterine wall is an important factor which determines your state of health for the rest of the pregnancy. Those who failed at this physiological necessity would develop a condition called preeclampsia. How does your child look in an ultrasound scan? If you look at the ultrasound screen, you will see a tadpole. No kidding. That’s creepy right but as most people, especially those who are not at a high risk of complicated pregnancy, get dated at 8th to 9th weeks of pregnancy, few people actually have seen those tadpoles.  You have to understand when you are 5 weeks pregnant, every single thing is in their early phase. The rudimentary tail which you have been freaked about is an important component of sperms to mobilise through your reproductive system, in search for the ovum. Without that vital part, you wouldn’t have a shot at pregnancy. Wait for your turn patiently. When you know you are 5 weeks pregnant, everything seems like a dream. It’s a few weeks more before you will be asked to pee in the cup or they will take some blood to make sure you and your baby are doing fine. Try to start a pregnancy journal, plan a new diet or discuss financial planning with your partner to ease up your anxiousness. 

4 Weeks Pregnant: Small, Like A Poppy Seed You’re 4 weeks pregnant. Incredible! However, your baby now is practically still microscopic. Their size can be as big as the size of a poppy seed but no more. It’s called the blastocyst and currently, it has completed its long and arduous journey from the fallopian tube into the heart of your uterus.  Occasionally, you would have slight bleeding (spotting) but that just means your baby is trying hard enough to get through you to live. He is a fighter. Better make a super strong connection now that would be at least unbreakable for the next 36 weeks or so. Three layers of embryo, the tale of a 4 weeks pregnant Instead of just being a clump of cells, when you are 4 weeks pregnant, your embryo already has three distinct layers. The outermost layer (ectoderm) would form the nervous system, outer layer of skin, hair and eyes. By this moment, your baby’s neural tube which is the building block for the formation of the brain, spine and backbone has already been formed.  It seems healthy but  I hope you are still taking your folic acid frequently though. I mean, it's easy, right? Don’t chug the whole bottle though. The second layer or the middle is the mesoderm. Soon, this layer would develop into a variety of important organs that your baby can’t live without.  Sex organs, bones, heart, muscles and kidneys; all of these came from the mesoderm of your embryo. Better hope it would develop properly then. How about the inner layer? It's called the endoderm. This particular layer would form your baby’s liver, digestive system and sure, the lungs. It's vital for them right after their birth. Yeah, not now. Soon. 40 weeks but you can expect 38 to be exact There is a slightly confusing part when it comes to count your expected date of delivery (EDD). Practically, it can be calculated quite easily. Your EDD should be 40 weeks after your first day of your last period. However, what you should know is that figure is just an estimation. The actual moment when your baby clocked in can be very difficult to be determined. That’s because their clock starts about two weeks before conception. We have been using the date of women’s last period to count when the development actually started about two weeks later from the date given. It doesn’t matter which counting technique you use but it will be convenient to stick to the usual last menstrual period method. You are currently 4 weeks pregnant which means you would have another 36 weeks to reach full term. As this is an estimation, we can expect you to deliver in between 37 to 40 weeks. Some might stretch even further and deliver at the 41 or 42 weeks of pregnancy. A tiny dot, that’s what you can get so far If you are eager to do an ultrasound scan, just so you know, the thing that you can see on that machine up to this point (4 weeks pregnant), is just a tiny dot which we called the gestational sac. However, it's unlikely for you to have the first ultrasound scan as early as the first month. Usually, when you call your doctor to set up an appointment for prenatal screening, they would see you in a month's time.  So the earliest scan you would have could be done as early as 6 to 8 weeks of gestation. There is no need to see a doctor early if you are healthy as a horse when you are 4 weeks pregnant. Just remember to eat well, avoid drinking alcohol and smoking, enjoy your bits of freedom and stay hydrated. It’s certainly a big day for you but you better get some rest. We will see you next week.

3 Weeks Pregnant: Peek A Little, Do You See Anything Yet? Fertilization has succeeded for now. From that one cell, it will divide itself into two, then 4, then 8. You know what, how about 16? No, not enough, 32 then.  Would this ever stop? Yes, at 100 cells which we called the blastocyst. It’s a ball and it’s still microscopic. When you are 3 weeks pregnant, this cell would be the highlight of your show. One part of it would develop into a placenta while the other would form an embryo. Yes, when you are 3 weeks pregnant, its size is even smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. No kidding.  How do I know my baby’s gender when I’m only 3 weeks pregnant? After sperm and ovum have met at a specific point in your fallopian tube, they figure it's time to find a good place to settle down. Yes, let's move ourselves to the uterus. It has a great spot where they can plant themselves. The trip would take between 5 to 6 days but there’s no hurry. You wouldn’t feel anything when you are just 3 weeks pregnant. Onto the next question. So, is it a boy or a girl? Which one? Well, the good news is the gender of your future baby has been predetermined based on the genetic information contained in the sperm that fertilized your egg. If you are familiar with biology, then you would know sperm and ovum carry 23 chromosomes each. When they combine, you would get a normal 46 chromosomes, including one pair that would determine your child’s gender. Yup, even if you are only 3 weeks pregnant, your baby’s gender has been determined. Your husband’s sperm would carry either X or Y chromosome, while you (the ovum) are always X. If the combination is XX, then you’ve conceived a girl. If it’s XY, then you will conceive a boy. Now, for the bad news, you wouldn’t know your future baby’s gender, not until your little one is big enough. Right now, it’s unbelievably microscopic to be seen by ultrasound. Trust me, even after they have grown large enough, sometimes, it can be difficult to know. The physiological synchrony to support the growing foetus So what happens now? Just so you know, when it comes to your egg’s old place in the ovary, it has been replaced. That’s right, its previous follicle got a new tenant. A much obedient one who would like to stay for the next few months or so. Her name is corpus luteum. So many things happen when you are just 3 weeks pregnant. For now, the corpus luteum is kind enough to provide support to the growing baby. It supplies progesterone and oestrogen while waiting for the placenta to grow. After your blastocyst propels itself into the uterus, the part which is going to develop into a placenta would start to release a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), telling the ovaries to stop releasing eggs. Hold them off for now. It will also trigger the production of progesterone and oestrogen that would keep your uterine lining from shedding off which means, there will be no period, for the next few months or so. You will be filled with hormones but for now, your body is not used to it yet. That’s when you’re gonna get morning sickness and other pregnancy-related symptoms.  Maybe you wouldn’t get it when you are 3 weeks pregnant but you will definitely do. At this point, if you were expecting, then you would suspect it right away but if you weren’t expecting, you would typically think of food poisoning first. Nevertheless, you would know by the next one to three weeks or so. Yes, you would.

It’s impossible for you to realize that you were 1 week pregnant.  For women who knew they were pregnant, the earliest is 4 weeks and most of them knew when they were 6 weeks pregnant. Nothing can be seen when you are 1 week pregnant Fertilization can sometimes be hindered by fertility issues but no worries, 1 to 2 weeks is way too early for anyone to know if they were pregnant. No one in this world knows they were 1 week pregnant. Sometimes, people tend to exaggerate their claims, however, 1 week pregnant usually means the first week they were diagnosed with pregnancy. That can be in between 4-6 weeks gestational age. Happy news for your uterus Your uterus has got the news that fertilization has successfully occurred and now it prepares itself for implantation. Knowing the fact that you are 1 week pregnant, your uterus welcomes the resulting product of fertilisation with an open arm. It’s certainly a difficult task to pinpoint the exact date, let alone the exact time down to the second of which your egg has been fertilized by a sperm.  You might be having sex yesterday but the fertilization can happen anytime up to five days post sexual intercourse.  Yes, you heard it right. Sometimes, ovulation has not yet occurred by the time you were having sex but any moment now, you would ovulate and the egg would be fertilized by one of the available sperms. You are still 1 week pregnant though. Finger crossed. The wonders of pregnancy before you are 1 week pregnant If you want to know why pregnancy is considered a beautiful biological event, it’s because it involved a symphony of hormones raging through the uterine stage, working in concert with each other. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are two hormones which work directly on the developing ovum. On the other hand, oestrogen will stimulate the lining of your uterus to grow thick for implantation if fertilization will ever take place soon.  Yes, that’s right, even before you are 1 week pregnant, your uterus has already prepared a place for your resulting embryo. It will shift itself into a state which we simply want it to be called as the “waiting period for uterus”. If fertilisation happens, then it will be happy to house that embryo. If not, then, they will simply pack up and bleed. Ridiculously difficult to estimate Once they (oestrogen) were high enough, the level of LH will spike. This causes the egg to burst through the wall of the ovary searching for her one true love. You know what, your delivery clock starts right about now. Yes, even before your husband’s sperm fertilized your egg, the time has started. You are considered 1 week pregnant even before fertilisation. That’s why it is ridiculously difficult or dare I say, impossible to predict its exact time of occurrences. Keep on munching those multivitamins, stop smoking, reduce your caffeine intake, stop drinking alcohol and try as best as you can to eat a healthy balanced diet. Snuggle with your partner and let him know that, whatever happens, you are prepared to face anything for the sake of your future baby. The science of pregnancy is something that is still being studied up until now. If you have problems conceiving even after trying for  more than 1 year, don’t be afraid and don’t worry about it too much. Just consult your doctor and raise your concern. To those whose fertilisation are unknowingly successful, congratulations. You are currently 1 week pregnant.  Nothing much to see though. Come again next week.