First Month Of Pregnancy Symptoms Stages Baby Development

Click here to view an enlarged version of this infographic The first month is an exciting and sensitive time of your pregnancy. You may be excited for the journey that lies ahead, but you also need to take extra care of yourself. And for this, you need to know the first month of pregnancy symptoms. You may have many questions that you want answers to. Fret not, for we’ve got you covered. Read on to know about the changes that you can expect during the first month and the sign of the fetus’s development.

What Might Be The Early Stages Of Pregnancy?

Only a few women can realize that they are pregnant a few days after conception. You are likely to experience some mild symptoms such as tender breasts, sickness, and fatigue in the beginning stages of pregnancy. And the first prominent sign of pregnancy is a missed period (1). If you are observant, you can recognize the other signals that your pregnant body gives to convey the message to you.

Pregnancy Symptoms In The First Month

The pregnancy symptoms in the first month are similar to those of pre-menstruation. Therefore, they are confusing. These hugely happen due to the pregnancy hormones released in your body at the time of implantation (i.e., when the embryo implants in the uterus). Here are the possible symptoms you may experience in the first month of pregnancy.

1. Monthly period stops:

Getting pregnant will affect your body and the first major change in your routine is a missed period. You will miss your period because the body starts producing progesterone hormone after conceiving.

2. Spotting:

You may notice slight bleeding and cramping due to the implantation when a fertilized egg implants itself in the uterus. This happens about a week after conception. Sometimes the spotting is painless, and you can only observe it while wiping your genitals (2).

3. Mood swings:

You will experience rapid changes in your mood in the early stages of pregnancy. You may begin to cry or feel anxious for no particular reason. You will be affectionate, and the next moment you turn out to be snappy with your dear ones. This is because of the changing hormones in your body (3).

4. Soreness of breasts:

Your breasts are sore and painful. The nipples are darker, and there are small bumps on the areola. There will be visible veins on your breasts. These symptoms are similar to those you have during the pre-menstrual time.

5. Fatigue:

Your energy levels drop, and you feel tired as your body is working hard to develop your baby. Therefore, you will develop fatigue and sleeplessness.

6. Frequent urination:

Increasing progesterone levels improve the blood flow to the uterus and cause thickening of the uterine lining. This is to protect and help in the baby’s growth and development. In this process, your kidneys increase in size and work overtime to handle the increasing body fluids. This leads to a feeling of fullness and increases your urge to urinate.

7. Morning sickness:

It is associated with nausea and vomiting, which you will experience as early as three weeks of pregnancy due to the rising levels of beta hCG. Though called morning sickness, it can happen at any time of the day or night. However, some pregnant women may not experience this issue.

8. Food cravings/aversions:

Most women experience food cravings and aversions. The foods you have loved once may turn out to be repulsive, and those which you never liked may be your favorites.

9. Heartburn:

Hormonal and physical alterations in your body system during pregnancy cause symptoms like heartburn and acid reflux that are temporary. You will again experience these symptoms in the third trimester when the growing baby pushes the stomach and the intestines.

10. Constipation:

The progesterone hormone has muscle relaxing properties that would slow down things too much. The food, therefore, passes slowly through the intestine and leads to constipation.

11. Dizziness:

Another side effect of progesterone hormone is it makes you feel dizzy, which relaxes your blood vessels, causing low blood pressure.

12. Strong sense of smell:

It is another common sign of pregnancy again due to the hormones. You may begin hating the smell of certain food, drink, or toiletries.

13. Increased appetite:

Pregnant hunger pangs are common. Don’t be surprised if you feel hungry all the time.

14. Backache:

Back pain in the lumbar region could be severe because the progesterone hormone loosens the ligaments covering the pelvis.

15. Headaches:

You will suffer from frequent headaches during early pregnancy. Stress, hormones and increased blood volume could be the factors responsible for a headache in the first trimester.

16. Thrush:

This is a yeast infection caused by pregnancy hormones, which alter the natural balance of bacteria in the vaginal region (4). In the first month, the symptoms are subtle. If you are eager to know about your pregnancy, then combine these symptoms with the changes happening in your body.

Body Changes In The First Month Of Pregnancy

You may not notice any significant change in the size and shape of your body during the first month of gestation. A few body changes you may experience are:

You feel bloated, and your waistband may feel tight.

Your breasts increase in size as they start preparing for lactation.

The areolas surrounding the nipple become large and darkened.

You will experience spotting (not in all the cases) for one week to ten days after ovulation (i.e., when embryo implants in the uterus).

Increased vaginal secretions.

Extreme tiredness and you feel like running down.

Dizziness that worsens.

Have you been experiencing some of the above-mentioned symptoms and body changes? Then you must be pregnant and would want to know at what stage of development your baby is in the womb.

Your Baby’s Development In The First Month

It begins with the conception and then formation up to the fourth week of pregnancy . Although you are not pregnant until conception (i.e., the first two weeks), it is still calculated from the first day of LMP. So, the first month is weeks one to four (5).

Your Visit To The Doctor / Diagnosis of Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be the most confusing time especially if you are pregnant for the first time. You can confirm it through a home test by buying the kit from a drug store. If you are still confused, or the results seem to be negative, pay a visit to your OB/GYN for confirmation. This is to make sure the symptoms you are experiencing are not false alarms. Here is what happens at a doctor’s clinic:

1. History and physical examination:

Your doctor will seek information regarding your last menstrual period, flow, duration, and frequency.

Make sure to give all the correct details. If you have been using any contraceptives, tell your doctor.

The doctor will do a physical test to find out if you had tubal manipulation and tubal disease, tubal ligation, inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy in the past.

Physical tests reveal whether the woman used intrauterine devices for contraception and underwent fertility therapies. Chemical assays and ultrasonography help to detect pregnancy even before the symptoms like nausea begin showing.

2. Laboratory evaluation:

Some hormones are measured to diagnose the pregnancy.

A urine sample is often used to check the human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) hormone, which is a key determinant of your pregnancy. If the tests results are not satisfactory, blood samples are taken for detecting the hormone.

The levels of hCG also determine whether you have an ectopic pregnancy. If the hCG levels are low or slowly increasing, it detects an abnormal pregnancy such as ectopic pregnancy or abortion (6).

If the hCG levels are high, you are likely to have a molar pregnancy, chromosome abnormality, and multiple gestations.

Measuring serum progesterone is important to detect the risk of any early abnormal pregnancy (7).

A dipstick ELISA is effective in determining the level of progesterone.

3. Ultrasonography:

The transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) has made pregnancy detection easy and efficient. It is the best method to detect intrauterine pregnancy (8). The vaginal probes are more effective than abdominal probes in the first trimester, since the frequency is higher and the resolution of the image is better.

The First Month Early Pregnancy Care/ The To-do List

Once your pregnancy is confirmed, take care of yourself, arrange for a caregiver and plan for a baby budget. Note down the first day of your last period; this will help your caregiver to calculate the expected due date. You should make a list of queries related to your condition. You should also inform the caregiver about your family’s medical history, for her to make a note of the chronic conditions and genetic abnormalities, if any, that are running in your family. A patient and friendly caregiver or midwife is an asset. Make a pregnancy bulletin board and stick all the do’s and don’ts so that you don’t skip any of them. You can maintain a diary with all the developments, both physical and psychological changes taking place. It can be a memory after your child is born and you will smile at those difficult moments too! After all, pregnancy brings some happiness along with pain; it creates some cherished memories. Keeping a diary is also methodical because your caregiver will understand your problems and gives effective treatment.

Precautions During First Month Of Pregnancy – What To Do And What Not To Do

It is time to focus on your lifestyle as the first month is a sensitive period in the life of the baby.

What to do in your early pregnancy?

It is not enough if you are following the above practices. You need to undo certain habits, too.

What not to do in your early pregnancy?

Now that we’ve sorted out the dos, it’s time to focus on the don’ts of the first-month pregnancy care.

Some other precautions and concerns:

Use gloves while gardening, especially if you are dealing with soil

Avoid contact with cat’s poo as it contains parasites

Avoid exposure to pesticides and chemicals

Monitor your blood sugar levels continuously and follow a proper diet plan along with exercises

Reduce your exposure to video display terminals

Avoid sex for at least the first two months of pregnancy, and follow safe measures if you want to have intercourse.

Pregnancy is the responsibility of both you and your partner. Therefore, the dad-to-be also needs to get ready for his new role.

Tips For Dads-To-Be

Men don’t always react to pregnancy the way women do. A majority of them are overwhelmed while the others are afraid of losing their partner’s affection. It takes time for the news to sink in. If you are going through one of these emotions right now, relax, because this is normal. But do not be too vocal about your fears, for you have no idea about what your partner is thinking. Behind the calm and composed exterior, there could be a mom who’s petrified about the impending pregnancy. Here are some things to do this month:

1. Get the paperwork done:

How does the health insurance work? Whose plan gets the best coverage? What happens when your wife decides to quit her job? Check everything to avoid any financial confusion.

2. Read about pregnancy:

Unlike the men of yore, you can’t leave the entire pregnancy burden on your partner. Read up on the physiological and psychological changes a woman undergoes when pregnant. Get to know how your baby progresses over the weeks. And if your wife is susceptible to a medical condition, speak to the doctor to know how you can help her. Your partner is the best person to tell you how you could get involved.

3. Have patience when dealing with her idiosyncrasies:

Pregnant women are known to have weird food cravings, be it cigarette ash or salty food. Hormonal changes and nutrition deficiency make them come up with such bizarre food choices. She may sometimes wake up in the middle of the night because she is hungry or could not eat the entire day due to nausea. Indulge her by stocking up things she loves.

References:

title: “First Month Of Pregnancy Symptoms Stages Baby Development” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-18” author: “Jesse Mays”

Click here to view an enlarged version of this infographic The first month is an exciting and sensitive time of your pregnancy. You may be excited for the journey that lies ahead, but you also need to take extra care of yourself. And for this, you need to know the first month of pregnancy symptoms. You may have many questions that you want answers to. Fret not, for we’ve got you covered. Read on to know about the changes that you can expect during the first month and the sign of the fetus’s development.

What Might Be The Early Stages Of Pregnancy?

Only a few women can realize that they are pregnant a few days after conception. You are likely to experience some mild symptoms such as tender breasts, sickness, and fatigue in the beginning stages of pregnancy. And the first prominent sign of pregnancy is a missed period (1). If you are observant, you can recognize the other signals that your pregnant body gives to convey the message to you.

Pregnancy Symptoms In The First Month

The pregnancy symptoms in the first month are similar to those of pre-menstruation. Therefore, they are confusing. These hugely happen due to the pregnancy hormones released in your body at the time of implantation (i.e., when the embryo implants in the uterus). Here are the possible symptoms you may experience in the first month of pregnancy.

1. Monthly period stops:

Getting pregnant will affect your body and the first major change in your routine is a missed period. You will miss your period because the body starts producing progesterone hormone after conceiving.

2. Spotting:

You may notice slight bleeding and cramping due to the implantation when a fertilized egg implants itself in the uterus. This happens about a week after conception. Sometimes the spotting is painless, and you can only observe it while wiping your genitals (2).

3. Mood swings:

You will experience rapid changes in your mood in the early stages of pregnancy. You may begin to cry or feel anxious for no particular reason. You will be affectionate, and the next moment you turn out to be snappy with your dear ones. This is because of the changing hormones in your body (3).

4. Soreness of breasts:

Your breasts are sore and painful. The nipples are darker, and there are small bumps on the areola. There will be visible veins on your breasts. These symptoms are similar to those you have during the pre-menstrual time.

5. Fatigue:

Your energy levels drop, and you feel tired as your body is working hard to develop your baby. Therefore, you will develop fatigue and sleeplessness.

6. Frequent urination:

Increasing progesterone levels improve the blood flow to the uterus and cause thickening of the uterine lining. This is to protect and help in the baby’s growth and development. In this process, your kidneys increase in size and work overtime to handle the increasing body fluids. This leads to a feeling of fullness and increases your urge to urinate.

7. Morning sickness:

It is associated with nausea and vomiting, which you will experience as early as three weeks of pregnancy due to the rising levels of beta hCG. Though called morning sickness, it can happen at any time of the day or night. However, some pregnant women may not experience this issue.

8. Food cravings/aversions:

Most women experience food cravings and aversions. The foods you have loved once may turn out to be repulsive, and those which you never liked may be your favorites.

9. Heartburn:

Hormonal and physical alterations in your body system during pregnancy cause symptoms like heartburn and acid reflux that are temporary. You will again experience these symptoms in the third trimester when the growing baby pushes the stomach and the intestines.

10. Constipation:

The progesterone hormone has muscle relaxing properties that would slow down things too much. The food, therefore, passes slowly through the intestine and leads to constipation.

11. Dizziness:

Another side effect of progesterone hormone is it makes you feel dizzy, which relaxes your blood vessels, causing low blood pressure.

12. Strong sense of smell:

It is another common sign of pregnancy again due to the hormones. You may begin hating the smell of certain food, drink, or toiletries.

13. Increased appetite:

Pregnant hunger pangs are common. Don’t be surprised if you feel hungry all the time.

14. Backache:

Back pain in the lumbar region could be severe because the progesterone hormone loosens the ligaments covering the pelvis.

15. Headaches:

You will suffer from frequent headaches during early pregnancy. Stress, hormones and increased blood volume could be the factors responsible for a headache in the first trimester.

16. Thrush:

This is a yeast infection caused by pregnancy hormones, which alter the natural balance of bacteria in the vaginal region (4). In the first month, the symptoms are subtle. If you are eager to know about your pregnancy, then combine these symptoms with the changes happening in your body.

Body Changes In The First Month Of Pregnancy

You may not notice any significant change in the size and shape of your body during the first month of gestation. A few body changes you may experience are:

You feel bloated, and your waistband may feel tight.

Your breasts increase in size as they start preparing for lactation.

The areolas surrounding the nipple become large and darkened.

You will experience spotting (not in all the cases) for one week to ten days after ovulation (i.e., when embryo implants in the uterus).

Increased vaginal secretions.

Extreme tiredness and you feel like running down.

Dizziness that worsens.

Have you been experiencing some of the above-mentioned symptoms and body changes? Then you must be pregnant and would want to know at what stage of development your baby is in the womb.

Your Baby’s Development In The First Month

It begins with the conception and then formation up to the fourth week of pregnancy . Although you are not pregnant until conception (i.e., the first two weeks), it is still calculated from the first day of LMP. So, the first month is weeks one to four (5).

Your Visit To The Doctor / Diagnosis of Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be the most confusing time especially if you are pregnant for the first time. You can confirm it through a home test by buying the kit from a drug store. If you are still confused, or the results seem to be negative, pay a visit to your OB/GYN for confirmation. This is to make sure the symptoms you are experiencing are not false alarms. Here is what happens at a doctor’s clinic:

1. History and physical examination:

Your doctor will seek information regarding your last menstrual period, flow, duration, and frequency.

Make sure to give all the correct details. If you have been using any contraceptives, tell your doctor.

The doctor will do a physical test to find out if you had tubal manipulation and tubal disease, tubal ligation, inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy in the past.

Physical tests reveal whether the woman used intrauterine devices for contraception and underwent fertility therapies. Chemical assays and ultrasonography help to detect pregnancy even before the symptoms like nausea begin showing.

2. Laboratory evaluation:

Some hormones are measured to diagnose the pregnancy.

A urine sample is often used to check the human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) hormone, which is a key determinant of your pregnancy. If the tests results are not satisfactory, blood samples are taken for detecting the hormone.

The levels of hCG also determine whether you have an ectopic pregnancy. If the hCG levels are low or slowly increasing, it detects an abnormal pregnancy such as ectopic pregnancy or abortion (6).

If the hCG levels are high, you are likely to have a molar pregnancy, chromosome abnormality, and multiple gestations.

Measuring serum progesterone is important to detect the risk of any early abnormal pregnancy (7).

A dipstick ELISA is effective in determining the level of progesterone.

3. Ultrasonography:

The transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) has made pregnancy detection easy and efficient. It is the best method to detect intrauterine pregnancy (8). The vaginal probes are more effective than abdominal probes in the first trimester, since the frequency is higher and the resolution of the image is better.

The First Month Early Pregnancy Care/ The To-do List

Once your pregnancy is confirmed, take care of yourself, arrange for a caregiver and plan for a baby budget. Note down the first day of your last period; this will help your caregiver to calculate the expected due date. You should make a list of queries related to your condition. You should also inform the caregiver about your family’s medical history, for her to make a note of the chronic conditions and genetic abnormalities, if any, that are running in your family. A patient and friendly caregiver or midwife is an asset. Make a pregnancy bulletin board and stick all the do’s and don’ts so that you don’t skip any of them. You can maintain a diary with all the developments, both physical and psychological changes taking place. It can be a memory after your child is born and you will smile at those difficult moments too! After all, pregnancy brings some happiness along with pain; it creates some cherished memories. Keeping a diary is also methodical because your caregiver will understand your problems and gives effective treatment.

Precautions During First Month Of Pregnancy – What To Do And What Not To Do

It is time to focus on your lifestyle as the first month is a sensitive period in the life of the baby.

What to do in your early pregnancy?

It is not enough if you are following the above practices. You need to undo certain habits, too.

What not to do in your early pregnancy?

Now that we’ve sorted out the dos, it’s time to focus on the don’ts of the first-month pregnancy care.

Some other precautions and concerns:

Use gloves while gardening, especially if you are dealing with soil

Avoid contact with cat’s poo as it contains parasites

Avoid exposure to pesticides and chemicals

Monitor your blood sugar levels continuously and follow a proper diet plan along with exercises

Reduce your exposure to video display terminals

Avoid sex for at least the first two months of pregnancy, and follow safe measures if you want to have intercourse.

Pregnancy is the responsibility of both you and your partner. Therefore, the dad-to-be also needs to get ready for his new role.

Tips For Dads-To-Be

Men don’t always react to pregnancy the way women do. A majority of them are overwhelmed while the others are afraid of losing their partner’s affection. It takes time for the news to sink in. If you are going through one of these emotions right now, relax, because this is normal. But do not be too vocal about your fears, for you have no idea about what your partner is thinking. Behind the calm and composed exterior, there could be a mom who’s petrified about the impending pregnancy. Here are some things to do this month:

1. Get the paperwork done:

How does the health insurance work? Whose plan gets the best coverage? What happens when your wife decides to quit her job? Check everything to avoid any financial confusion.

2. Read about pregnancy:

Unlike the men of yore, you can’t leave the entire pregnancy burden on your partner. Read up on the physiological and psychological changes a woman undergoes when pregnant. Get to know how your baby progresses over the weeks. And if your wife is susceptible to a medical condition, speak to the doctor to know how you can help her. Your partner is the best person to tell you how you could get involved.

3. Have patience when dealing with her idiosyncrasies:

Pregnant women are known to have weird food cravings, be it cigarette ash or salty food. Hormonal changes and nutrition deficiency make them come up with such bizarre food choices. She may sometimes wake up in the middle of the night because she is hungry or could not eat the entire day due to nausea. Indulge her by stocking up things she loves.

References: