What’s going on?
You might start experiencing some pregnancy symptoms this week (i.e. breast tenderness and heightened sensitivity to certain smells), but it’s still early days for both you and baby-to-be. At this point, your baby’s development in utero is starting to take shape.
Baby at Week 4
Your baby (now called an embryo) is barely 3mm long and is not much bigger than a poppy seed. But don’t let his/her size fool you just yet – there’s plenty going on as he/she splits into three sections.
In one section, the brain and central nervous system are starting to develop in tandem with the neural tubes. In the remaining two sections, some early stage developments include the heart and circulatory system, as well as the lungs and intestines.
Phew… it’s funny how all these are happening all at once without giving you a clue.
What is mum up to?
Your baby will continue to implant in your uterus, and buries deep within the endometrium. Once implantation is completed, your baby starts producing the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone, which helps to keep the lining of your uterus nice and thick. It also signals to the ovary to stop releasing an egg each month (meaning no monthly periods).
Once you get a double line (or smiley face) on your pregnancy test, do schedule a visit to your gynaecologist as soon as possible. On your first appointment, your doctor will confirm your pregnancy through an ultrasound and you will be asked questions about your health, nutrition and well-being, as well as any family medical history. You will also be briefed on what to expect for subsequent prenatal visits and the tests that you need to take.
Top tips for Week 4
Once you find out that you are pregnant, you will need to make some changes to your health and lifestyle.
These include:
- Quit drinking and smoking (if you have not done so)
- Start taking a prenatal vitamin which contains at least 400 mcg folic acid
- Keep your exercise regimen low impact – the last thing you want is to put extra stress on your body
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