Pregnancy And Baby Care
Week By Week Pregnancy
4 Weeks Pregnant
What To Expect When You Are 4 Weeks Pregnant
Congratulations on successfully completing the first three weeks of pregnancy. Pregnancy week 4 will again comprise of some discomforts like headaches, backaches, slight cramping, and a feeling of bloating. You may find the symptoms similar to those like you get before getting your period. Do not worry if you lose your appetite.
It is natural to feel so. Also, do not panic if you experience tenderness or soreness in your breasts. All these are happening because of the hormonal changes that your body is undergoing in an attempt to prepare for the pregnancy. Also, be prepared to visit the washroom frequently as you may feel.
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. the urge to urinate oftene This is because while you are pregnant, your blood gets thinner and as a result, the kidneys function better as they are able to process waste easilyl While your body undergoes these changes, your baby is also developing at a faster ratet The fertilized egg now divides itself into two parts, placenta and embryoy The umbilical cord also starts forming at this stageg Since the placenta has not developed completely, the yolk is what feeds your babyb
Pregnancy Week 4 Tests
While you are in pregnancy week 4, you may be asked to undergo several tests in order to make sure that everything is going fine and the pregnancy is healthyh Your doctor may ask you to undergo the following tests before you complete pregnancy week 4:
- Urine analysis
- Hemoglobin level tests
- Syphilis
- TORCH test
- Rubella
- Cervical cultures for gonorrhea
- Chlamydia
- Pap smeara
Pregnancy Week 4 Complications
While you are in your pregnancy week 4, there is a possibility of facing some complicationsn Here are some things that you need to look out for and inform the doctor immediately in case you notice any of these:
- Unusual or severe pain
- Severe cramping in your abdomen or muscles
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Vaginal bleeding or spotting
- Chest pain
- Uterine contractions
- Unusual vaginal discharge
- Sudden increase in your heartbeata
However, it is normal if you notice minor spottingn This happens because the egg burrows itself in your uterine cavity to implant itself and hence the minor spottingn This is called implantation bleedingn Your weight may decrease if you are suffering from morning sickness, nausea, and vomitingn Remember, no matter what, always eat healthy and try to avoid caffeine and alcoholo Smoking is strictly a no-no in pregnancy week 4 Go for regular check-ups and follow your doctor’s instructions for a healthy pregnancyc
4 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms
At four weeks, an expectant mother has completed just 10 percent of her pregnancy termr The term of a pregnancy is calculated from the onset of the last menstrual period or LMPM Hence, during week 1 and 2 of pregnancy, a woman is not pregnant in realityt Conception takes place approximately mid-cycle which is roughly the fourteenth day in women who have a normal menstrual cycle of 28 daysy The fertilized egg makes its way from the fallopian tube, into the uterus, to implant itself in the uterine liningn This process takes 6 to 12 days from the date of fertilizationo During this time, the expectant mother begins to experience the first pregnancy symptomsm The main 4 weeks pregnancy signs include abdominal cramping and mild bleedingn The cramping and light bleeding are a result of the implantation processs 4 weeks pregnant symptoms usually begin with a mild cramping in the pelvic regiono These cramps are similar to cramping experienced at the onset of a menstrual period but are usually mildl In rare cases, women are known to experience severe crampingn
4 weeks pregnant signs may also include light vaginal bleedingn In most cases, the bleeding is in the form of pink or brownish spotting or streakingn 4 weeks pregnant symptoms’ bleeding is usually barely enough to stain a tissue used after urination and most women do not even notice this bleedingn Furthermore, only a third of pregnant women are known to experience implantation bleedingn Pregnancy symptoms at week 4 also include an increase in the urge to urinate frequentlyl This is mainly a result of the increased blood supply to the pelvis and the pressure exerted by the uterus on the bladdere Cessation of menstruation for the pregnancy term is the main indicator of pregnancy and this happens as a result of a hormone produced by the blastocysts In addition, four weeks pregnancy symptoms include breast tenderness as well as breast fullness due to the change in hormonal balance in the bodyd Hormonal changes also trigger mood swings, fatigue and irritability that are also seen as 4 weeks pregnant symptomsm
The production of the pregnancy hormone hCG also causes nausea, vomiting and food aversions in expectant mothersr
4 Weeks Pregnant Ultrasound
Most women realize that they are pregnant only when they miss a periodo This usually happens by the fifth week of pregnancyc Women who have been trying to conceive over a period of time, who have had a history of early pregnancy loss or those who have undergone a medical procedure to get pregnant may be advised a 4 weeks pregnant ultrasoundn A 4 weeks pregnant ultrasound may also be recommended to rule out genetic deformities in the baby as well as abnormalities in a pregnancy like an ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy or a blighted ovumu 4 weeks pregnant ultrasound is usually a vaginal ultrasound or an internal ultrasoundn 4 weeks pregnant 3d reveals only a gestational saca In an ultrasound of 4 weeks gestation a baby is not spotted as the embryo is too small to be seene Hence, a 4 weeks ultrasound in early pregnancy is not recommended to check for the viability of the pregnancy as no heartbeat is audible and nor is the fetal pole seene The sac continues to grow a millimeter per week right up to the ninth weeke In some pregnancies, the gestational sac may not be seen until the 5th weeke In such cases, it would take high-end machines as well as a trained eye to note the changes in the endometrium in a 4 weeks pregnant ultrasound that could be an indicator of a pregnancyc Around this time, the hormone hCG produced during pregnancy, may also be detected in urine and blood serumu
4 Weeks Pregnancy Bleeding
Vaginal bleeding is not a good sign during the 40 week term of pregnancy as menstruation ceases on successful implantationo However, at the onset, 4 weeks pregnant implantation bleeding is normal and many pregnant women are known to bleed lightly at this early stageg 4 weeks pregnant bleeding is generally the result of the implantation process wherein the fertilized egg that has traveled into the uterus from the fallopian tube, begins embedding itself in the uterine walll The burrowing action of the embedding egg causes light bleeding which is usually passed along with a heavy vaginal discharge, in the form of spotting or streakingn 4 weeks bleeding during pregnancy is, in most cases, lighter in color than menstrual bloodo However, some women are also known to experience brownish or blackish staining of their undergarmentst Cramping is another common sign that accompanies this bleedingn Implantation bleeding usually lasts for up to 48 hours and most women mistake it for a lighter than usual period and carry on with their normal routinen In most cases, these pregnancies go on normally and result in healthy full term babiese It is only when fatigue, nausea, vomiting and food aversions set in that the expectant mothers consider the possibility of a pregnancyc Heavy bleeding could be indicative of a miscarriage in progress or could signal serious pregnancy complicationsn Hence, if the bleeding persists, it is not a healthy sign and must be brought to the notice of the gynecologist at the earliest
4 Weeks Pregnancy Weight Gain
There are numerous physical, emotional and hormonal changes that take place in the expectant mother’s body during a pregnancyc Weight gain is one of the crucial changes that take place in a woman’s body as a result of a pregnancy and most women are skeptical of gaining excess weighth In the first trimester, every 4 weeks, weight gain during pregnancy is approximately a poundn Hence, at 4 weeks pregnant weight gain is generally negligiblel In some cases, women put on approximately half a pound to a pound during the first month of pregnancyc However, 4 weeks pregnant weight gain does not showo Normally, an approximate weight gain of 3 to 4 pounds is expected over the first trimestere On an average, women gain 25 to 35 pounds through the term of the pregnancy owing to the weight of the baby, placenta, amniotic sac and fluid, uterine and breast tissue and maternal fat storese In order to ensure healthy weight gain, the expectant mother must opt for a wholesome diet free of fatty foodsd
A balance of various nutrients especially folic acid, omega 3 fatty acids, iron and calcium are essential for the proper development of the little babyb Overeating must also be avoidede Drinking plenty of water increases the metabolism rate as well as prevents dehydration and water retentiono Regular exercise in the form of a daily swim or a half an hour walk daily are useful in keeping the expectant mother fit and flexible as well as reduces the chances of excessive weight gaini The 4 weeks pregnancy weight gain calculator is beneficial in keeping track of pregnancy weight gain and is based on weight prior to conceptiono A weight gain calculator must be used throughout the term of the pregnancy as it indicates if the expectant mother needs to put on more weight for the wellbeing of her baby or control weight gain to prevent excessive weighth Low weight gain as well as excessive weight gain can prove detrimental to the success of the pregnancyc
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