4 Weeks Pregnant - What to Expect?

What’s going on inside your body

It is time to speculate as there are still doubts about the pregnancy. It gets confirmed during the fifth week when the body generates enough H.C.G. to give you a “Yes!” in a pregnancy test. That’s when your reason to celebrate and feel excited and proud of yourself finally gets revealed!

Physically, you might be experiencing some early pregnancy symptoms, including;

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Dizziness
• Mood swings
• Frequent urination
• Breast tenderness
• Exhaustion
• Headaches
• Bloating
• A feeling of fullness
• Light cramping
• Spotting

Though, as you may have heard from “fellow mothers” or your health care provider, each woman experiences pregnancy differently. It is not necessary that you will experience all these symptoms. You may feel a few, and not even one of them. If so, consider yourself lucky!

Blood flow increases in your body during the first trimester. This is to help carry maximum oxygen and nutrients to your developing fetus. According to the Mayo Clinic website, your blood volume increases 30 to 50 percent during pregnancy. As a result, your heart rate increases by about 10 to 12 BPM (Beats Per Minute). This added demand on your circulatory system may exhaust you suddenly at times. Remember: your body is working extremely hard even if you yourself are resting. You need to take things easy. Keep drinking lots of water regardless of the frequent urination you may be experiencing, eat right and rest well. All this is bound to help you counter the tiredness.

What’s up with the baby?

This week, the yolk sac and amniotic cavity – which will envelop and protect your little tyke for the next months – is forming. Your baby is now developing into an embryo which comprises of three layers.

• The top layer, referred to as the ectoderm, is where the neural tube will form. It’s from here that the nervous system, including the spinal cord and the brain, as well as hair and skin will originate.
• The middle layer, termed mesoderm, gives rise to bones, muscles, heart, kidneys, and reproductive organs in due course.
• The third layer is known as the endoderm and this is from where the baby’s liver, bladder, intestines and pancreas will develop eventually.

The beginning of the connective stalk that will eventually become the umbilical cord has also formed by now. The baby’s heart nears perfection in function during this week. This implies that the circulatory system is the first system to begin functioning in the body. Until the placenta is complete and functioning, a yolk sac – now present and attached like a tiny balloon – will feed your baby. It slowly disappears as the placenta takes over this important task.

What will you be going through?

As soon as you’ve made sure you are pregnant, the next step is to set up an appointment with your gynecologist for your first prenatal visit. If this is your first baby and your regular gynecologist doesn’t do Obstetrics (Ob), make sure you select one yourself. Ask her and other mothers whom you may know, survey practices yourself, and be sure to make a good choice. Having a gynecologist you trust is vital; they’re the ones to guide you for the next 8 months after all! The earlier you select and begin visiting one, the better.

http://pregnancyready.com/4-weeks-pregnant-what-to-expect-2/