Pregnancy Weeks 1-2

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Pregnancy Week 1

This first week is your menstrual period.

Even if your baby hasn't been conceived yet, this counts as part of your 40-week pregnancy, because Your weeks of pregnancy are dated from the first day of your last period.¹

That means you're not currently pregnant, but your body's getting prepared as usual for ovulation (releasing an egg from an ovary).²
 

Pregnancy Week 2

That might sound odd, but you're not pregnant yet!²

Your period has finished by now. One of your ovaries is getting ready to release an egg. The ovaries are also producing lots of estrogen.³

By the end of this week, the ovary is ready to release an egg – this is called ovulation.³

Note: Ovulation usually happens around day 14 if you have a 28-day menstrual cycle. You’ll be more likely to get pregnant if you have sex 1-3 days before ovulation.³
 

Things to think about

You may not know if you're pregnant in early days and weeks.²

But the following things can be done:

• take folic acid for at least 3 months before the pregnancy and the first 3 months of your pregnancy⁴
• eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, full of vitamins and minerals⁴
• cut out smoking and non-prescribed drugs⁴
   

It is recommended to begin taking prenatal vitamins and stop using substances such as:⁵

• Caffeine
• Artificial sweeteners
   

→ kindly consult your doctor about what supplements to take and what substance to avoid during pregnancy.

The most important thing you can do right now is to act in the way you would if you already knew you were pregnant.⁵

References:

1. Nemours KidsHealth. Parents: Week 1. Available at: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/week1.html. Last accessed at: 26.07.2021
2. NIH. You and your pregnancy at 1 to 3 weeks. Page last reviewed: 17 July 2018. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/week-by-week/1-to-12/1-2-3-weeks/. Last accessed at: 26.07.2021
3. raisingchildren.net.au. 2 weeks pregnant. Last updated or reviewed: 10-11-2020. Available at: https://raisingchildren.net.au/pregnancy/week-by-week/first-trimester/2-weeks. Last accessed at: 26.07.2021
4. raisingchildren.net.au. 1 week pregnant. Last updated or reviewed: 09-11-2020. Available at: https://raisingchildren.net.au/pregnancy/week-by-week/first-trimester/1-week. Last accessed at: 26.07.2021
5. American Pregnancy Association. Getting pregnant. Preconception nutrition. Available at: https://americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/preconception-nutrition/. Last accessed at: 26.07.2021.