Pregnancy and the Weeks of Development: Week Four
Week by Week Pregnancy
By the end of this week, you will most likely discover that you are pregnant. You may have a missed period, however some women experience minor spotting or a light period. The spotting or light period will last briefly, maybe one to two days, and generally takes place when attachment occurs. The baby is around 1 mm in size right now and you will have no physical appearance of a pregnancy just yet.
During this period, the placenta is beginning to form, allowing oxygen and nutrients to travel from your body to your developing baby. The embryo will form three different layers; the inner layer which will turn into the lungs, liver, pancreas, and digestive system; the middle layer which will form into the skeleton, kidneys, heart, blood vessels, and muscles; and the outer layer which eventually forms into the hair, tooth enamel, nervous system, lenses of eyes, and skin.
Once you take a pregnancy test and determine you are pregnant, it is extremely important to begin taking prenatal vitamins to ensure a healthy baby. If you believe you are pregnant and you take a pregnancy test, it may still show as a negative result during this time. If this occurs, retest in one to two weeks to determine if you are in fact pregnant.
Things You Should Do at This Point in Your Pregnancy:
- Experience missed period
- Experience light spotting
- Take a pregnancy test
- Maintain healthy diet
- Drink A LOT of water daily
- Take prenatal vitamins
- Discontinue any rough activities or contact sports
- Continue light exercise
