3 Weeks Pregnant

Week by Week Pregnancy Guide: 3 Weeks

Week by week pregnancy guide has been a great source of inspiration and relief to millions of women who wish to know what to expect and the developments taking place every week of pregnancy.

Today, we’re exploring around Week 3 of pregnancy.

What’s really happening in the life of a 3 weeks pregnant woman and that of the busy and rapidly developing baby?

Let’s get started

At week 3, conception has just taken place a couple of days ago. You haven’t missed your periods yet. For many women, early pregnancy symptoms might not have appeared.

How Do You Know You’re Pregnant At Week 3?

Even though there are certain women who don’t know that they are pregnant even when the pregnancy is at 3 weeks, yet, there are a number of things that happen at this stage of your pregnancy. While the baby in the womb begins to develop, by the time you are 3 weeks pregnant, chances are that you will start losing weight. The weight loss can be as a result of vomiting, loss of appetite and nausea which could be due to the changes the hormones are experiencing.

When you are 3 weeks pregnant, this is the time that you are officially counted to be pregnant. What this means is that at this stage, it is believed that one of the sperms coming from your partner has combined with one of your eggs and therefore, pregnancy has taken place. And if by chance, two eggs were released from your side and have been fertilized, it automatically means that you are pregnant with twins.

But while you may not know all these things happening within you yet, the process is still going on at the microscopic level within one out of your fallopian tubes.

However, it is important for you to know that at the moment when conception took place, the sex of your child, as well as other genetic traits inherent in him or her like the color of the eye and that of the hair, the skin, and type of the body have been determined. At this stage that you are 3 weeks pregnant, your baby is known as a zygote with 46 chromosomes (which are 23 from you and the other 23 coming from your spouse). The chromosomes are what help to determine those genetic characteristics.

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The moment fertilization takes place, the embryo, also known as the ball of cells, will build a wall of protection around itself so as to ensure that no other eggs enter. And after this, at this time that you are 3 weeks pregnant, implantation will begin. This is a process whereby the fertilized egg picks up its journey, usually about three days, and moves from the fallopian tube into the uterus for proper nourishment. It is in the uterus that it stays for the next 37 weeks until delivery takes place.

So, while the baby is growing, as a mother to be, it is advisable that if you smoke or take alcohol, you will have to quit it to ensure the proper development of your baby. You also won’t be permitted to take any drug, whether legal or illegal.

And for yourself, you need to take lots of water frequently. It is also possible that you will begin to feel some crampiness in your belly; it only shows that the baby is growing well, nothing to worry about.

Apart from that, you are likely to have light vaginal bleeding as a result of the egg implant. This is not a period. But in the case of a fairly heavy bleeding or a sharp stab around your pelvis, then you may need to consult your doctor. This could be a result of the fertilized egg attaching itself in another place apart from the uterine wall. This process is called a tubal or ectopic pregnancy. Read more information about bleeding during pregnancy here.

What A Mother-To-Be Should Expect At Week 3

Feeling nauseated can begin at week 3 as the HCG hormone starts getting released into your newly pregnant body. At week 3, what people call morning sickness is a full-day sickness to you. For a woman pregnant with twins, nausea may start getting worse at week 3.

1-2 weeks after conception, the hormonal changes and increased blood flow might make your breasts feel sore, swollen, and tender. They might also appear larger, feel fuller and heavier, and change in appearance. Increased hormones might also make your areolas look darker.

Your home pregnancy test is most likely to be positive though it is normal if you have to wait for a couple more days to get positive pregnancy results showing up. Here you can find more information about how to take a pregnancy test and how exactly it works.

Nothing makes a woman feel the excitement of pregnancy than the bulging bump that tells her that the pregnancy is real. But at week 3 nothing really seems to be happening concerning the appearance of your abdomen but you might be experiencing a bloating stomach.

In most cases, a woman starts looking pregnant at week 12, so you’ve got to be patient with the process and sooner than you realize it, you’ll be there!

In the first trimester, nothing seems to be your key assignment than eating healthy. Don’t be misled by the myth of eating for two. Just eat an all-rounded healthy diet and you’re good to go. No need to add on your daily calorie intake as per now.

Take prenatal vitamins every day

Prenatal vitamins are recommended by most doctors if you are planning on becoming pregnant or are pregnant. They provide essential nutrients for the prenatal development of your baby. Taking prenatal vitamins is especially important when you’re so nauseous you can’t eat properly. Many of us don’t get all the vitamins and minerals we need from our food, which becomes critically important when you’re pregnant. If you have nausea during pregnancy, you should know that the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends vitamin B6 first-line in prenatal vitamins (such as this pack of vitamins) to help alleviate nausea. Make sure to read this detailed article about the best prenatal vitamins available on the market today to take during pregnancy.

What About 3 Week’s Pregnant Ultrasound?

Just to feed your curiosity because you might have tried to imagine how your baby looks at week 3, an ultrasound can be done but it might be hard to detect your baby which is in the size of a salt grain at this stage.

While most practitioners wait until at least 6 weeks to perform the first ultrasound, a gestational sac can be seen as early as 4 1/2 weeks after your last period; a heartbeat can be detected as early as 5 to 6 weeks (though it might not be detected that early in all cases).

At week 3, there’s no doubt that your to-be baby called a Morula is on the move and has finally reached its destination inside the uterus where it will stay for the next 9 months.

Now That You’ve Got Your Baby On Board, What Next?

At week 3, you’re in your first month of pregnancy and thus only 8 months to go. Actually, it’s only 37 weeks to go before you behold your newborn baby.

Though nothing seems to happen on the outside, in the inside of a woman’s body at week 3 is a hub of activities. No single second is left into chance and very soon the outcome will prove it.

A lot of hormonal changes are taking place. Thanks to the HCG hormone that tells your ovaries it’s not time to release eggs anymore but instead, it triggers the production of more estrogen and progesterone.

These hormones are responsible for keeping the uterus lining from shedding and also support the growth of the placenta. These hormones play a very important role throughout pregnancy.

How to manage changes of 3 weeks of pregnancy

It is important for a 3 weeks’ pregnant woman to visit her doctor to help manage different symptoms and for checkups to ensure that the mother and baby are safe.

During your pregnancy, prenatal screening tests monitor your health and monitor the progress of your baby. A combination of blood tests and ultrasound can detect potential problems that may affect your health or the health of your baby. Here is a list of prenatal screening tests you should take during the first trimester.

Whatever is causing a sense of alarm or concern, ensure you list it down and discuss it with your doctor during your next visit.

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