CHANGES TO MUM
75% of Women Experience Morning Sickness or Nausea During Pregnancy
About one third to one half of all women expecting a baby will experience morning sickness or nausea. Don’t worry though it usually stops by the second trimester. Morning sickness is thought to be caused by the higher levels of oestrogen and the changes to your uterus.
If you are one of the lucky ones, and have not experienced any sort of sickness then you should not be concerned by the myth and studies done showing that morning sickness is related to chance of a miscarriage. I had no morning sickness and therefore looked into these theories; there is no need to get worked up!
You will be told many myths when you first let people know that you are pregnant, especially if it is your first baby. Everyone seems to have an opinion on what you should and should not do regardless of if they have had a baby or not. Please do not take everything you hear as truth, the only advice you should adhere to is that of your doctors and midwife.
With the amount of information available on the internet and other resources you do need to ensure that everything you read is accurate. Although I do my best to write as accurately as possible, I am not a doctor and therefore all information found on this website is simply from my own research. Please always do your own research on all topics and when in doubt contact your doctor or midwife to confirm anything you have concerns about.
There May Not be Any Visible Signs of Pregnancy, but Inside is a Different Story
During the first six weeks of pregnancy you may be feeling slightly premenstrual and your hormones may be up and down. You may also find yourself running to the bathroom to pass urine more often than usual.
Your breasts may even feel sore and heavy along with the already discussed morning sickness.
Although on the outside there won’t be any indication that you are pregnant, inside is a different story. Your ovulation cycle will normally stop after the embryo has been implanted, and your cervical mucus thickens, forming a plug (this stays in place until the end of the pregnancy).
Your uterus wall will soften as the embryo is firmly embedded and will be expanding rapidly almost from the moment of implantation to make room for this wonderful little person now occupying your body.
CHANGES TO BUB
Until week eight the baby is known as an embryo. Even before you know that you are pregnant the embryo reaches a very important stage of development which is vital to plan for pregnancy.
The baby’s length is approximately 3 to 5mms. The baby (embryo) is completely enclosed in the amniotic sac.
The embryo is extremely sensitive from the third week and can be harmed by alcohol, drugs, smoking, infections etc, therefore it is very important to take every precaution as soon as you know you are expecting (see our Risks page in the menu for more information).
Your baby’s heart is now beating, blood is being circulated by the baby’s own heart and the kidneys and liver are rapidly developing.
