We should talk about pregnancy symptoms in the first month of pregnancy. Because you will probably know you are pregnant by the end of the 3rd or 4th week. The delay of your period, nausea and the increase in the volume of your breasts prompt you to take this test. Although there is no change in your appearance, signals from your body may indicate that you are pregnant. You will do a pregnancy test or clarify it with a blood test. Congratulations, you are pregnant!
In this article, we present our products suitable from the first month of pregnancy to protect your skin from the start of pregnancy, to use from the first month of pregnancy!
Summary :
- Discovering the pregnancy, the appointments to plan and diet
- What changes should I make in my daily life?
- What bodily changes do the mother-to-be experience during the first month of pregnancy?
- The anti-stretch mark routine for the first month of pregnancy
- Baby development during the first month of pregnancy
Discovering the pregnancy, the appointments to plan and diet
Whether the pregnancy is expected or not, there are certain signs to know when to take a test! Pain in the lower abdomen, painful and tense breasts, fatigue or even mood swings are all signs that our body sends us. Except… These signs are very similar to those we experience when we are about to have our period! So how do you know when to take a pregnancy test ? In general, it is better to wait a day after your period is late to carry out a test even if some tests can detect pregnancy even before a late period is noticeable!
Note, however, that taking a pregnancy test too early could give you a false negative. The body only begins to secrete beta HCG from 4 weeks of amenorrhea . That is to say 4 weeks from the start of your last period.
How to choose a pregnancy test?
In terms of pregnancy test, you have the choice:
- The classic tests with the two bars,
- Tests with “+” and “-”,
- But also “pregnant” or “not pregnant” tests
- or even the tests that tell you the number of weeks of pregnancy!
No matter which test you choose, they are all based on the dosage of the pregnancy hormone present in the urine : beta HCG (Chorionic Gonadotropin Hormone, which is secreted by the embryo). This hormone can be detectable from the 8th day after fertilization, when the embryo implants in the uterus!
Most of the time, we recommend doing the test in the morning when you get up because this is the time when the hormone is most detectable in the urine.
A blood test to confirm pregnancy
Then, to confirm your pregnancy, you can go to your doctor to get a prescription to take a blood test . You can also go directly to the laboratory but the blood test will only be reimbursed with a prescription! The latter will check the level of HCG in the blood and, if it is greater than 8UI/L, confirm the pregnancy. To ensure that the pregnancy is real and well placed in the uterus, it is possible to take another blood test 48 hours later to see that the rate has doubled!
For twin pregnancies , rates are much higher from the start and double more quickly.
What to do once pregnancy is confirmed?
Once the pregnancy is confirmed, you can make an appointment with your general practitioner or a midwife to make the first mandatory prenatal visit. It must be carried out before the end of the third month of pregnancy , and allows you to:
- Do the first ultrasound, to find out more, go to our “ Monitoring the third month of pregnancy ”
- Check some technical aspects (blood pressure, weighing, breast exam and perhaps a vaginal exam, which is not obligatory, you can also refuse them throughout your pregnancy!)
- Control your immunity to toxoplasmosis. You will need to be checked every month if you are not immunized. Toxoplasmosis is a mild illness but can have serious effects on pregnant women.
- Determination of blood group (in case of first pregnancy)
- Testing for certain diseases (hepatitis B, toxoplasmosis, syphilis, etc.)
- Smear, if you are not up to date
This first consultation allows you to prepare for pregnancy monitoring . You can take the opportunity to discuss childbirth options (hospital, clinic, birth center, at home). At the end of this first meeting, the doctor or midwife will give you a document entitled “ First prenatal medical examination ”. It will allow you to declare your pregnancy to your CAF and your health insurance.
You can then inform your employer so that they can make arrangements for your future maternity leave (pre and post-natal)!
In general, pregnant women always go to their doctor before this first obligatory visit to discuss and obtain information, especially when it is their first pregnancy!
Please note that some people may also wish to have a dating ultrasound and an early prenatal interview. They are not obligatory but help to reassure future parents that the start of the pregnancy is going smoothly. To be carried out from the third week of pregnancy.
Understanding the calculation of the pregnancy period
There are two ways to calculate the length of a pregnancy: amenorrhea weeks (AS) and gestational weeks (SG).
To calculate the number of weeks of pregnancy , we start from ovulation because there is little time between ovulation, conception and implantation of the embryo. With this calculation, we therefore count 39 SG (weeks of pregnancy).
To calculate the period of pregnancy with the weeks of amenorrhea , we base ourselves on the first day of the last period before pregnancy, therefore before ovulation and fertilization. There are then 41 weeks of pregnancy (weeks of amenorrhea).
Get used to juggling between these two types of calculation because the medical world favors the SA calculation, considered more precise to prepare for pregnancy monitoring!
Anti-stretch mark products suitable from the first month of pregnancy
What changes should I make in my daily life?
Obviously once the pregnancy is confirmed we stop all consumption of alcohol and cigarettes ! We also pay attention to our diet and our pace of life. It is not a question of stopping in the first months of pregnancy but of being careful. At the beginning, the pregnancy, even if it is confirmed, can be difficult to integrate for some people because the belly is not yet rounded! We stop practicing sports that are too sporty or contact sports to turn to gentler sports (walking, yoga, swimming).
In terms of diet, certain foods should be put aside to avoid contracting Listeriosis during the 9 months of pregnancy:
- raw milk cheeses, soft or blue, with a bloomy rind (Roquefort, Bleu d'Auvergne, Brie, Camembert), even when melted, we leave them aside!
- ready-made salads in bags
- parsley
- raw meats and cold meats
- raw fish, crustaceans, shellfish, etc.
Listeriosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria present in food. The signs of listeriosis are similar to those of the flu. You can consult a healthcare professional so that treatment can be put in place if in doubt.
Do not hesitate to read articles to find out more about pregnancy, childbirth or different parenting styles. Knowledge is power!
What bodily changes do the mother-to-be experience during the first month of pregnancy?
The first month of pregnancy is quite hectic for the body of the mother- to-be in terms of bodily sensations! The first signs are similar to those of premenstrual symptoms : tightness in the lower abdomen, pain in the breasts, tight breasts, fatigue, bloated and swollen stomach. Then the period doesn't come and the symptoms continue! To this we add nausea, hypersensitivity of smell, a distaste for certain foods, a change in color of the nipples, potentially heartburn and constipation.
All this is sometimes not very pleasant, even if we know that we carry life! So take the time to rest , drink plenty of water and put things into perspective , all these unpleasant symptoms often end up passing at the end of the first trimester!
Be aware that at the beginning of pregnancy you may observe small bleeding , these are the blood vessels in the uterine lining which may start to bleed when the egg implants.
If bleeding persists and pelvic pain occurs, make an appointment with a specialist. They may be signs of an ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage.
The anti-stretch mark routine for the first month of pregnancy
The certified organic anti-stretch mark cream from Laboratoires Téane prevents the appearance of stretch marks by protecting your skin. Even if you don't feel tightness, changes are taking place invisibly in the dermis. This process will degrade the quality of your skin due to hormonal changes. You should therefore start an anti-stretch mark routine as soon as possible! To learn more about the routine, you can check it out by clicking here .
Baby development during the first month of pregnancy
After being fertilized, the egg will divide to reach the tiny size of 150 millimeters of a millimeter! During the first week, it will grow to 0.1 mm , and slowly move from your fallopian tubes to your uterus where it can develop properly, this stage is called implantation .
From the second week of pregnancy, her body will develop and her organs will begin to take shape.
During the third week, the embryo will begin to double in size every day and take up more and more space without you necessarily knowing that you are pregnant!
It's during the first month that his heart begins to appear and his arms and legs begin to develop! At the end of the first month, it measures between 4 and 5 millimeters.
The future baby is considered an “embryo” until approximately 8 weeks of pregnancy (10 weeks of amenorrhea). Then it becomes a fetus until delivery.
Discover without further delay the article on the second month of pregnancy or how to announce the pregnancy to the dad in an original way !