We should talk about pregnancy symptoms in the first month of pregnancy. Because you will probably know that you are pregnant at the end of the 3rd or 4th week. The delay of your periods, the nausea and the increase in the volume of your breasts push you to do this test. Although there is no change in your appearance, the signals given by your body may indicate that you are pregnant. You will take a pregnancy test or clarify it with a blood test. Congratulations, you are pregnant!
In this article, we present to you our Organic 1st Anti-Stretch Mark Care Cream to protect your skin from the start of pregnancy, to be used from the first month of pregnancy!
Summary :
- The discovery of pregnancy, the appointments to be planned and the diet
- What changes should I make in my daily life?
- What bodily changes for the future mother during the first month of pregnancy?
- The anti-stretch mark routine for the first month of pregnancy
- The development of the baby during the first month of pregnancy
The discovery of pregnancy, the appointments to be planned and the diet
Whether the pregnancy is expected or not, there are certain signs that tell you when to take a test! Pain in the lower abdomen, painful and tense breasts, fatigue or mood swings are all signs that our body sends us. Except that… These signs are very similar to those that we know when we are going 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 to take a test, even if some tests manage to detect a pregnancy even before a period is noticeably late!
Note, however, that taking a pregnancy test too soon could give you a false negative. The body only begins to secrete beta HCG from 4 weeks of amenorrhea . That is 4 weeks from the start of your last period.
How to choose a pregnancy test?
Pregnancy test level you have the choice:
- The classic tests with the two bars,
- Tests with the “+” and the “-”,
- But also the “pregnant” or “not pregnant” tests
- or the tests that tell you the number of weeks of pregnancy!
Whichever test you choose, they are all based on the dosage of the pregnancy hormone present in the urine : beta HCG (Chorionic Hormone Gonadotropin, which is secreted by the embryo). This hormone can be detectable from the 8th day after fertilization, when the embryo is implanted in the uterus!
Most of the time, it is advisable to do the test in the morning when you get up because that is when the hormone is most detectable in the urine.
Blood test to confirm pregnancy
Then, to confirm your pregnancy, you can go to your doctor to get a prescription for 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 control 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 redo a blood test 48 hours later to see that the rate has doubled!
For twin pregnancies , the rates are much higher from the start and double more quickly.
What to do once the pregnancy is confirmed?
Once the pregnancy is confirmed, you can make an appointment with your GP or a midwife to make the first mandatory prenatal visit. It is to be carried out before the end of the third month of pregnancy , and allows you to:
- Make the first ultrasound, to find out more, go to our “ Follow-up of the third month of pregnancy ”
- Control some technical aspects (tension, weighing, breast examination and perhaps a vaginal examination, which is not mandatory, you can also refuse them throughout your pregnancy!)
- Control your immunity against toxoplasmosis. You will need to be checked every month if you are not immune. Toxoplasmosis is a mild disease but can have serious effects on pregnant women.
- Blood group determination (in case of first pregnancy)
- Search for certain diseases (hepatitis B, toxoplasmosis, syphilis, etc.)
- Swipe, if you are not up to date
This first consultation allows you to prepare for the pregnancy follow-up . You can take the opportunity to discuss the possibilities of childbirth (hospital, clinic, birthing 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 he can make arrangements for your future maternity leave (pre and post-natal)!
In general, pregnant women always go to their doctor before this first mandatory visit to discuss and get information, especially when it is the first pregnancy!
Note that some people may also wish to do a dating ultrasound and an early prenatal interview. They are not obligatory but allow to reassure the future parents on the good course of the beginning of the pregnancy. To be performed from the third week of pregnancy.
Understand the calculation of the period of pregnancy
There are two ways to calculate the length of a pregnancy: weeks of amenorrhea (WA) and weeks of pregnancy (SG).
To calculate the number of weeks of pregnancy , we start from ovulation because little time passes between ovulation, conception and implantation of the embryo. With this calculation, there are therefore 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 menstrual period before pregnancy, therefore before ovulation and fertilization. There are then 41 SA (weeks of amenorrhea) of pregnancy.
Get used to juggling between these two types of calculation because the medical world favors more the calculation in SA, considered more precise to prepare the follow-up of pregnancy!
What changes should I make in my daily life?
Inevitably once the pregnancy is confirmed we stop all consumption of alcohol and cigarettes ! We also pay attention to our diet and our lifestyle. It is not a question of stopping from the first months of pregnancy but of being careful. At the beginning, pregnancy, even if it is confirmed, can be difficult for some people to integrate because the belly is not yet rounded! We stop too sporty practices or contact sports to turn to softer sports (walking, yoga, swimming pool).
In terms of diet, certain foods should be set aside to avoid contracting listeriosis during the 9 months of pregnancy:
- raw milk cheeses, soft or veined, with a bloomy rind (Roquefort, Bleu d'Auvergne, Brie, Camembert), even when melted, we leave them aside!
- bagged ready-to-eat salads
- parsley
- raw meats and charcuterie
- raw fish, crustaceans, shellfish, etc.
Listeriosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria present in food. The signs of listeriosis resemble those of the flu. You can consult a health professional so that a treatment is put in place in case of doubt.
Do not hesitate to read articles to learn more about pregnancy, childbirth or different parenting styles. Knowledge is power!
What body changes for the future mother in the first month of pregnancy?
The first month of pregnancy is quite eventful for the body of the future mother in terms of bodily sensations! The first signs are similar to those of premenstrual symptoms : tightness in the lower abdomen, pain in the breasts, tense breasts, fatigue, bloated and swollen stomach. Then the periods do not arrive and the symptoms continue! To this we add nausea, hypersensitivity of the sense of smell, a dislike for certain foods, a change in the 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 , it is the blood vessels of the uterine lining which may start to bleed when the egg is implanted.
If the 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 Téane Laboratories prevents the appearance of stretch marks by protecting your skin. Even if you don't feel any tightness, changes occur invisibly in the dermis. This process will degrade the quality of your skin due to hormonal changes. It is therefore necessary to start an anti-stretch mark routine as soon as possible! To learn more about the routine, you can check it out by clicking here .
The development of the baby 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 0.1mm , and slowly move from your fallopian tubes to your uterus where it can develop properly, this 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 yet!
It is during the first month that his heart appears 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 about 8 weeks of pregnancy (10 weeks of amenorrhea). Then it becomes a fetus until delivery.
Discover without delay the article on the second month of pregnancy !