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Pregnancy starts from withinBefore women can actually suspect any symptoms of pregnancy, a wonderful process that only life can produce is set in motion. From the luteal phase to fertilization, from implantation to embryo embedding, the first weeks are full of events that only at the end of the first month show their signs and can only be confirmed later with a test.
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Weeks 1 and 2
In the 1st and 2nd week of the first month of pregnancy, an egg begins to mature in the ovaries. For women with a regular cycle, this egg travels down the fallopian tubes around the 14th day. The two to three days before and after ovulation, known as the fertile period, represent the moment when fertilization and, thus, pregnancy can actually occur. The egg fertilized by a sperm forms a zygote1.
3 weeks
In the first three days of the 3rd week, this zygote moves toward the uterus. At the same time, it begins to divide and forms the blastocyst2, a compact ball of cells inside a fluid-filled layer. This entire process is managed by hormone release. As soon as it reaches the uterus, implantation or embedding in the endometrium begins.
At this time, symptoms such as headaches, cramping, breast swelling, and a dark discharge may occur. These can easily be mistaken for typical PMS symptoms, heralding menstruation. However, when they appear together with other symptoms, pregnancy might become a suspicion. By the first month of pregnancy, it is common for women to feel morning sickness, mood swings, excessive sleepiness, and the urge to urinate.
4 weeks
By the end of the 4th and last week of the first month, implantation is complete. The blastocyst divides into the trophoblast, which will form the placenta, and the embryoblast, which already represents the tiny embryo. Theoretically, pregnancy can be discovered at this stage. But it is recommended to wait until the fifth week and a few days’ delay to confirm pregnancy with a gynecologist, since the 1-month fetus cannot even be seen on an ultrasound scan3.
Readers’ questions
What does the belly look like at 1 month of pregnancy?
At 1 month pregnant, the belly is almost imperceptible in relation to the pregnancy. The woman may feel a slight swelling in the lower abdomen, but there is nothing that can confirm the pregnancy.
What is the fetus like at 1 month of pregnancy?
At the end of the 1st month of pregnancy, the embryo is so tiny it can be compared to a grain of rice, measuring around 5 mm. It still has no shape and only in the following weeks will the development of the neural tube, from which the brain and spinal cord arise, begin.
Photos: Wellcome Images, Ed Uthman
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