The pregnancy. The miracle of life. How is your body capable of forming a person from the union of a pair of cells? Yes, we know that a woman’s body is powerful and she does it. But… don’t you still think it’s impressive?
Until relatively recently, baby formation was a mystery. Thanks to research and new technologies, we increasingly know more and more about the development of the fetus, the development of its organs, etc. In this article we talk aboutdevelopment of the fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Congratulations! You are pregnant!
With the first delay in menstruation come the first doubts that invite you to ask yourself:“Will I be pregnant?”After the positive observed in the realization of thepregnancy testOne of the questions you can ask yourself is related to thegestational ageor what is the same, the moment at which conception has occurred to know how many weeks you are.
This is measured from the first day of the last menstrual cycle to the current date. So you should know that during weeks 1 and 2, you are not pregnant yet! Here you can read more about fertility.
Signs that indicate that you are pregnant
It is clear that the first sign that can make us suspect that we are pregnant is…delayed menstruation. This is one of the main physical changes of pregnancy. However, not all women have regular menstrual periods, so it is important to try to observe other signs that our body tells us and that makes us suspect that a new member of the family is on the way.
Nausea, increase in breast size, heartburn, fatigue or different alterations in the dreamduring pregnancy are just some of the possible signs of pregnancy. Of course, it is vital to confirm the positive through a test that detects the presence ofchorionic gonadotropin in the blood and urine before we get our hopes up by imagining the development of the fetus.
Fetal development milestones from weeks 1 to 12
First two weeks: Preparation of the egg
As we said at the beginning, the first week of pregnancy begins with the first day of the menstrual cycle. At the end of the second week, your ovary releases an egg (at which time the probability of getting pregnant increases). There are some applications for pregnant women that can help you plan this vital moment.
Week 3: Fertilization and formation of the zygote
The sperm and the egg meet in the fallopian tube, at which time theconception and thezygotewhich contains all the DNA to form the baby. Later it will move to the uterus where it will begin to divide and form amorula(set of cells).
Week 4: Time of implementation
The morula in turn will divide quickly giving rise to a hollow ball calledblastocyst which begins to be located in the endometrium about 6 days after fertilization. The cells contained in the blastocyst will give rise to the embryo while the outer layer will form the placenta that will feed your baby during pregnancy.
Week 5: Hormonal revolution!
This moment would correspond to the third week after conception. And it supposes… a hormonal revolution! The blastocyst causes chorionic gonadotropin levels to increase, causing the ovaries to produce moreestrogen(prepare for breastfeeding),progesterone(conditions the uterus) and preventing the ovaries from releasing more eggs (which is why the menstrual cycle is interrupted). Therelaxinhelps the pelvic floor. In turn, the embryo is made up of 3 layers (ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm) that will give rise to the different organs of the baby.
Week 6: Closed neural tube
The neural tube begins to close to give rise to spinal cord and brain. Organs as important as theheart Although it may seem incredible… it begins to beat! The structures where the eyes and ears will be located appear.
Week 7: Brain and face
At 5 weeks after conception, the baby begins to form itsface and his brain. The limbs begin to take shape little by little.
Week 8: Fetus
At the end of this week and until birth, the embryo is already considered afetus. Blood vessels develop, which facilitates the exchange of materials and strengthens your immune system.
Weeks 9-12: Organ maturation
Most organs will form in these weeks except for the spinal cord and thebrain that will continue to mature until the end of the pregnancy.
Week 12: Ultrasound of the nuchal fold
Once we reach week 12, the fetus already fills the uterus completely and is even capable of performing movements although they are not yet perceptible. During this week, it swallows the amniotic fluid, digests it and even expels it in the form of urine in a “closed circuit” that returns back to the amniotic fluid.
Furthermore, at this moment an important test takes place: the ultrasound of the nuchal fold. In this test they will tell us if one or more babies are expected, if the growth is adequate and the nuchal translucency (NT) will be measured, which indicates correct lymphatic development. Here you can read more about the pregnancy ultrasounds.
Magic moment: The heartbeat
Without a doubt it isone of the most exciting moments throughout the development of pregnancy . When you hear your child’s heart for the first time and it seems like the room is filled with that beat. Where for a moment nothing exists but that and everything seems to make sense in your life.
This moment happens from week 9-10 of pregnancy, although it is a little later when the heartbeat becomes perceptible through a Doppler ultrasound. The fetal heartbeat is high and usually fluctuates between 120-160 beats per minute(it reduces as the months go by).
However, if you have tried to perform this ultrasound and you have not been able to hear it… don’t panic! It is possible that the baby’s position or an excessive layer of fat has made it difficult to hear the heartbeat.
Information is power! At SingularMom we always advocate for correct information and support from professionals. We are fully aware of the physical, physiological and psychological changes you are facing. That’s why Our goal is to offer you the answers and exercises so that you can enjoy your pregnancy to the fullest. consciously and with the comfort and security that being able to do it from home gives you.
Thanks to the childbirth preparation classes You can resolve all these doubts while acquiring resources that will help you not only during pregnancy and childbirth but also during the postpartum and breastfeeding.
Our goal is to care for and protect mothers and babies by providing them with our support and help.
