Week 1

Your baby

Your weeks of pregnancy are dated from the first day of your last period. This means that in the first two weeks or so, you aren't actually pregnant – your body will be preparing for ovulation as usual. You ovulate (release an egg) around two weeks after the first day of your period (depending on the length of your menstrual cycle).

During the third week after the first day of your last period, your fertilised egg moves along the fallopian tube towards the womb. The egg begins as a single cell, which divides again and again. By the time the egg reaches the womb, it has become a mass of more than 100 cells, called an embryo. Once in the womb, the embryo burrows into the lining of the womb. This is called implantation.

You

Conception usually takes place about two weeks after your last period, around the time that you ovulate (release an egg). In the first four weeks of pregnancy you probably won’t notice any symptoms. The first thing most women notice is that their period doesn't arrive. Find out about the signs and symptoms of pregnancy.

By the time you are eight weeks pregnant, you will probably have missed your second period. However, some women experience a little bleeding during the early weeks of pregnancy. Always mention any bleeding in pregnancy to your midwife or GP, particularly if it continues and you get stomach pain.

Your womb has grown to the size of a lemon by the time you are around seven or eight weeks pregnant. You're probably feeling tired. Your breasts might feel sore and enlarged, and you are probably needing to pass urine more often than usual.

Some pregnant women start to feel sick or tired, or have other minor physical problems for a few weeks around this time. Most women stop having morning sickness and start to feel better by the time they are around 14 weeks pregnant.