A new life is just beginning. It’s still very early days, but the changes already taking place inside your body are nothing short of amazing.
Your baby
Your tiny baby is an embryo attached to the lining of your womb. She is the size of a grain of rice and looks a bit like a tadpole. Her head, body and limb buds are developing and she is floating in an amniotic sac. The placenta, your baby’s life-support system, is forming. Her heartbeat can be picked up on an ultrasound scan. She will double in size this week, from 4mm to 8mm. Track the changes here.
You
You’re newly pregnant and your hormones are going haywire, so you may feel sick or grumpy and emotional. One of the most important things you can do at this stage is take a daily dose of folic acid until week 12 of your pregnancy. Folic acid has been proven to reduce the risk of neural tube defects – abnormalities in the development of your baby’s brain and spinal cord such as spina bifida. Find out more about folic acid here.
Eat little and often to keep your mood and blood sugar levels steady – think healthy snacks. Remember, everything that goes in your mouth now should be nurturing you and your child, so swap high-fat fixes for dried fruit. Avoid pate, soft cheeses, undercooked meat and raw eggs as these may contain bugs that can harm your pregnancy.
Cut down on your alcohol intake – many women find they go off alcohol altogether in early pregnancy. This is your body’s way of protecting your unborn child at this vulnerable time.
If you are a smoker, you’ll know that it’s a habit you should be trying to quit. Click here for help in giving up smoking.
This week:
The test says you’re pregnant! Excited and a little bit scared? Here’s what you need to do next. When’s it due? .
Plus, everything you need to know about your first trimester.
