Pregnancy Week 4

So you are pregnant!  What now?

You have come to the right place. Here is your week by week guide to pregnancy!

The last few weeks

What’s been going on?

Bizarrely, in weeks 1-3 of pregnancy you are still in the process actually getting pregnant as those first weeks take into account your monthly cycle and start with preparing your womb for a possible tenant!  Obviously, if you do not fall pregnant all those preparations are discarded and replenished the next month.

However, the fact you are on this page would suggest that you are pregnant! You may be ecstatic that you are pregnant or you may be in a state of shock or even upset.  One thing to remember, whatever you are feeling, you are not the first to feel that way and you won’t be the last!  Any emotion you feel at this time in your life is pretty much normal!

At week 4 your baby is so tiny!

What does your baby look like?

Depending on the amount of days in your monthly cycle you likely conceived around 2 weeks ago and your tiny human is currently no bigger than a pin head!  Yet, in nine months time your gorgeous baby will fill a baby grow!  How cool is that! This little pinhead is growing at an unbelievable rate and the fertilised egg is dividing over and over to form all the different parts of his or her body, as it is getting itself comfy in the womb where all the growing will take place.

Your ever-so-tiny embryo is currently made up of three layers.  Each of these layers will become different parts of your fully formed baby.  The inner layer is called the endoderm and is developing into their digestive system, liver, and lungs.  The mesoderm, found in the middle, is soon to form the heart, bones, kidneys, sex organs, and muscles.  And the outer layer known as the ectoderm is the starting point for nails, hair, skin, eyes, and most importantly, their nervous system.

As the baby’s blood vessels start to form so too their blood is beginning to circulate and helping with the development of their the tiny heart.  For the next few weeks your baby is an embryo and takes all the nourishment it needs from the yolk sac.  Once you are around 12-14 weeks pregnant the placenta will be fully formed and ready to take over all the hard work.

What does 4 weeks pregnant feel like?

Basically.. just the same as not pregnant! (for most people anyway)

In terms of how you are feeling?  The likelihood is you will feel pretty normal as pregnancy symptoms don’t tend to rear their heads for a few weeks yet.  So, sit back, take a big breath and relax as your body does all the hard work!

Oh and Congratulations!  Stay with us and we will take you step by step through your pregnancy with a weekly update on what you tiny human is up to!

If you haven't already started taking folic acid, now is the time to start.  There is no need to go out and buy expensive pregnancy vitamins.  The NHS only recommendations during pregnancy for vitamin supplements are: 400 micrograms of folic acid, 10 micrograms of vitamin D, and iron (if needed).