Pregnancy & Baby 

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The first trimester - what's happening inside

Congratulations! Stunned, frightened and excited? Often all three emotions hit you at the same time when you find out you're pregnant, even if you carefully planned this conception. You may not even truly believe you are pregnant, despite the six pregnancy tests you have taken! Adding to the disbelief may be the lack of pregnancy symptoms. In fact, you could swear that your period will arrive at any second because of the cramps you've got.

Meanwhile, the fertilised egg has completed a seven- to ten-day journey to the uterus, where it settles into the endometrial lining. It has divided into two: one part becoming the placenta and the other the embryo. From a medical perspective, even though you have been pregnant for two weeks, you are technically four weeks pregnant. Pregnancy dating begins from the start of your last menstrual period.

It may be only a week since you found out that you were pregnant, but inside your uterus, a whirlwind of activity is occurring. At five weeks, your embryo measures a mere two millimetres, but every organ is already under development. Even facial features, such as eyes and ears, begin to form. Leg and arm buds are sprouting outwards!

By the time you are six weeks on, you know you're pregnant. How can something that only measures four millimetres be making you so ill? Nearly half of pregnant women suffer from morning sickness, which actually may occur at any time during the day or night, and can be attributed to a higher level of oestrogen as well as the rapid expansion of the uterus. It may be difficult to stomach those antenatal vitamins, but they are very critical at this stage of development. Antenatal vitamins contain many important nutrients, including folic acid. Studies show that folic acid helps reduce the incidence of neural tube defects.

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