You are 1 week pregnant

Your baby
Baby - what baby? At this point your bambino-to-be is still a teeny little egg. But not for long!...Read more

Your body
This is going to sound a little weird, but technically you're not pregnant yet. We know: Huh?! That's because doctors estimate due date based on the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP), whi...Read more

Your life right now
As you probably know, what you do before you get pregnant can have almost as big an impact on your baby’s future health and development as the choices you make during the nine months he or she calls...Read more

Mums like me
"Pregnancy Tests: You'll get a light pink line when your hormones are present enough to detect pregnancy, but not quite high enough to make the line as vibrant as the control line. It should definite...Read more

Baby - what baby? At this point your bambino-to-be is still a teeny little egg. But not for long!

This is going to sound a little weird, but technically you're not pregnant yet. We know: Huh?! That's because doctors estimate due date based on the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP), which is where you are right now. Then they count forward 40 weeks and voila - that's your due date. In reality, the babymaking sex won’t happen for another two weeks! It's not a precise science, but since there's no good way to estimate the exact moment of conception, this is the next best way for health professionals to guess. (It also helps explain why only about 5 percent of babies are born on their actual due dates.)

As you probably know, what you do before you get pregnant can have almost as big an impact on your baby’s future health and development as the choices you make during the nine months he or she calls your belly home. The good news is that the most important things will also help ensure your own health: Be sure you’re taking your prenatal vitamins (including 400 mcg of folic acid), quit smoking (a difficult, but crucial, baby-prep step), don’t drink alcohol, eat a healthy diet, get some exercise and relax! (Chronic stress can not only keep you from conceiving, it has been tied to other pregnancy risks, as well.) If you haven’t had a preconception visit with your doctor, it’s a good idea to make one - or at least ring the office nurse to find out if there are additional steps you should be taking, such as going off or switching medications you’re taking, or getting any important vaccinations for diseases that could harm your baby, such as chickenpox or rubella. Studies are mixed on the effects of caffeine during pregnancy; you’ll want to get your doctor’s opinion on what’s best for you. Still, if you’re one of those gals who slugs several venti lattes a day, now’s the time to start scaling back. The latest research suggests that as long as you keep your caffeine consumption under 200 milligrams a day (which is equal to about one cup of regular coffee) there’s probably no need to worry, but there is some evidence that higher amounts of the stimulant may increase miscarriage risk. One bright spot: Just think how much money you’ll save by skipping those extra Starbucks runs!

"Pregnancy Tests: You'll get a light pink line when your hormones are present enough to detect pregnancy, but not quite high enough to make the line as vibrant as the control line. It should definitely become darker over the next couple of days." – jcwoita