You may not know it yet, but your egg cell has been fertilised, and you are now officially pregnant this week! You are in the 3rd week of your meaningful journey that will last 40 weeks. These seven days are crucial for you and your baby. Although there are no visible changes in your body, let’s look at what you will experience during the 3-week pregnancy, when your baby will take essential steps.
Baby Development at 3 Weeks
It should be noted that the 3-week-old baby is not yet generous in development. In the last days of last week, the egg cell began to fertilise. In other words, the foundation of everything you will experience in the 3rd week of pregnancy was laid last week. This week, the puzzle pieces will come together and complete the fertilisation of the egg and form the zygote. Let me elaborate on the process a little more if you wish.
Journey of the Zygote at 3 Weeks
The zygote, formed from fertilisation and consists of a single cell, undergoes mitotic divisions and becomes a ball of cells called the blastocyst. The blastocyst moves from the oviduct to the uterus this week and continues to divide as it progresses.
Also, in this journey, the baby, a ball of cells, reaches the uterus and succeeds in holding on to the uterine wall. The baby has found the appropriate place to grow and develop with this development. This week, where the blastocyst attaches, is the safe area where the baby will grow and develop until birth.
Your baby, that is, for now, a tiny clump of cells, begins to grow and develop rapidly after holding onto the uterus. It increases the pregnancy hormone level, namely HCG hormone (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin), which shows its presence little by little last week.
This hormone will allow you to prove that you are pregnant. Because the HCG hormone, the amount of which increases in the blood, is the main ingredient that will cause the pregnancy test to be “positive”. Of course, the hero of the event is not only this hormone. Estrogen and progesterone hormones will accompany the hCG hormone, and they will operate in the continuation of pregnancy.
One of the most critical developments in three weeks of pregnancy is the accumulation of amniotic fluid in the cavity that will form the amniotic sac. This fluid will increase over time and create a safe environment where the baby will survive until birth.
Your doctor will refer to the cell ball that divides rapidly and settles in the uterus as an embryo. There is no organ or system development in this process. It is now a small collection of several hundred cells attached to your uterus that will continue to evolve over the next period.
How Big Is My Baby?
Pregnant mothers immediately want to see the baby on ultrasound during pregnancy. Three weeks pregnant sounds like an abstract concept to parents. Yes, there are some blood values, but these are medical data. However, parents would like to see their baby, even though ultrasound, and be convinced that they are expecting a baby. Of course, this week is too early to take a baby picture.
Values such as the weight and height of the 3-week-old baby, which is still a pile of cells, cannot be mentioned. It doesn’t even look like a bean with the classic embryo image yet. We can say that the blastocyst that attaches to your uterus and opens its place this week is just the tip of a needle. Next week, the outer cells will develop into the placenta, which provides your baby with nutrition and other functions. The inner cells will form the fetus, the baby.
Mom at 3 Weeks
Fertilisation steps that started in the 1st and 2nd weeks have been signed this week. So fertilisation has taken place! Of course, with this effect, changing hormone values will initiate many new actions in the pregnant mother’s body, which will bring along some symptoms.
If you do not have a planned pregnancy and do not go to regular doctor checks, you probably do not know about your HCG hormone, and therefore you are pregnant because you haven’t even experienced menstrual delay yet.
But even if you don’t realise it, your body gives pregnancy signals more clearly than in the first two weeks. For this reason, you can experience the pregnancy symptoms that you do not feel in the 1st and 2nd weeks more concretely this week.
Because the 3rd week is much more active in terms of hormonal than the previous weeks, in other words, we can say that the effect of hormones is more evident this week. Here are the 3rd-week pregnancy symptoms:
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Mild Bleeding and Abdominal Pain
Implantation bleeding can occur when fertilised eggs pass through the uterine layer with high blood circulation. Don’t think about the possibility of miscarriage right away, but you need to take the job seriously. A different problem can also cause bleeding and abdominal pain. Bleeding or mild abdominal pain may be due to thickening or even enlargement of the uterus. So far, everything is normal. However, if your abdominal pain is in the form of long-lasting cramps or if your bleeding lasts for a long time, you should see your doctor.
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Sense of Smell
You may react more than usual to an odour that does not attract the attention of everyone. Sensitivities in the sense of smell during pregnancy are caused by the estrogen hormone, which progresses at a much higher level this week. Sensitivity in the sense of smell can also cause morning sickness. This tenderness will not stay with the third week; it will probably continue for a few more weeks; in sensitivInsensitivitytry to avoid heavy perfumes, spicy foods and scented cosmetics.
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Metallic Taste in Your Mouth
You can feel the change in taste sensations, known medically as dysgeusia, until the second trimester, but we can say that the onset of this feeling dates back to the third week of pregnancy. The metallic taste sensation in your mouth may continue to increase in the following weeks.
This is the effect of the estrogen hormone, which causes odour sensitivity. The sense of taste works together with the purpose of smell. Therefore, changing estrogen levels during pregnancy can also show wide fluctuations in taste buds. As your pregnancy progresses, the metallic taste will decrease over time as the rate of hormone change slows.
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Nausea
Depending on beta HCG and estrogen hormones, you may experience nausea or even vomit, especially in the morning. This feeling, which occurred last week, shows itself more clearly among the third-week pregnancy symptoms. This symptom’s effect, intensity, and frequency vary from mother to mother, but you better prepare for this nausea in the first three months.
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Tenderness and Fullness in Breasts
You may encounter a symptom of tenderness in the breasts experienced before last week’s menstrual period. But now, breast tenderness may be accompanied by fullness.
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Tiredness
The increase in progesterone hormone every day is effective in the formation process of your baby. Of course, the events in your womb will return to you as fatigue. If you experience a feeling of tiredness that never goes away with the symptoms we mentioned, you may gradually suspect pregnancy.
Pregnancy Checklist at 3 Weeks
If you are experiencing pregnancy symptoms and suspect that you are pregnant, you should consult your doctor for a test. The blood test gives you precise results. This period is early for the urine test you do at home.
If you know or suspect that you are pregnant, it would be good to be informed about what you should pay attention to.
- Quit smoking and alcohol use.
- Do not use any medication on your initiative other than those recommended by your doctor.
- Pay attention to sleep patterns.
- Start small with exercises. (Avoid sudden movements and lifting weights during exercise.)
- Avoid stress as much as possible.
- Start making efforts to improve yourself about pregnancy and baby care.
Most of the items you need to pay attention to for three weeks are essential for all pregnancy periods. When you gain sensitivity in the first weeks about the points you need to pay attention to, you can make the situation a habit and pass the process in the best way. That’s what we call keeping things tight!
Which Pregnancy Test Gives a Positive Result at Week 3?
The HCG hormone rises to a certain level in the third week of pregnancy. This hormone plays its peak until the last weeks. Expected Beta HCG values should be 0-5 mIU/ml or / 5-50 / 9–130.
This hormone, which laid its foundation last week and rose this week, is vital for detecting pregnancy in women. Because both urine and blood tests will decide whether you are pregnant by looking at the density of this hormone. Home pregnancy tests are also sensitive to HCG.
The increase in the hCG hormone first shows itself in the blood. This rise can only reveal itself in the urine in the following weeks. For this reason, a blood test is preferred instead of a urine test to detect early pregnancy without even experiencing a delay in menstruation. Home or clinical urine tests should be chosen after the uncertainty of the menstrual date.
Tips to Manage Pregnancy Symptoms
Nutrition during pregnancy is an issue that will be important throughout the process. At three weeks pregnant, your body needs more vitamins and minerals than you will get through food. However, these days when the baby says “hello” to the place where the baby is completely attached to the uterus and will gradually complete its development, you should also pay attention to your nutrition.
Because the body is wholly focused on the 9-month pregnancy process these days, you should apply some nutritional recommendations to make it easier for you to contribute to your body and your baby’s development, starting from this period.
- Don’t be late for Folic Acid Support
The first thing that women who want to have a baby should pay attention to in this process is enough folic acid. Because getting enough folic acid during pregnancy is very important for a baby’s development. It would be best if you started this support early.
Folic acid dramatically prevents the occurrence of neural tube defect (NTD), which can occur in the first weeks of pregnancy.
The neural tube is the primitive nervous system first formed in the embryo. Thanks to the neural tube, the spinal cord and brain can develop. In the case of NTD, the baby may have an abnormal brain and spinal cord development. Although this is not a typical situation, experts recommend taking folic acid supplements from the first weeks of pregnancy. Because while this support prevents NTD, it also facilitates a healthy reproductive balance.
Folic acid supplementation, essential during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, can be taken through food. However, your doctor may recommend extra supplements to avoid leaving anything to chance. Your specialist should determine the dose of this supplement.
Foods containing folic acid; include legumes, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, nuts, broccoli, Brussels cabbage, avocado, and banana.
- Increase Iron and Vitamin C Intake
A body with solid immunity and an ideal iron ratio are the desired features for pregnancy. You will receive advice on getting enough iron and vitamin C throughout pregnancy. It would help if you heeded this advice while you’re at the beginning of the road. Vitamin C during pregnancy can help increase your body’s absorption of iron. Vitamin C will also support your immunity by helping to keep your increased blood volume.
C vitamin; is found in fruits and vegetables such as oranges, kiwis, mangoes, strawberries, melons, peppers, tomatoes, and asparagus. Iron support: soy products, red meat, white meat, and dried fruits can get it.
- Choose Calcium-Rich Foods
Calcium helps the developing baby build strong and healthy bones. Also, calcium; is necessary for heart, nerve and muscle health. If you do not get enough of this nutritional value during pregnancy, the baby will get the calcium it needs from your bones! For this reason, never skip the detail of calcium support for both your own and your baby’s health.
Your egg has just been fertilised, and your baby is now a ball of cells. So your baby has not started any bone, muscle or nerve development. However, it would be best if you took precautions for these developments that will take place in a few weeks. It is straightforward to get the calcium support you need through cheese, yoghurt, soy products, broccoli, cabbage, okra, lentil beans, etc. You should add these foods to your daily diet.
- Get Protein
We said that nutrition is vital as of the third week of pregnancy. The crucial point here is plenty of protein support. To give the baby healthy tissues, you should consume two to three servings of protein a day. Among the rich protein sources, the first foods that come to mind are Red meat, white meat, eggs, fish, dairy products and legumes.
- Drink Plenty of Water
Experts underline that even under normal conditions, approximately two and a half litres of water should be consumed per day. However, this routine amount is expected to increase during pregnancy. Due to the physiological state of the mother, the need for fluid gradually increases. Water is also essential for future fetal growth. Making your investment now will contribute to your baby’s development and a healthy pregnancy process.
Again, it is recommended to consume plenty of water for nausea, contractions or digestive problems that you will experience in the later stages of pregnancy.
What is Trimester?
If you know that you are pregnant now, you will hear the word trimester a lot in the future. We can say that this expression, which we rarely use in daily life, is the only word of the pregnancy process.
The first trimester is an important and exciting period in which the baby takes the steps of formation and development. This word, which means “three months” in Latin, is given to each trimester of the 9-month gestation period. Three weeks of pregnancy is within the scope of the first trimester, and this period lasts until the 12th week (first three months).
During the 3-week gestation period when the egg is fertilised, and you are now officially pregnant, you should not neglect your health while watching your baby’s development step by step. Your baby’s development success is directly proportional to your health.
Being aware of this, you should review your daily diet, routines and habits. Do not forget that the precautions you take at the beginning of the first trimester will facilitate the following processes, and enjoy the first steps in this exciting adventure.
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Have a nice and healthy day!
