WEEKS 1- 4

In a woman with regular menstrual cycles, ovulation (normally) does not occur for approximately the first two weeks.( confirm the figure with figure given in Rhythm Method – Contraception – SD ) Hence neither does conception.Hence conception (normally ) occurs roughly two weeks ( confirm as above) after the first day of the last menstrual cycle and of course after ovulation.Subsequently; it is difficult to detect pregnancy by all the routinely available tests until after your miss your next menstrual period.During the third week after your Last Menstrual Period (LMP) the sperm fertilizes the ovum.The resultant egg then multiplies during the third fourth week and the rest of the pregnancy to form a full-grown baby and the placenta at the end of 37 – 40 weeks.This egg grows very fast (by geometric progression) and by first week approximately contains 100 cells.

1st Week Image of developing foetus :

By the end of the third week and beginning of the fourth week, the egg is fixed on the inner surface of the uterus.The sex of the baby is decided by the sperm, which mates with the ovum.If the sperm contains a "Y" chromosome, the resultant baby will be a boy. And if the sperm contains a "X" chromosome, the resultant baby will be a girl.During week 1 – 4, the pregnancy is not obvious (you may not even be pregnant) It is only when you miss your periods will you suspect that you are pregnant.But, a woman who is trying to conceive must tell so to her doctor in case of any illness so that drugs and investigation (like X-rays) unsafe to the developing embryo (egg) may be avoided.
During this period (if you have been lucky and have conceived) you may have some spotting on the 20 – 24th day of your cycle (as the egg embryo tries to fix itself to the uterus) this is called "implantation bleeding"Some of you may also have experienced spotting on the expected day of you period even though you have conceived. This is normal and nothing to worry about.

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