First Three Weeks Of Pregnancy
It was July 24th, 2022, when we dared to do something audacious for the first time in our 3-plus-year-relationship. We blew up fireworks inside of me. Call me crazy, but I knew it was happening the day it happened! I knew we had made a baby!
As soon as the ardor was over, I checked my menstrual app, and it announced in red font, “highest chance of pregnancy.” What are the chances? The ONE time we set free is the actual highest day for baby-making. Oh well! We laughed a little and went to sleep.
Starting Monday, August 1st, I was crying two times a day. I was feeling lethargic and apathetic. Everything felt like a big task that week. Honestly, I hated life a little.
I remember thinking…
“I think my brain broke, and now I suffer from clinical depression…but… what if…I am…pregnant???. Well, I guess I can rule that out so I can start seeing a psychiatrist”.
By Wednesday, August 3rd, I had bought my pregnancy tests, and I was waiting a few more days so it could be at least two weeks from the day of conception.
You may think I’m ludicrous, but the Saturday, August 6th, we were at the beach, and I could feel and see an odd bloatedness on my lower belly. After that, I seriously considered being pregnant. But then, I figured it could be my period, although I had not had period cramps yet.
While at the beach, something bizarre happened. My parents, boyfriend, and I were making fun of baby names. Suddenly, my mom, who’s also like a natural witch, jumped and said, oh, how about we do this game that tells you the sex of the baby? I answered, “Mom… what are you talking about? I am not even pregnant”. She had a shocked face for whatever reason and said, “oh yeah, that’s true… yeah yeah, never mind”.
That same day, I arrived home and began crying again about random things. Finally, after an hour of sorrow, I whipped out my tears and went to the bathroom to get tested while my partner waited in bed.
The test had two lines (which refers to positive). One of the lines was light, yet it darkened as the minutes passed. My boyfriend thought it could be an error. So we were partially excited but mostly confused.
I could not wait to get tested the following morning again. And there it was, loud and clear, I AM PREGNANT! (?)
Week 0:
Clinically speaking, no baby-related things are happening during this phase. That is because you are actually on your period. Nonetheless, this is an important week because, technically, the first day of your menstrual cycle is when your reproductive cycle beings. Thus, you will need to remember the “last day of your menstrual period” throughout your pregnancy (that is how the weeks of pregnancy are calculated).
Week 1:
Right after your period ends, you begin the ovulatory phase. This phase consists of a few days of fertility (5–6 days), where your body releases a mature egg from your ovary. The egg travels through one of the fallopian tubes and lives for 12–24 hours (official ovulation day).
On the official day of ovulation, your chances of getting pregnant are very high. As that is when the egg sits and waits for ONE competent and dedicated spermatozoon to find and fertilize the egg. Sperm remains viable for up to 5 days; this is how long it can take for the egg to be fertilized.
Once the egg is fertilized, BOOM! YOU ARE PREGNANT! and your baby’s genes and sex get defined — this part blows my mind!
Your bodily symptoms are probably null throughout this week.
Week 2:
The whole cellular process has already begun as the fertilized egg moves into the uterus and tries to attach to it. There is A LOT happening inside your body at this point. Your cells and hormones are working very hard for the embryo to reach the" blastocyst stage” (5–6 days after fertilization).
Still, no apparent symptoms in the body. Though, I remember feeling a bit slow and tired towards the end of this week.
Week 3
The purpose of the Blastocyst is to burrow itself into your uterus. This is called the implantation process — which is so beautiful! This is when everything is set for good. Your baby will start growing healthily in this zone!
During this week, some people report light spotting (that is not bright red, but more like pale pink), which means that the implantation process happened — so there is no reason to freak out. For some people, this happens once. For others, a couple of times.
In addition, your pregnancy hormone called HCG begins to release, so this is when your pregnancy test will come out positive.
There are a couple of symptoms that I experienced this week. I was peeing more than usual (noted by others), and I was so bloated. I promise that from one day to the other, my body felt bigger; for no reason! Moreover, I was having trouble sleeping due to itchiness and hot flashes. I did not link these symptoms to pregnancy, but in my experience, my suspicion began when my emotional state got out of control.
Note: The symptoms I mentioned related to the HCG hormone. Other related symptoms include: fatigue, nausea/vomiting (aka morning sickness), dizziness or light-headedness, and breast tenderness.
It felt abnormal to be in that state of high emotions. I usually struggle with serious PMSing symptoms, but I thought this had to be the worst PMSing episode in history. I was crying daily and picking up fights with my partner nonstop. I was so anxious, blue, and furious at the same time.
I thought… Either my brain broke or I am pregnant!
I took my at-home pregnancy test towards the end of this week. Though I celebrated with my partner and family, I was in such disbelief. I wanted further proof that I was pregnant and that everything was okay.
I am now learning that this “disbelief” state is common for many women.
It is complicated to get the medical attention you want in the US since medical services usually involve a burdening protocol, so it was pretty much impossible to get a blood test or an ultrasound without a primary care physician’s referral. I went to three different places without luck.
I had to share my pregnancy and pregnancy doubts with a friend who is a Doula. She reassured me a thousand times that the in-home tests are highly effective and that it is unlikely to get a false positive, especially *four times*. She also told me there is a place called “little bellies” where you can get ultrasounds, though no medical care.
I headed to “little bellies” to get the ultrasound, but it was so early (3 weeks and 6 days) that we could not see anything. My baby was the size of a pinhead; it is literally just cells and blood.
The ultrasound technician did explain that the implantation had happened and that the uterus was ready to create a full baby. Nonetheless, there’s nothing to see at this early stage.
Of course, I freaked out. I wanted to see something that was a clear sign that I was pregnant, and although I saw it, it did not register for me.
After the appointment, part of me just wanted to roll into a ball because I kept thinking, “maybe I am not pregnant.” However, my mom saved the day. She came with me to the appointment, reminded me of the technician’s words, and confirmed that I AM PREGNANT, PERIOD!
This experience brings me to tell you about my first recommendation.
Recommendation #1:
- Go to baby-related appointments with company.
Pregnancy can make you forgetful, and pregnancy hormones make emotions go all over the place — both of these factors are a poor combination for attending important appointments. Bringing someone with you will help you remember what the provider explains and reassure you of any doubts or misconceptions.
Other recommendations:
Overall, the advice from the ultrasound technician was the following.
“Until your first OBGYN appointment, which will likely be after week 5 or 7, you should….”
- Eliminate weight lifting.
- Reduce and manage stress and anxiety.
- Eat the recommended foods for pregnant women.
- Stay hydrated.
- STOP DOUBTING IT — YOU ARE PREGNANT!
- Come back on week 7 to get a whole of the heartbeat.
I needed to hear these clear instructions from a professional, and you may also feel that need, so make it happen! Get the reassurance and peace of mind that you need to have a pleasant pregnancy; your baby will thank you!
See you in week 4!
Daniela Marin | Licensed Therapist | Founder of Healing Right
