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During 4 weeks pregnant,
your little baby is implanting himself in your uterine lining. Your baby is working hard to build a safe, comfortable and warm nest in your uterus. He or she is very tiny right now – less than 1 millimeter long.
Normal Early Pregnancy Changes
You may experience some spotting, or light bleeding, during this process. Called "implantation bleeding," this is a normal early pregnancy experience and shouldn't cause you any worry. You should only be concerned if you experience cramping or heavy bleeding.
If you're monitoring and keeping track of your basal body temperature, you may have noticed a dip in your temperature. This is another normal change.
At 4 weeks pregnant, you are probably not feeling any major changes in your body. Your breasts may not be tender yet, and morning sickness hasn't become part of your day. Pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting, also called morning sickness, often rears its ugly head around pregnancy week 5 or so.
How to Know if You're Pregnant
Though you don't have any of the symptoms of pregnancy, you may just "know" that you are pregnant. Some women are very in tune with their body and may notice subtle changes. If you are one of these women, keep in mind that our minds can often play tricks on us, especially when we want something very badly. The only sure fire way is to with a pregnancy test. If the pregnancy test is positive, you've got a baby on board!
However, keep in mind that during pregnancy week 4, you may still be waiting to see if you've missed your period or not. Most doctors recommend you wait until after a missed period before taking a pregnancy test.
Most over-the-counter pregnancy tests work by detecting the levels of hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotropin) in your urine. (Do you remember reading in pregnancy week 3 that hCG is produced as soon as your embryo implanted into your uterine lining?) If you take a pregnancy test too early, you can have a negative result, even if you are indeed pregnant, because your levels of hCG are not high enough yet.
Chemical Pregnancy
In some unfortunate cases, taking a pregnancy test early can lead to false hopes. Some women experience a "chemical pregnancy," or a very early miscarriage in which the fertilized egg did not embed into the uterine lining. With a chemical pregnancy, you may take a pregnancy test and get a positive result, but then you get your period (miscarriage).
If you have missed your period, but it's been a week and you still test negative with an over-the-counter pregnancy test, call your doctor for a blood test. Your doctor can rule out any problems that may be causing this negative result.
Weight Gain During Pregnancy - Week 4
Your pregnancy weight gain at 4 weeks pregnant is less than a pound. By the end of your pregnancy, you will gained between 25 and 35 pounds for the average sized woman. You have a long way to go, but if you keep busy, your pregnancy week by week will pass by fairly quickly!
During pregnancy week 4, the amniotic cavity is forming. This cavity will eventually develop into the fluid-filled amniotic sac—where your baby will grow and develop for the next nine months. The amniotic sac also protects your baby from bumps and injury. During labor, your "water breaks," which is essentially the amniotic sac breaking and its fluid draining out.
At this point in development, your "baby" is only an embryo that consists of two cell layers, which are dividing rapidly to form your baby's body.
The placenta is in its earliest stage of development. Until it is mature and ready to function, your baby receives his or her nutrition from the yolk sac, which is also forming during pregnancy week 4. The yolk sac also produces blood cells until your baby's liver is mature enough to do this. The yolk sac completely disappears by the end of the first trimester, because both the liver and placenta are mature enough to take over its job.
As you continue your pregnancy week by week, you will be amazed at how fast your little baby grows!
So, it's been confirmed. You have a bun in the oven. Now that you're with child, you have to evaluate your diet. Everyone knows that eating a balanced and healthy diet is best ... but what if you're addicted to junk food? After all, it is very delicious and satisfying.
Junk Food During Pregnancy
Junk food may taste great, but do you want to risk your baby's chance of developing weight problems later in life? Or get diabetes? Plus, when you're pregnant, you have to watch your weight. Being overweight can lead to a high-risk pregnancy, and you will be more likely to need a cesarean section. You are also more prone to gestational diabetes and high blood pressure; both of which can cause harm to the baby.
If you are overweight and pregnant, don't diet to lose weight. Dieting can lead to undernourished babies, premature delivery, and underweight birth weight.
Eating a balanced diet, along with your prenatal vitamins, will have the best outcome – a happy and healthy baby at the end of 40 weeks!
Caffeine During Pregnancy
Addicted to coffee? If you want to reduce your risk of miscarriage, it's best to give up the java for nine months. Studies have suggested that drinking two or more cups of coffee (or another caffeine-rich drink) can increase your miscarriage risk by twofold. Now you might be asking, what about decaffeinated coffee? Decaf drinks can raise your cholesterol.
You can stray from a balanced diet occasionally, as long as it's in moderation. Think about your baby's future first, before reaching for that French fry or Starbucks Frap.
Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, you will also need to avoid certain foods. For the best outcome, you should start avoiding these foods now in pregnancy week 4, instead of waiting until later in the pregnancy.
Foods you may want to avoid eating:
- Raw and undercooked meats, which can contain harmful bacteria (such as salmonella, listeria, and toxoplasmosis), which can create pregnancy complications.
- Undercooked and raw eggs can also contain salmonella. This bacteria can lead to miscarriage and stillbirths. Avoid any food products that may contain eggs, such as egg nog and Caesar dressing. Read package labels carefully.
- Deli meats and imported soft cheeses can sometimes carry listeria. If you love prepared deli meats, make sure that you heat them until steaming hot to avoid getting infected. For cheese lovers, avoid imported, unpasteurized cheeses (such as blue cheese or feta). You can eat soft cheeses that are pasteurized with milk.
- Pain on one side of the abdomen (ovary)
- Certain types of fish should be avoided during pregnancy week 4, as they may have a high mercury content. These fish include shark, tilefish, swordfish, and king mackerel. Canned tuna should also be avoided due to high levels of mercury contamination.
How to Achieve a Balanced Diet
For a balanced diet, you may want to aim to try to get two or three portions of protein every day (lean meats or fish), three servings of dairy (low-fat milk, yogurt, or cheese), several servings of whole grain carbohydrates (rice, bread, or pasta), five servings of vegetables, three or four servings of fresh fruit, and at least one portion of iron-rich food (such as dark leafy green vegetables).
To avoid getting sick of eating one thing, change your menu up. Don't overeat the same thing every day. If you eat chicken and broccoli one day, choose a hearty salad the next day.
If you're struggling with morning sickness, you may want to break up your meals. Instead of three meals, eat smaller meals and snack throughout the day.
The Irish believe that pregnant women should avoid meeting cats, because cats will steal your baby's soul. You should also avoid meeting any rabbits, or else your baby will be born with a hare's lips.
In the Chinese culture, it is a superstition that if you criticize others during pregnancy, your baby will act and look like the person you criticize. They also believe that touching glue during pregnancy will give your baby birthmarks.
In Portugal, it is believed that pregnant women shouldn't cross their legs, because this will cut off your baby's air supply and your baby will suffocate. Cutting your hair during pregnancy is also off-limits, because this will make your baby hairy.
Craving salty food? The Samoans believe this means you will have a girl. If you crave sweet foods, they believe you will have a boy! Rubbing coconut oil on your belly will apparently give you a healthy baby.
In the Vietnamese custom, the new mother and her firstborn baby will live at the maternal grandparent's home for the first few months of life.
Read About Your Pregnancy Week by Week - 5 Weeks Pregnant
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