Pregnancy Week 4

Learn From the Specialists

What Your Baby is Doing This Week

You are now four weeks into your pregnancy, your baby (still called an embryo) consists of two main layers of cells - the epiblast and the hypoblast - these layers of cells will eventually develop into all of your baby's organs and body parts. Two other structures that develop at this time are the amnion and the yolk sac.

The amnion is filled with amniotic fluid, will surround and protect the growing embryo. The yolk sac will produce blood and help to nourish the embryo until the placenta can take over that role.

What Your Body is Doing This Week

This week your baby should be fully implanted in your uterus and buried deep within the endometrium. Once implanted, the baby will produce a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG, which helps to maintain the lining of the uterus. Another job of hCG is to tell your body that you're pregnant and to stop releasing an egg each month. which stops your monthly periods. A few women will experience light cramping or blood spots when implantation and many women mistake this for a very light menstrual cycle.

This is the week to take that pregnancy test! Also,you may already be showing symptoms of pregnancy such as fatigue, tingling or aching breasts, or nausea. For most women, there will be no spotting and you'll miss your expected period. Congratulations! You're going to have a baby!

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