Pregnancy Signs: 3 Weeks

Taking further our pregnancy signs series, let us talk about 3 weeks of pregnancy signs today. Needless to say Week three of pregnancy is still an early stage of pregnancy but there is a lot that you need to know about this stage. This may be too early for a home pregnancy test. You will have to wait for another week before you can do the test at home.

The Implantation

This is the stage when the implantation has occurred the single cell is slowly transforming into a baby. The zygote is now continuously multiplying from one cell to hundred of cells. Some of these cells will soon form the placenta and the others will form the baby itself. The zygote is now firmly placed in the womb and it is going to be there for the next nine months. We will be taking you through its long journey from here till birth in the next few articles to come.

3 weeks pregnant

The Life Begins

Life has formed within you and a long journey begins. It is not possible to say if it is a boy or a girl you will have to wait for a few more months before that can be confirmed (please note that this is written from a technical perspective. Legally speaking such tests might be banned in many countries such as India where female foeticide is a social evil). However, the sex has already been determined by the sperm that fertilized the egg.

The heart of the baby is already beating. Although it will take some time for you to hear the heart beat.  The skin colour and the colour of the hair have been decided too. You will be surprised that at this early stage the brain, the head, the spinal cord and the intestinal tracts are already developing in the tiny zygote. The baby at this stage is as little as 0.2 to 0.3 mm. Life is indeed a miracle. Externally you perhaps cannot feel much but internally huge changes are happening in your body.

Pregnancy Signs: 3 Weeks

The points that we mentioned of precaution in the last article on week one and two of pregnancy holds good even in this week and for the rest of the pregnancy. You will notice some changes in your body and senses that can affirm the fact that you are pregnant. These changes are:

1. All of a sudden you will start smelling things that you did not notice before. Some smells that you liked will start bothering you. It can be the deodorant of your husband or the agarbatti that you light. Some smells will really make you sick and at the same time you may start liking some smells. The smell of garlic is liked by many pregnant women you can try this.
2. You will slowly and gradually start to eat much more than you used to eat before. Try to increase on your food but try to eat more healthy stuff. Green vegetables are a must in your diet. You must also increase your intake of protein. The growing zygote needs more proteins to grow. Try to have a lot of chicken and at least one egg.
3. The intake of iron and multi vitamins must be increased at this stage. Having a glass of milk a day is also not a bad idea as your body needs a lot of calcium. Eat in small portions but keep eating all through the day.
4. The pregnancy hormones will reduce the rate of digestion as a result the food will take longer to digest. This can be uncomfortable. You may also be having problems of acidity. Try to eat small meals at regular intervals. If you are taking an antacid do consult your doctor before you start taking the medicine.
5. You will also see that the frequency of urination has increased and you are visiting the toilet more often. Increase in urination is a big symptom of pregnancy. When you are pregnant the body creates a lot of fluids that will increase your tendency to visit the toilet more often. This does not mean that you reduce intake of water. On the contrary you must have more water on regular basis. This will only help the pregnancy to develop better.
6. You may also notice constant mucus coming out as a vaginal discharge. This will reduce slowly over the weeks to come.
7. Your breasts may show some changes. They may become heavier than before. All this is because of the pregnancy hormones.
8. Blame the hormones for the sudden mood swings that you may feel at this stage.

If you have had a planned pregnancy then you can meet the doctor for more advice and what you should be doing next. It is always a good idea to keep visiting the doctor on a regular basis. Do follow all the tips on precaution and ensure that you are taking good care of yourself. Do continue the medicines and take enough rest. It is always a good idea to keep reading about pregnancy it will improve your knowledge and also help you to be better prepared on what is normal in pregnancy.

Medical Help in 3 Weeks Pregnancy

If any of the following occur at this stage you must immediately consult the doctor:

1. Too much of pain in the lower abdomen so much that you cannot bear the pain.
2. If there is sudden bleeding that is not stopping.
3. If you feel giddy all of a sudden and there is black out. There is a possibility that the BP is fluctuating.
4. If you feel too weak and vomiting tendency is increasing. As a result you do not feel like having food.

This is more to be kept in mind by women who are undergoing treatment to conceive and have planned a pregnancy. These symptoms may mean that something is wrong and it needs immediate attention of the medical practitioner. If you have even the slightest of doubts or any questions you must ask your doctor. Anything small may be a big matter of concern at this stage.

We hope that this article on week three of pregnancy will definitely increase your knowledge and help you take better care of yourself at this stage. In the next article we will move on to the fourth week of pregnancy.