Congratulations if you’ve just found out you are pregnant! You may have discovered this after having missed your period. At four weeks pregnant, a home pregnancy test could show a positive result if it detects the pregnancy hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), which is present in your urine about 10 days after conception.
Whether you’re completely thrilled about the prospect of becoming a parent, or are still getting used to the idea, now is the time to start planning while treating yourself to some extra-special care. If you’re wondering when to expect your little one, try our Due Date Calculator to find out!
While you’ve been adjusting to being pregnant, the new life inside you has been busy. The fertilized egg is implanting itself into the side of your uterus.
It rapidly divides into layers of cells, some of which become the embryo. The cell layers will start to grow into different parts of your little one’s body, such as the nervous system, skeleton, muscles, organs, and skin.
The placenta, a disk-like organ that connects your body’s systems to that of the baby, begins to form and attaches to the uterine wall where the egg is implanted.
The umbilical cord will eventually come out of one side of the placenta, and the amniotic fluid, which will cushion your baby throughout your pregnancy, is already forming inside a surrounding membrane, or yolk sac.
During the upcoming weeks, your little one will form a neural tube, which is the main building block for the brain and spine.