4 weeks pregnant: doubts? important informations!

The 4th week of gestation  corresponds to the fourth and last week of the menstrual cycle before menstruation falls . Therefore, in the case of a positive pregnancy, menstrual delay will occur, which will make the mother suspect a possible pregnancy.

Although it is very early, when the embryo is more than a week old it has undergone changes in its size and structure on the way from the fallopian tubes to the uterus. At the 4th week of pregnancy,  the embryo implants in the endometrium (internal uterine lining) and the matrix begins to undergo changes in your body.

Symptoms in the mother at 4 weeks of pregnancy:

The main symptom that a woman experiences during this 4th week of pregnancy is implantation bleeding. This corresponds to a brown spot or light bleeding that occurs as a result of the rupture of small veins in the endometrium when the embryo is trapped.

It is important to be able to differentiate this bleeding from menstruation , because if it were menstruation, it would indicate not having achieved pregnancy during this menstrual cycle. In addition, a woman may also begin to experience other changes in her body, although most do not experience symptoms during the 4th week of pregnancy.

Some of these signs and symptoms can be confused with premenstrual signs, which can be very variable among women. However, the most common at this stage is to note the following:

• Increased tiredness or sleepiness;
• Liquid retention ;
• Too much urination;
• Pain in the lower abdomen;
• Stress in the chest;
• Olfactory changes and in some flavors;
• First morning sickness.

The 4th week pregnancy test:

At the end of this 4th week of pregnancy , the menstrual delay will occur, which will make the woman suspect the possibility of pregnancy. It is then the right time to take a pregnancy test that resolves the doubt.

Home pregnancy tests measure the level of beta hormone, also known as pregnancy hormone, in your urine. Therefore, they are a very simple, economical and quick test that a woman can get at the pharmacy.

It should be noted that if it is done before the menstrual period is late, it is possible that the test still does not detect the beta-hCG hormone and gives rise to a false negative. The hormone hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone released by the embryo only when implantation in the endometrium occurs. It then continues to secrete from the placenta.

On the other hand, women trying to conceive through a fertility treatment, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), usually take a blood pregnancy test. Its sensitivity to detect the beta-hCG hormone is higher and so is its reliability.

In addition, the blood test can be quantitative, so it is possible to know the exact value of the beta-hCG hormone and compare it to the reference levels for the 4th week of pregnancy .

The baby at 4 weeks of pregnancy :

The embryo is already implanted in the uterus, with a size between 0.36 and 1 mm in length. The most notable thing about this week is that the embryo begins to take on the shape of its body, which is called “embryonic disc folding”. It can be said that it is the moment when it acquires three-dimensionality, thanks to the fact that it adopts a cylindrical shape reminiscent of a Jewish shape.

The group of cells is differentiated into three leaves, which will give rise to future organs:

• Ectoderm: is the outermost layer, which will give rise to the nervous system.
• Endoderm: will lead to the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, liver and thyroid.
• Mesoderm: will form the bones, muscles and blood system.

In short, they are folds of cells that are beginning to define themselves, and they still have a long way to go before they adopt the shapes and positions that correspond to them.

Mother at  4 weeks of pregnancy :

You may feel a little swollen abdomen, tightness in the breasts and an increase in their volume. Also, you may experience different symptoms as a result of pregnancy such as:

• Frequent urination.
• Intensification in the perception of odors.
• Nausea and sometimes vomiting.
• The emotional state is altered as a result of hormonal changes.
• The doctor should be consulted to monitor the development of the fetus.

Do not take medications that have not been recommended by specialists, as there are contraindicated treatments during this period. There are also certain fears about the development of pregnancy, with fears and insecurities, although it depends on each woman. It is necessary to be positive, share feelings and think about the new life that is developing.

Bleeding at 4 weeks of pregnancy:

After fertilization, when the baby is still a very, very small ball, it reaches the fallopian tube uterus (where its partner’s sperm has gathered) and “buries” or implants it there to begin growing the placenta.

During this process, some small veins may break, causing you to bleed a little. These small losses in early pregnancy are called “implantation bleeding”.

It’s not very important and some women don’t realize it because they appear around the time their period was supposed  to come for them. All this is normal and you don’t have to worry. But if you’re having heavy bleeding, it’s different. In that case, you should call your doctor right away.

Important advice for 4 weeks of pregnancy :

Now that pregnancy is a fact, you and your partner should stop smoking – if you haven’t already – because avoiding smoking reduces the risk of miscarriage, death of the baby at birth, premature birth, low birth weight at the time of delivery. birth and sudden infant death.

Should you also reduce or even avoid your intake of alcohol and caffeine? We advise pregnant women not to take more than 200 mg of caffeine a day, the equivalent of two cups of instant coffee, filtered coffee or two cups of tea. Before you head to decaf, you should know that they can raise your cholesterol.

The importance of a healthy and balanced diet will also guarantee the best well-being of the baby and the mother, but not only that, since being overweight before pregnancy or gaining too much weight during pregnancy has risks such as the occurrence of gestational diabetes. or hypertension during pregnancy, which involves having a cesarean section at the time of giving birth, and an increased likelihood that your child will develop diabetes or obesity later in life.