This is one of the most important weeks of the pregnancy as it is generally in the 4th week that implantation takes place if you have a normal cycle of 28 days. It might have occurred already if you generally have a longer cycle.
A lot of women experience slight bleeding or spotting after successful implantation. Once the implantation is done, a lot of very important processes begin in your body. The uterus line starts getting thicker and a mucus plug seals the cervix. The plug would remain there until the delivery of the baby. More importantly, the body soon starts producing hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin), a type of pregnancy hormone.
When the production begins, the hormone first starts spreading in your blood and then reaches the urine. It is the hCG in urine that home pregnancy tests detect to confirm the pregnancy. However, if your home pregnancy test result is positive, it is not really a 100% guarantee of you being pregnant. There are a few reasons which might give you a positive pregnancy test result. These reasons are-
- Ovarian tumor or any other kind of abnormal growth responsible for producing hCG
- High amount of protein in your urine
- Some kind of medication that affects your hormonal cycle
- Recent miscarriage
- Faulty test kit
Moreover, you should also know that not every pregnancy test kit is the same. They are of many different sensitivities or differ in how sooner or later they can detect the hormone in your urine. What is the sensitivity of pregnancy kits and a lot of other useful details are discussed in this post.
Sensitivity of Home Pregnancy Test Kits
The hCG hormone is measured in milli-international units per milliliter of blood (mIU/ml). So, the pregnancy kits are made with many different sensitivities to detect the amount of hCG in the urine. For instance, pregnancy kits with a sensitivity of 80 units per liter are most commonly used by women. However, if the amount of hCG in your urine is only 40 mIU/ml, the kit would not be able to detect it.
If you do use one such kit to confirm your pregnancy in the initial days of ovulation when the hCG is yet to spread properly, the result would be negative. However, if you use a kit with the same sensitivity after a few days, the result will now be positive as the hCG amount would have increased. So, when purchasing the pregnancy kit, make sure that you check the sensitivity of the kit and buy at least 2-3 kits with different sensitivities to get a more accurate result.
Baby’s Development in the 4th Week
By the time you are 4 weeks pregnant, your baby is already as big as an apple seed. While you might not really be able to see what is happening inside, rest assured that the formation of major organs has already begun. The cells of the blastocyte are now rapidly dividing and the development of the brain, neural tube, backbone and spine has already begun.
From being microscopic just 2-3 weeks ago, your baby has already come a very long way and can be at least seen with the naked eyes. Once the initial development of these organs begins, other body parts like eyes, ears, and limbs would appear. Just a couple weeks more and your baby’s heart would be beating already.
Physical Changes in Women in 4th Week of Pregnancy
How can your baby who is only as big as an apple seed can increase the size of your belly? If you are waiting for physical signs of pregnancy, you’ll surely have to wait at least a few more weeks. While your baby is already undergoing a lot of changes, none of them would be evident on your body.
But as the hCG levels are rising, you are sure to start experiencing a few symptoms. So, rather than worrying about your belly or weight gain, you should focus more on these symptoms. Rest assured that the belly and weight would come too.
Signs of 4th Week Pregnancy
As the hCG would soon start spreading in your blood and urine, you’ll now start experiencing the pregnancy symptoms. In the initial days of the pregnancy, the hCG levels rise very rapidly and you can experience a host of different symptoms, especially if you are pregnant with twins. Some of the most common 4th-week symptoms are as follows-
- Spotting
- Bloating
- Morning sickness
- Nausea
- Implantation bleeding
- Sore breasts
- Food aversions or cravings
- Frequent urination
- Heightened sense of smell or taste
Tips for 4th Week Pregnancy
Now that the implantation has occurred and might have already tested positive in a home pregnancy kit, it is time to get serious about your health and making sure that your baby receives all the nutrition that it needs to develop and grow. Some tips for this week are-
- Avoid alcohol and smoking as they can harm your baby
- Start taking prenatal supplements
- Inform your doctor that you are pregnant
- Get a blood test done to confirm the pregnancy
- Consult your doctor if you are taking any medications
- Moderate exercise can help
Conclusion
The cells of the blastocyte are already multiplying faster than you might imagine. Just keep reading the posts on the following weeks and you’ll actually get to see how marvelous a human body is and how magical the entire process can be. While there surely will be symptoms and some of them might be severe, the entire process is sure to leave you fascinated by the end.
Know that the chances of miscarriage are very high in the first 3 months of pregnancy. So, utmost caution is highly recommended. While experiencing mild symptoms is very common in the 4th week, if something is terribly wrong or if a symptom is very severe, make sure that you consult your obstetrician or doctor as soon as possible.
Pregnancy Checklist at 4 Weeks Pregnant
- Buy some push-up bra to support your breasts as they will soon start growing
- Do not miss your prenatal supplements
- Let your partner know that you are pregnant
- Stay positive