Journey of Pregnancy Week 3

3 Weeks Pregnant: Peek A Little, Do You See Anything Yet? Fertilization has succeeded for now. From that one cell, it will divide itself into two, then 4, then 8. You know what, how about 16? No, not enough, 32 then.  Would this ever stop? Yes, at 100 cells which we called the blastocyst. It’s a ball and it’s still microscopic. When you are 3 weeks pregnant, this cell would be the highlight of your show. One part of it would develop into a placenta while the other would form an embryo. Yes, when you are 3 weeks pregnant, its size is even smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. No kidding.  How do I know my baby’s gender when I’m only 3 weeks pregnant? After sperm and ovum have met at a specific point in your fallopian tube, they figure it's time to find a good place to settle down. Yes, let's move ourselves to the uterus. It has a great spot where they can plant themselves. The trip would take between 5 to 6 days but there’s no hurry. You wouldn’t feel anything when you are just 3 weeks pregnant. Onto the next question. So, is it a boy or a girl? Which one? Well, the good news is the gender of your future baby has been predetermined based on the genetic information contained in the sperm that fertilized your egg. If you are familiar with biology, then you would know sperm and ovum carry 23 chromosomes each. When they combine, you would get a normal 46 chromosomes, including one pair that would determine your child’s gender. Yup, even if you are only 3 weeks pregnant, your baby’s gender has been determined. Your husband’s sperm would carry either X or Y chromosome, while you (the ovum) are always X. If the combination is XX, then you’ve conceived a girl. If it’s XY, then you will conceive a boy. Now, for the bad news, you wouldn’t know your future baby’s gender, not until your little one is big enough. Right now, it’s unbelievably microscopic to be seen by ultrasound. Trust me, even after they have grown large enough, sometimes, it can be difficult to know. The physiological synchrony to support the growing foetus So what happens now? Just so you know, when it comes to your egg’s old place in the ovary, it has been replaced. That’s right, its previous follicle got a new tenant. A much obedient one who would like to stay for the next few months or so. Her name is corpus luteum. So many things happen when you are just 3 weeks pregnant. For now, the corpus luteum is kind enough to provide support to the growing baby. It supplies progesterone and oestrogen while waiting for the placenta to grow. After your blastocyst propels itself into the uterus, the part which is going to develop into a placenta would start to release a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), telling the ovaries to stop releasing eggs. Hold them off for now. It will also trigger the production of progesterone and oestrogen that would keep your uterine lining from shedding off which means, there will be no period, for the next few months or so. You will be filled with hormones but for now, your body is not used to it yet. That’s when you’re gonna get morning sickness and other pregnancy-related symptoms.  Maybe you wouldn’t get it when you are 3 weeks pregnant but you will definitely do. At this point, if you were expecting, then you would suspect it right away but if you weren’t expecting, you would typically think of food poisoning first. Nevertheless, you would know by the next one to three weeks or so. Yes, you would.

Journey of Pregnancy Week 1 & 2

It’s impossible for you to realize that you were 1 week pregnant.  For women who knew they were pregnant, the earliest is 4 weeks and most of them knew when they were 6 weeks pregnant. Nothing can be seen when you are 1 week pregnant Fertilization can sometimes be hindered by fertility issues but no worries, 1 to 2 weeks is way too early for anyone to know if they were pregnant. No one in this world knows they were 1 week pregnant. Sometimes, people tend to exaggerate their claims, however, 1 week pregnant usually means the first week they were diagnosed with pregnancy. That can be in between 4-6 weeks gestational age. Happy news for your uterus Your uterus has got the news that fertilization has successfully occurred and now it prepares itself for implantation. Knowing the fact that you are 1 week pregnant, your uterus welcomes the resulting product of fertilisation with an open arm. It’s certainly a difficult task to pinpoint the exact date, let alone the exact time down to the second of which your egg has been fertilized by a sperm.  You might be having sex yesterday but the fertilization can happen anytime up to five days post sexual intercourse.  Yes, you heard it right. Sometimes, ovulation has not yet occurred by the time you were having sex but any moment now, you would ovulate and the egg would be fertilized by one of the available sperms. You are still 1 week pregnant though. Finger crossed. The wonders of pregnancy before you are 1 week pregnant If you want to know why pregnancy is considered a beautiful biological event, it’s because it involved a symphony of hormones raging through the uterine stage, working in concert with each other. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are two hormones which work directly on the developing ovum. On the other hand, oestrogen will stimulate the lining of your uterus to grow thick for implantation if fertilization will ever take place soon.  Yes, that’s right, even before you are 1 week pregnant, your uterus has already prepared a place for your resulting embryo. It will shift itself into a state which we simply want it to be called as the “waiting period for uterus”. If fertilisation happens, then it will be happy to house that embryo. If not, then, they will simply pack up and bleed. Ridiculously difficult to estimate Once they (oestrogen) were high enough, the level of LH will spike. This causes the egg to burst through the wall of the ovary searching for her one true love. You know what, your delivery clock starts right about now. Yes, even before your husband’s sperm fertilized your egg, the time has started. You are considered 1 week pregnant even before fertilisation. That’s why it is ridiculously difficult or dare I say, impossible to predict its exact time of occurrences. Keep on munching those multivitamins, stop smoking, reduce your caffeine intake, stop drinking alcohol and try as best as you can to eat a healthy balanced diet. Snuggle with your partner and let him know that, whatever happens, you are prepared to face anything for the sake of your future baby. The science of pregnancy is something that is still being studied up until now. If you have problems conceiving even after trying for  more than 1 year, don’t be afraid and don’t worry about it too much. Just consult your doctor and raise your concern. To those whose fertilisation are unknowingly successful, congratulations. You are currently 1 week pregnant.  Nothing much to see though. Come again next week.

4 Reasons Why You Should Frequently Bathe Your Baby

Basic clean-up routines have their own perks and can give your baby a multitude of health benefits. According to the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP), a newborn should be bathed 24 hours after birth. There are many benefits that can be reaped from bathing time other than dozens of adorable photo opportunities. This article would discuss 4 of those perks.  #1 It can boost the parent-baby bond If you were wondering why baby bathing time gives you an unfathomable amount of joy, this could be the reason. Bathtime can be the highlight of your day as a parent. It’s the best way to be alone with your child, just the two of you. At first, this particular bonding session can be difficult. Afterall a newborn can be somewhat delicate and even the best of us would be anxious to bathe them. However, as they grow and are able to socialize with you in a cute way, the bathing session can be entertaining to both the baby and the parent. Gaze into their eyes lovingly, count those cute tiny toes, coo sweet nothing, kiss that yummy baby belly and never forget to sing silly songs. It’s important for you to show how much you love your baby so that the little one would realize how much they were appreciated. #2 Bathing your baby can be a good learning experience There are a lot of things that you can learn and teach while bathing your baby. Some aspect of your baby’s personality can only appear at a certain point of time and this way, you can learn about your baby better. Try to trickle water gently into their tummy and see how they will react. Probably they will giggle endlessly. Teach him how to create a splash and who knows, probably they will get creative and kick the water instead. Some babies are not too hyperactive when they are bathing, but they are sure captivated. Just look at their wide-eyed gaze. For most children, water-related activities can be the most entertaining thing they would get to participate in. Don’t forget a play-by-play as you were bathing them. Try to name his body parts while you sud them. Soon enough, they would be learning a bunch of words, more than you would expect they could. #3 It’s the best way to soothe a fussy baby Have you ever encountered a fussy baby who cries their eyes out without any obvious reason and their parents decide to just bathe them? Me either. Most probably you learn this by observation or your own baby bathing experience but nothing is more comforting than a soak in a tub. It’s literally the best feeling in the world. You can amplify their calmness by trying a few infant massage techniques. If they love it, you can keep going but some might turn their head or make a fuss. Don’t worry, it’s normal. If they don’t like it, just cuddle instead. Soon, you will learn what works best for your child. #4 The best way to induce sleep Some babies tend to snooze themselves while bathing and that’s alright. This can happen especially if it is a part of your child’s bedtime routine. You can imagine it being the most secure situation; the lukewarm water, the warm room, and the warm feeling of being secure and loved.