Week 4 

At this time, it has already attached to the uterine wall and the fertilized egg is called a blastocyst and consists of a group of cells that later develop into an embryo and its supporting structures. At 4 weeks of age, the embryo is about 0.35mm to 1mm in size. It consists of two layers of cells that will eventually form all of the baby’s organs and tissues. The outer layer will be the placenta and amniotic sac. 

Symptoms 

Hormones such as estrogen and progesterone will increase in your body to support pregnancy and prevent menstruation. You may begin to experience pregnancy symptoms such as feeling tired easily, nausea, and mood swings (you may feel more sensitive than usual).  For some pregnant women, they have already started experiencing morning sickness (nausea). 

Tips for you 

This is the time for you to start taking Folic Acid. It is important for the early development of the baby in the womb. Folic acid helps the formation of the neural tube and helps reduce the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly.

If you are experiencing morning sickness, avoid eating large portions because it can easily make you feel nauseous. Instead, try to eat food with a small portion (quantity) but often. Avoid spicy, fried, fatty and caffeine foods. It triggers nausea. Chewing ginger candy or drinking ginger tea helps reduce nausea because ginger has natural anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce nausea. 

Stay hydrated by drinking enough water. Get enough rest so you have more energy the next day. Don’t worry, usually morning sickness will improve as the gestational age increases. 

Sono Ultrasound 

You can now start making an appointment called a Growth Scan to check your content later. Growth Scan will usually check the size of the sac, the gestational age and the position of the sac (to ensure whether it is in the uterus).