Pregnancy: 4w (on the nose)

Matt totally surprised me by coming home a day early. :D And I’m 4 weeks today! YAY!!


Cravings: Condiments. It’s the weirdest thing. Pretty much anything I eat right now is just a device by which I shovel condiments in my mouth (TWSS).

What I love: That it actually happened! I’m still in shock and denial. [Same]

What I hate: Right now? Food. Good food especially, though I’m trying to make everything I eat actually good for me.

What I miss: Beer, already. Probably because pumpkin brews are right around the corner, le sigh. And full-force coffee – I’ve been drinking half-caff whenever I have some, but finishing is rare now.

What I’m looking forward to the most: Missing AF. I think then it’ll be more real. [Same] I have my first appointment right at 8 weeks, 14 September, so THAT’S pretty exciting, too!

Worries: That it won’t stick. That’s a big worry right now. [Same]

Symptoms: Hm. They come and go. Queasiness, hunger but an unwillingness to eat (I’ve lost 2lbs since the BFP), deep cramps, diarrhea (glad you asked, huh?), and exhaustion starting around 2pm.

Mood: Improved over Sunday, obviously! I swing, but not as far. I’m mostly happy. :)

Sleep: I can’t get to bed early and I wake up early, around 5:30-6am when my alarm doesn’t go off until 6:40. That kinda sucks.

Movement: Um, none. Way too early for that. LOL [Same]

The belly (and the button!): Bloated, but that’s par for the course. I hope it starts going down a bit… [Same] Belly button still in!

Wedding rings on or off: On!

Waist (measured at the belly button: Oh lord, I have no idea. I’m guessing 29.5”, measured by taking my waistbeads and lining them up with a sheet of 8.5”x11” paper. Ghetto, I know, but I don’t have a ruler. I’ll try when I get home. XD

Milestones: We got our BFP!! A very obvious milestone to begin all other future milestones. :D [Same]

Best moment of the week: Do I even have to say it? Come on now. [Same, lol]

How your baby's growing:

This week marks the beginning of the embryonic period. From now until 10 weeks, all of your baby's organs will begin to develop and some will even begin to function. As a result, this is the time when she'll be most vulnerable to anything that might interfere with her development.

Right now your baby is an embryo the size of a poppy seed, consisting of two layers: the epiblast and the hypoblast, from which all of her organs and body parts will develop.

The primitive placenta is also made up of two layers at this point. Its cells are tunneling into the lining of your uterus, creating spaces for your blood to flow so that the developed placenta will be able to provide nutrients and oxygen to your growing baby when it starts to function at the end of this week.

Also present now are the amniotic sac, which will house your baby; the amniotic fluid, which will cushion her as she grows; and the yolk sac, which produces your baby's red blood cells and helps deliver nutrients to her until the placenta has developed and is ready to take over this duty.

How your life's changing:

Sometime this week, you may be able to find out whether you're pregnant. For the most accurate results, wait until the end of the week to take a home pregnancy test. (You can try one now if you like, but you're more likely to get a correct result a week past your expected period.)

If the test is positive, call your practitioner's office and schedule your first prenatal appointment. Most practitioners won't see you until you're about eight weeks along, unless you have a medical condition, had problems with a previous pregnancy, or are having symptoms that need to be checked out.

If you're taking any medications — prescription or over-the-counter — ask now whether it's safe to keep taking them. And be sure to alert your caregiver to any other issues of concern.

You should already be taking a multivitamin that contains at least 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid. Once you're pregnant, you'll need a bit more — 600 mcg a day — so switch to a prenatal vitamin if you haven't already.

The next six weeks are critical to your baby's development. The rudimentary versions of the placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to your baby, are already functioning. Through the placenta, your baby is exposed to what you take into your body, so make sure it's good for both of you.

If your home pregnancy test is negative, take another at five weeks if you still haven't gotten your period. Many urine tests are not sensitive enough to detect a pregnancy at four weeks.

If you've been trying to conceive with no success for a year or more (or for six months if you're over 35), talk to your healthcare provider about a workup exam for you and your partner to spot possible fertility problems. While the results may be upsetting, finding out about a problem sooner rather than later will get you started on the road to treatment — and to your ultimate goal: having a baby.

Pregnancy test re-do "I took a home pregnancy test and got a negative result, but I just knew I was pregnant. I felt it, somehow. So I waited a few days and took another test, first thing in the morning. Sure enough, I was right — this time it was positive." — Anonymous