It’s remarkable how becoming pregnant changes the way you feel from the start. Others can’t see it, but your body is telling you that an amazing transformation is happening inside of you.
Physical Changes
- You were two weeks pregnant when you missed your first period, and you’ll be six weeks pregnant when your second period is missed.
- The placenta (an organ developed during pregnancy that transfers nutrients from you to the baby and removes wastes) is forming and making hormones that prepare you for pregnancy.
- You may feel nauseous any time of the day. “Morning sickness” isn’t reserved for mornings only.
- Your breasts become tender and you tire easily.
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Although it’s not yet noticeable, your uterus is growing larger.
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Your weight and body shape probably have not changed.
Emotional Changes
Boy or girl? Blonde or brunette? Green, blue, brown, or hazel eyes? It’s already been determined.
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Hereditary characteristics were set when sperm met egg.
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The father’s sperm determines baby’s gender.
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Your baby is growing inside a sac of amniotic fluid. By the end of the month, your little darling is smaller than a grain of rice.
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Baby’s brain, nervous system, heart, and lungs are forming.
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Tiny spots for ears, eyes, and nose exist. Arm and leg buds are forming.
Determining your due date is strictly guesswork. Typically, it is 280 days from the first day of your last period. Most babies arrive from two weeks before to two weeks after their due date. Only five percent of babies arrive on their due date. Guess it’s clear who’s in charge from here on out!
If your periods are regular and occur every 28 days, your baby is more likely to be born on or near your due date. Age and race don’t have an effect. First babies tend to be full-term or arrive late, while second (and so on) babies may come a bit earlier.
If you’re a math whiz or excel at word problems in math, follow the steps below. If you don’t have paper handy (or prefer to spend downtime napping), use this Due Date Calculator.
Follow these steps to determine your due date:
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Find the first day of your last period on the calendar.
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Count forward nine months to the same day of the month.
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Add seven days.
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This will be your baby's due date.
Example: Your last period began June 10. Add nine months to get March 10. Add seven days. Your due date is March 17.
If you have used birth control pills, have irregular periods, or have not kept track of your periods, your health care professional may determine your due date by:
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Listening to your baby's heart tones
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Checking the size of your uterus
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Checking your baby's movement (You can help by marking your calendar the first time you feel your baby move and reporting it at your next visit.)
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Examining your abdomen
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Obtaining an ultrasound
