It can be stressful to wonder if you might be pregnant, whether or not you are trying for a child. While nausea and missing periods are common signs of pregnancy, how can you determine if you are pregnant beyond what is usually considered the first week of pregnancy? Warning: This is a spoiler alert. In actuality, you cannot since pregnancy signs do not appear at this early stage. This is because, although it can be confusing, pregnancy has not yet occurred, thus you are not genuinely pregnant at this point!

Your pregnancy at 1 week

First, let's examine how your pregnancy weeks are calculated. In a technical sense, you are not genuinely pregnant at one week. In other words, you would only be regarded as one week pregnant in retrospect if you were able to determine whether you were pregnant during the first week of your pregnancy. 

In actuality, gestational age and fetal age are two distinct concepts. Your gestational age, or the duration of your pregnancy, is determined as of the beginning of your most recent menstrual cycle. By contrast, your baby's actual age is determined by their fetal or conceptional age. Consequently, your gestational age is what we mean when we say you are one week pregnant.

Before a pregnancy is diagnosed, the first day of the preceding menstrual cycle is used to date the pregnancy. Pregnancy therefore begins one week prior to ovulation. This is the first week of the follicular stage, which occurs before an egg is released from the ovary and fertilization takes place. The follicular stage is the part of the menstrual cycle when an egg is maturing.

This method of tracking your pregnancy week by week can be a little perplexing at first. But don't worry, if you do end yourself pregnant, it will gradually feel more normal. Remember that you may use our helpful due date calculator to determine when your baby might come.

It's important to keep in mind that it can be difficult to determine when your last period was and when you became pregnant if you have irregular cycles, which vary in length by more than seven to nine days. Dating based on the first day of the most recent menstrual cycle can frequently be deceptive or erroneous if the cycles are irregular. When you're a little farther along in the first trimester, you might need to undergo an early ultrasound scan to determine your precise pregnancy dates because irregular-cycle individuals ovulate at very various times. Your blood hormone levels might provide a rough indication of the week in which you are pregnant. However, an early ultrasound can then verify when the pregnancy began. Usually, this happens between five to seven weeks.

Your body at 1 week pregnant

It's too early for any early pregnancy symptoms because you're not officially pregnant yet. However, that does not imply that nothing is happening! This week, the lining of your uterus will shed via your vagina, resulting in the bleeding commonly referred to as your period.

You may still have premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms, such as fatigue, bloating, headaches, and mood swings, for a few days after your previous period. We are aware of how exhausting these can be, but knowing that you're not alone if you do encounter them could be a small consolation. In reality, over 90% of women report having some PMS symptoms, which are brought on by a drop in estrogen and an increase in progesterone following ovulation.

When do pregnancy symptoms start?

Typically, pregnancy symptoms begin between weeks four and six. Missing your period is one of the first indications that you are pregnant, but if your cycle is irregular, it may be challenging to identify this. Additionally, implantation bleeding can occur at three weeks pregnant, or approximately ten to fourteen days following conception, and be mistaken for your period.

Even though it is possible to become pregnant without exhibiting many of the classic early pregnancy symptoms, it is always a good idea to be aware of the warning signs. That being said, there are a few other early pregnancy symptoms to be aware of later on, such as sore or swollen breasts, exhaustion, increased urination, and nausea with or without vomiting. 

It's normal to question if any of them indicate PMS or pregnancy if you encounter any of them. To make matters even more confusing, fatigue and breast tenderness are among the other symptoms of PMS.

When should I take a pregnancy test?

The first day of your missed period is the ideal time to take a pregnancy test. This is due to the fact that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the pregnancy hormone that is detected by at-home pregnancy tests, is produced by your body approximately six days after conception. 

As your hCG levels double around every two days in the first several weeks of pregnancy (yes, really!), testing can become more accurate a few days after the first day of your missed period. Waiting till then can be really annoying, but we assure you that it's the best method to receive the most precise result and prevent receiving a false negative.

It may be better to take the test at least 21 days after engaging in unprotected intercourse if your cycle is irregular. However, if you feel like you need more direction, don't be afraid to contact your healthcare professional for advice.

1 week pregnant checklist

It is advised by experts to take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily for one month prior to becoming pregnant and for as long as 12 weeks of pregnancy. This is so that your baby's developing brain, spine, or spinal cord won't be harmed by a neural tube defect, which is something that folic acid reduces the chance of developing.

Experts recommend starting folic acid supplementation three months before to your intended pregnancy. Because the formation of the spinal cord happens extremely early in pregnancy, it is crucial to begin taking prenatal vitamins and folic acid before actually becoming pregnant.  Pregnancy is more likely to result in neural tube defects if there isn't a sufficient storage of folic acid before this development happens.

When to consult a doctor at 1 week pregnant

You are not formally pregnant at one week, thus this week is not necessary for your visit to the doctor. It's best to contact your healthcare practitioner as soon as you receive a positive pregnancy test result, which usually occurs around week four of pregnancy.

If you are worried about going to the doctor related to your pregnancy, try Soula. Soul is AI assistant for Female Wellbeing. 

Should have been specifically designed for women, taking their unique challenges on their journey towards success and joy.

Soula is here 24/7 to provide women with emotional and informational support during the most challenging periods of their lives, aiming to prevent anxiety, burnout, and depression through neuroscience techniques and conversational AI.