2 weeks pregnant
Our guide to your 2nd week of pregnancy
Your Baby
Your baby is growing at its fastest rate in the first few weeks of pregnancy. The embryo will rapidly develop from just one cell to over 100 cells when it implants itself into the lining of your womb. The sex of the baby is decided right at the beginning and it doesn’t take long before the head, arms and legs form.
You
Your body is going through immense internal change, especially in your hormone levels, so it is important you do all you can to relax and ease tension. You will have to deal with the side effects of being pregnant so the more time you take for yourself to adjust, the better.
These early weeks are often filled with symptoms such as dizziness and feeling faint, heartburn and even constipation. You might also be one of the 70% of women to suffer from morning sickness.
Morning sickness is most common in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The name is a little misleading. Morning sickness doesn’t just occur in the morning and some women don’t actually vomit, they just suffer from bouts of nausea at different times of the day.
There is no hard-and-fast cause to morning sickness, but the hormone HCG, or Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin, is often blamed for it. This hormone controls the release of many other pregnancy hormones and levels reach their peak around 10 weeks into pregnancy.
There are certain triggers that can set off morning sickness such as strong smells, foods that are strong in flavour, changing position too quickly and being tired and anxious. However, there are things you can do to ease the discomfort.
Many women prefer to eat small meals throughout the day as larger meals can lead to nausea. This is also a good method to keep your energy levels up and help combat dizziness.
Don’t move around or eat too quickly; fast or rapid movements can bring on a fresh wave of nausea or sickness.
Make sure you get enough sleep. If you feel tired, even in the middle of the day, lie down and rest. You shouldn’t feel guilty for taking time out to relax.
Ginger is a great natural remedy for most forms of nausea and sickness and the Chinese are big advocates of the plant and its medicinal uses. Add some to hot to water to make tea, or suck on a small piece of crystallised ginger if you need a sugar hit.
Vitamins for pregnancy
In these early stages you need give your unborn baby all the nutrients it needs to grow healthily. Vitamins such as B12, which aids cell growth, calcium and vitamin D, which are necessary for developing your baby’s bones and teeth, and folic acid which helps fight birth defects such as spinal bifida and helps to develop your baby’s spinal cord, are essential. It’s best to get these vitamins and minerals naturally from your diet through green, leafy vegetables, nuts, milk and beans.
However, too much vitamin A, found in red and orange vegetables and liver products, can be bad for your baby’s health.
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