3 weeks pregnant
Our guide to your 3rd week of pregnancy
Your Baby
The clutch of cells that is your unborn baby has now lodged itself into the lining of your womb and is already beginning to grow. The placenta has not yet formed, but the signals have been sent and it will begin to develop.
Amniotic fluid is gathering around the embryo. This will go on to form the amniotic sac that will protect your little one from now until birth.
You
In week three you can actually determine whether you are pregnant. The hormone HCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin will start to be released by your body telling your ovaries to stop releasing eggs. It boosts oestrogen and progesterone which in turn tells your uterus to stop shedding its lining. It is this HCG hormone that can be detected in your urine confirming you are pregnant.
You probably don’t feel any different yet. But your insides are going through some dramatic changes. The earliest outward signs you might notice include tender, swollen breasts that feel heavier than normal; you could begin to feel tired with no reasonable explanation why and you may feel warmer than normal as your basal temperature begins to rise. This is all completely natural so don’t worry.
Time to prepare
Once you have found out you’re pregnant and got over the initial shock-mixed-with-joy-mixed-with-anticipation feeling you need to start getting the practical side of things in order. Buy books, ask friends and family and consult the internet for all the information you can find about pregnancy. Join pregnancy forums, both online and in your local community, to meet other mothers. You should also inform your GP – who may want to do another pregnancy test – and register with a midwife.
It’s also a good idea to familiarise yourself with the maternity leave legislation. You are currently entitled to 26 weeks ordinary leave and 26 weeks additional leave, so one year in total. This is part of the government’s statutory maternity leave. Your company may actually offer a better system, so it’s worth investigating early on.
You should tell your employer at least 15 weeks before you plan to go on maternity leave. You will need to tell them when the baby is due and when you would like to commence your maternity leave. According to Direct.gov.uk, you should get 90% of your average gross weekly earnings for the first six weeks, followed by £128.73 or 90% of your average gross weekly earnings, which ever is lower, for the next 33 weeks.
Previous (two weeks) | Next (four weeks)