The first weeks of pregnancy (1-4): the beginning of new life

Man meets woman, sperm meets egg cell, cell nuclei merge? and BOOM! One of the biggest miracles is set in motion: the nine-month pregnancy with a total of 40 weeks of pregnancy (SSW). As soon as the fertilization has taken place, there are countless switches in the body and everything is being prepared in full swing for the birth of the new human being, your baby.

Of all the exciting things that go down in the female body after fertilization of the egg, many women get nothing at all. Others say that they clearly felt the moment of conception after intercourse. You may already have a sensitive sensation for your body, some women even feel like ovulation.

However, most women only realize after about five weeks of pregnancy that they are pregnant - when the first signs of pregnancy appear, but above all the period does not occur and a pregnancy test finally confirms the idea. But a lot has happened by then!

SSW 1 to 4:

Pregnant! That happens in your body

SSW 1-4: ovulation and fertilization

Much has to come together for a pregnancy. The ovum in the woman's body must be fertile at the time of sexual intercourse? and that's it only during ovulation between the 12th and 17th day of the cycle - and then only for twelve to 24 hours, Then the sperm must also "swim" into the fallopian tube, reach the egg and fertilize it. This can take several hours, and only a small fraction of the sperm can do it.

If the fertilization has actually worked, the fertilized egg migrates into the uterus. This takes a while four to five days, and she shares it several times. They are called Morula.

SSW 1 - 4: implantation and bleeding

In the uterus, the small cell pile nests in the loosened uterine lining. This is called implantation or nidation. Now it can start the pregnancy.

Incidentally, when the ovum is implanted, blood vessels in the uterine lining can be damaged and become a so-called Einnistungsblutung comes. It is one of the first signs of pregnancy. The bleeding can sometimes be weaker, some women notice it because of a reddish discharge, others consider that for a bleeding or even the menstrual period. This is especially true if the nidation bleeding is associated with a slight pain in the abdomen. In some women, the bleeding does not even come out of the vagina.

SSW 1 - 4: The embryo is born

This is what the fetus looks like in the 4th week of pregnancy.

The cells continue to divide up - one part of them forms the embryo and the other part the organ that supplies the embryo: the placenta, also called the mother cake.

About a week after conception this will be Pregnancy hormone HCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin) from the placenta formed and released. (Officially, we are now in the 4th week of gestation, since the start date of pregnancy is the 1st day of the last menstrual period.) The HCG maintains the pregnancy and ensures that another important pregnancy hormone is released: the progesterone. This in turn signals to the body that in the ovaries in the abdomen in the next few months, no ovulation is needed. The cycle is interrupted. The period is off.

More about pregnancy weeks (SSW):

In which SSW am I actually? Here we explain how you can calculate the pregnancy week and the date of birth, and give tips for pregnancy calendar and birth calculator on the net.