Your due date, or estimated delivery date, is about 40 weeks after the first day of your last menstrual period. However, your baby is considered to be full term between 37 and 40 weeks.
About your baby
Your baby starts as a tiny fertilized egg. The fertilized egg divides quickly, forming clusters of cells as it travels down the fallopian tube.
At about 3 weeks, the egg burrows into the uterine wall, where it will make its home for the next 9 months.
At 4 weeks, the heart, brain, and lungs are forming and the structures of the eyes and ears are beginning to develop. Arm and leg buds are visible and some bones are forming.
About you
Even before you conceive, your body is busy preparing a nurturing environment for your baby. First, your uterus sheds its old lining during your period to make way for a new, fresh coat of blood-rich tissue. About 2 weeks after your period starts, an egg is released into a fallopian tube. One sperm will successfully fertilize the egg.
Tips for staying healthy
- Do not use harmful substances, such as tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. Try to minimize stress and get enough sleep.
- Folic acid is a B vitamin that can help prevent birth defects. Take a vitamin supplement or prenatal vitamin with 400 mcg (0.4 mg) of folic acid daily.
- Eliminate or cut back on caffeine.
- Avoid medicines, and ask your doctor about the safety of any medications you’re taking.
- Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Your to-do list
- Select a practitioner if you haven’t already done so.
- Learn as much as you can. Our pregnancy center has information to guide you through your pregnancy, childbirth, and the challenging first months of parenthood.
- Track your weight throughout your pregnancy.
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