Week 2

My Baby This Week

Your baby's sex is determined at the moment of fertilization. Remember, fertilization occurs at about the end of the second week (based on the common method of calculation). Every gene in our body has 23 chromosome pairs. Out of the 46 chromosomes, two chromosomes - one from the father’s sperm and one from the mother’s egg, will combine to determine the baby's sex. All eggs have X chromosomes. Sperm can have either an X or a Y chromosome. If the sperm has an X chromosome, your baby will be a girl (XX). If it has a Y chromosome instead, your baby will be a boy (XY).

The fertilized egg will begin to go through the division process. It divides into two cells at about 30 hours after fertilization. Each of these cells then divides into two, resulting in four cells. These will in turn divide into eight cells, and so and so forth. By the time the dividing cells, which are moving down the fallopian tube, reaches the uterus, the total number of cells will be 32. At this point, it is known as the “morula”.

What’s Happening To My Body?

Your body had secreted the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This caused the egg to mature and be released into the fallopian tube. Your last period probably started 12 to 16 days ago. Your due date (and therefore, your baby's gestational age) is calculated starting from the first day of your last period. Pregnancy usually lasts 38 weeks from conception, but because its usually difficult to know exactly when fertilization occurs, a convenient method would to be could 40 weeks from the first day of the last period.

In a nutshell, when fertilization occurs, you will be considered to be already 2 weeks pregnant!

There are many things you can do to increase your chances of becoming pregnant, including taking vitamins and folic acid, whilst avoiding alcohol, tobacco and all forms of prescription drugs and medicines, unless your doctor approves of them. You should consult a doctor for more information.