Week 3

My Baby This Week

Did you know that from the moment of conception, your baby’s characteristics including the eye and hair color, body shape etc would have already been determined?. During this week, the embryo completes the journey through the fallopian tube and reaches the uterus for implantation. When this happens, you might actually experience light bleeding – so don’t be alarmed or mistake this for menstruation.

Meanwhile, amniotic fluid is beginning to collect around the embryo, and will eventually become the amniotic sac. The amniotic sac will provide “state of the art” cushioning for your baby in the months ahead.

What’s Happening To My Body?

The early stage embryo is known as a “blastocyst”, and it will start secreting hormones that will stop your periods from occurring.

You should increase your consumption of protein as it will be required for the building of new tissue – ie: for your baby’s growth. Do ensure that you take at least 75 grams of protein daily.

At this stage, you should also make sure that you take enough vitamins as well as a good balanced diet that contains calcium (1,200 milligrams daily), iron, protein and folic acid. Folic acid in particular, will help prevent defects of the head and spine, which can occur in early pregnancy. Where can you get these foods from? Well, 2 glasses of high calcium milk daily, or a slice of cheese in substitution for a glass of milk, would be very important components of your diet. Your doctor may prescribe multivitamins that contain a good supply of Iron, which is crucial for the development of baby's blood circulation system. Alternatively, you can take red meat such as beef, eggs, dark leafy green vegetables and legumes to “stock up” on Iron.