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If we count according to the traditionally accepted obstetric system of counting the term, the second week of pregnancy is not actually a pregnancy yet. This is the time before conception, the period when the egg is determined to be fertilized.
Two approaches to determining the gestational age
When registering a woman, the doctor of the antenatal clinic counts the gestational age, focusing on the date of the start of the last menstruation. It is from this day that a full-term pregnancy after 40 weeks, or 10 “obstetric months”, will be resolved by childbirth. If we consider the gestational age from the time of the formation of the embryo, it would be correct to count it from the middle of the cycle. Using this method, the time of ovulation is determined quite approximately, because the menstrual cycle for different women has a different duration.
From a “purely female” point of view, pregnancy should be counted from the day the expected menstruation is delayed. This logical opinion is based on the fact that a woman begins to guess about her condition when she discovers the absence of another cyclic bleeding.
In order not to get confused in determining the timing, they use traditional methods of counting:
obstetric method – there is no pregnancy yet, the body is preparing for a probable conception. At week 2, the egg matures, and by the end of this period, ovulation occurs. Women planning to conceive a desired child track the onset of ovulation.
Embryonic method – when counting the gestational age from the day of fertilization at its 2nd week, the embryo attaches to the endometrium, starting its development.
Taking a pregnancy test
Not a single, even the most accurate test, will show the presence of pregnancy at 2 obstetric weeks. There are no eggs in the uterus yet, and the hormonal changes in the body, to which the test strips react, have not yet begun. The only possible independent study of your condition is a test to determine ovulation. You can buy it at a pharmacy, or you can determine the date of ovulation by measuring your basal body temperature over several cycles.
Measurement of basal temperature is carried out in the morning, at the same time, without getting out of bed. A woman measures her temperature with a thermometer placed in her mouth, vagina, or rectum. During ovulation, there is a slight rise in temperature, literally by a few tenths of a degree.
If we consider the gestational age according to the embryonic method, then in the second week a pregnancy test will already be able to show a positive result. The approximate time for testing your condition is no earlier than 1-2 days before the expected menstruation.
Recommendations for using tests:
The study conducted in the morning is considered the most accurate, although modern tests operate without error at any time of the day.
A single test may be erroneous, but a two- or three-time study conducted with a 2-3 day interval is always objective.
It is advisable not to rush to use the test strips, the optimal time is the first days after the delay of menstruation.
According to the instructions for use, it is not necessary to evaluate the test result earlier than 10 minutes after the study – it is quite possible that the second strip will appear a little later.
An expired test will not provide correct information.
Changes in a woman’s body at 2 weeks pregnant
At the 2nd obstetric week, the reproductive organs are being prepared for possible placement in the uterus of the embryo. During the previous menstruation, there was a change in the functional layer of the endometrium, the uterine mucosa is preparing for implantation.
During ultrasound, the dominant follicle can be seen without difficulty: it is larger than the others, located on the surface of the ovary. Follicles stimulate the production of the “main female hormone” – estrogen. The more the dominant follicle grows, the higher the level of estrogen in the woman’s body. In response to an increase in the concentration of the hormone in the uterus, a loose layer of the endometrium grows to provide the implanted embryo with everything necessary if necessary.
Ovulation
On the 14th day of the cycle, due to a significant increase in estrogen levels, there is a sharp increase in the content of luteinizing hormone. The dominant follicle ruptures, the egg comes out, ready for fertilization – ovulation occurs. Some women during this period experience pain or discomfort, some do not feel ovulation at all.
Depending on the individual characteristics of the woman, the menstrual cycle may be longer or shorter. Consequently, ovulation does not occur on the 14th day, but earlier or later. The only pattern is that from ovulation to the end of the cycle it always takes 14 days, or 2 weeks.
Methods for determining ovulation:
Measurement of basal temperature – on the day of ovulation, it rises, and does not change during fertilization, remains at the same level. If a woman has measured her basal temperature for several cycles, she can determine the time of ovulation with high accuracy and calculate the term of conception.
Particularly sensitive women may notice pain in the lower abdomen, an increase in the volume of secretions (the effect of progesterone), an increase in sexual desire.
Women with regular cycles, always lasting a certain number of days, can use the calendar method of calculation. Following it, 14 days before the date of probable menstruation, ovulation can be expected. For example, if the cycle is 29 days, ovulation occurs on the 15th day of the cycle.
The pharmacy test for ovulation is based on the reaction to the luteinizing hormone found in the urine. The study is carried out in the morning, not earlier than 17 days before the expected menstruation.
Fertilization
Through the abdominal cavity, the egg moves into the fallopian tubes, in one of which fertilization occurs. The egg cell remains viable only for a day, spermatozoa – 3-4 days. Thus, a woman’s fertility is observed on the day of ovulation and a few days before it.
In place of the dominant follicle after ovulation, a “corpus luteum” is formed that produces progesterone. This hormone stimulates a slight increase in temperature, favorable for the expected embryo, does not allow other follicles to develop, and prepares the endometrium for implantation.
If the egg meets the sperm, it is fertilized. The spermatozoon produces a special enzyme that destroys the shell of the egg. Thanks to this, it penetrates inside the egg, where the genes of the two cells are combined. As soon as the sperm has entered the egg, the structure of its shell changes, preventing the “competitors” from getting inside.
At the end of the second obstetric week, ovulation and fertilization of the egg occur in the female body.
What does a woman feel after conception?
Immediately after conception, a woman may not feel anything at all. If she did not plan pregnancy, then in the normal rhythm of life she may not detect changes in her condition. If a woman planned pregnancy in advance, she is more attentive to changes in her state of health. It is quite possible that the signal of the onset of ovulation will be an increase in libido and an increase in the volume of secretions, weakness and a slight deterioration in mood.