Fetal Development at 3 Weeks of Pregnancy

3 weeks of gestation is the time when a zygote or embryo cell has formed after the fertilization process. Even though your gestational age is calculated from the previous two weeks, in the third week actually fertilization occurs and the fetus begins to develop. Check out the full explanation in the following review.

Fetal Development at 3 Weeks Pregnancy

Fetal development begins after fertilization, which is when the egg and sperm cells unite. Conception occurs in the 3rd week of gestation, so the age of the fetus and gestational age will differ by approx 2 weeks.

If you check with a midwife or doctor, then what is calculated or appears from the statistics on the results of the ultrasound examination is the gestational age.

This time benchmark starts from the first day of menstruation and ends on the expected day of birth (HPL) which occurs in the 40th week. Even though the HPL is calculated at week 40, there are times when a baby will be born at week 41 or 42.

Therefore, The third week of gestation is the first week where you are actually pregnant because an embryo has formed in the uterus. After the sperm cell fertilizes the egg, it begins to form a single-cell zygote which then becomes a ball of cells called a blastocyst.

Blastocyst Formation and Fetal Size 3 Months

After being fertilized by a sperm cell, the egg is called a zygote. This zygote then begins to develop and divides into two cells, from two to four, then four to eight, and so on.

During this division, the zygote also travels from the fallopian tube to the uterus. This trip lasts between 3 to 5 days. After 5 days after fertilization, the zygote reaches the uterus and has turned into a blastocyst.

The shape of the 3 weeks fetus from zygote to blastocyst is about 0.1 mm-0.2 mm. The fetus is still very small, that is, about the size of a vanilla bean.

3 Weeks Fetal Development Twins

In the third week of pregnancy, one fetus can split into 2 fetuses. Identical twins come from a single egg fertilized by a single sperm.

This fertilized egg can then divide into two identical cell groups. This cleavage occurs during the first week of fertilization and can occur at the two-cell stage or the blastocyst stage.

If you release two eggs during ovulation, they could be fertilized by two different sperm. If this happens, two separate zygotes will form and are known as fraternal twins.

Gender Has Been Formed

Generally, the sex of a new baby can be known through ultrasound at around 14 weeks of gestation. However, genetically the sex of the baby has been determined since 3 weeks of gestation.

A fertilized egg has 46 chromosomes, 23 from the mother and 23 from the father. One pair of the 23 chromosomes is the sex chromosome (XX or XY). The mother will give the X chromosome, while the father can give the X or Y chromosome.

If the sperm that fertilizes the egg carries an X chromosome, then the sex of the baby is a girl with XX chromosomes. If the sperm carries a Y chromosome, then the zygote formed is male with XY chromosomes.

Changes in the Body at 3 Weeks Pregnant

In the development of a 3 week old fetus, there have not been many physical changes Will appear; because even though the fetus is starting to form, the fetus is still in the process of attaching to the uterine wall (endometrium). Even so, there are some symptoms that may appear as a result of these changes in the body.

Here are some characteristics of 3 weeks pregnant that may appear:

1. Emotional Changes

The most visible signs of 3 weeks pregnant are emotional changes.

Facing something new like pregnancy, of course, can make you excited, anxious, and nervous at the same time; even though this is not the first pregnancy.

These emotional changes may occur due to hormonal changes in the body. In early pregnancy, the body produces estrogen and progesterone for the growth of the lining of the uterus (endometrium) for the growth of the fetus.

2. Spots or spots

The process of attaching the embryo to the uterine wall (implantation) can cause bleeding spots. Implantation bleeding may occur at this time; mostly by the end of the third week.

This bleeding is a fairly common early sign of pregnancy, but not all women experience it. The bleeding that occurs is also not heavy, only in the form of spots or spots. Implantation bleeding indicates that the fetus has attached to the uterus.

Also Read: Spots during Pregnancy: Causes and How to Overcome Them

3. Sense of Smell Becomes Sensitive

Sensitivity to odors can be one of the characteristics of 3 weeks pregnant. Just like emotional changes, this change in the sense of smell may also occur as a result of hormonal changes in the body. This condition can be a trigger for other symptoms such as morning sickness.

Morning sickness during pregnancy is often accompanied by cravings. Although not all pregnant women experience this, research shows that some women experience cravings and nausea.

4. Lower Abdominal Pressure

This condition is normal and nothing to worry about. Pressure on the abdomen can be caused by implantation of the embryo, increased blood flow, or thickening of the lining of the uterus.

5. Metallic Taste in Mouth

These symptoms also appear due to hormonal changes in the body. Generally, this feeling will only disappear when the pregnancy enters the second trimester. You can overcome this by eating foods with an acidic content such as oranges or you can also gargle with salt water.

Also Read: Fetal Development at 4 Weeks of Pregnancy

This third week is a week where you have to patiently wait. Basically, a visit to the doctor is not necessary at 3 weeks of gestation because the embryo cannot be detected by ultrasound.

If you don’t have an obstetrician or midwife of choice yet, there’s nothing wrong with taking advantage of this time for a survey to make the right choice.

Should You Use a Pregnancy Test Kit?

Pregnancy kits work to detect pregnancy by reading the presence of the hCG hormone in the body. In this week, hCG is still basically too low, so use test packk most likely will not be accurate.

In individuals undergoing fertility treatment, testing too early can actually result false positivee, this is because the test kit can detect residual hCG from fertility triggers.

Basically the most appropriate time to use testpack is after you experience late menstruation. After knowing the resultsyou can continue the examination to the obstetrician or midwife to confirm pregnancy.

3 Weeks Pregnancy Tips

During these 3 weeks of gestation, some women may not realize that they are pregnant. Even so, you still have to take care of yourself and prepare your body for pregnancy.

The following are pregnancy tips in the third week, including:

1. Pay attention to food intake

Continue to add healthy food intake to your daily diet. Foods rich in folate and iron are needed for the health of you and your growing fetus. Other nutrients that are no less important at this time are protein, calcium, and vitamin C.

2. Consumption of Multivitamins

During pregnancy, vitamins may not be fulfilled by food alone. Therefore, prenatal vitamin intake is needed. Remember that multivitamin supplements are not a substitute for healthy food, they must be taken together.

3. Maintain fluid intake

Don’t forget to always maintain your body’s fluid intake, especially if you start experiencing morning sickness.

Increase your consumption of water and get lots of rest. If feel nauseous when consuming water, you can also try other alternatives to maintain fluid intake. You can consume fruit juice, clear broth, warm water with lemon juice, and ginger water.

4. Light exercise

An active body can help you maintain your ideal weight, provide energy, improve your mood, and reduce stress. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends 150 minutes of physical activity per week.

Everyone may have different physical conditions. Therefore, the exercise you do must be adapted to your physical condition. When you are pregnant, avoid high-intensity exercise.

5. Stay Positive

When preparing for pregnancy, not only physical preparation is needed, but mental preparation is also needed. Positive thoughts will help you overcome the fears and anxieties that arise while waiting for a pregnancy test.

NowThose are important things to know about fetal development at 3 weeks of gestation. Hopefully this information is useful, Healthy Friends.

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