The first week of your pregnancy is in fact the menstrual phase. The probable delivery date also known as EDD is timed from the initial day you last experienced your periods. Whereas, the fetus has not yet formed during this phase, it makes up the 10 month pregnancy.

Comprehending one's body

It is important to note that for the course of the pregnancy, the mother's health and that of the baby is one and the same thing. Therefore, prior to conceiving make certain that your body is ready for motherliness. The following ought to be taken into consideration before conceiving.

• Drugs, i.e. alcoholic drinks, prescribed medications and substance abuse needs to be avoided at all cost lest your child be born with a serious defects and medical conditions.
• If you are currently on any medication, ensure that you have disclosed it to your gynecologist. Any form of medication that is not prescribed by your doctor can be detrimental to the proper development of the fetus. Nonetheless, for the sake of your health you need to consult your personal physician who then will determine which medications to discontinue or continue using based on its impact on your body.
• Balanced diet rich in vitamins and in particular folic acid is essential. In case it is your first try at pregnancy, it is recommended that you consume at least 400 mgs of folic acid per day. Folic acid functions in minimizing the chances of neural tube effects. In simple terms, this refers to partial development of the spinal cord. On the possibilities of consuming folic acid supplement when still attempting to conceive, you need to consult with your personal physician.

How to determine your EDD

There are two proven scientific means of establishing your EDD also known as expected delivery date, i.e.

• Last menstrual phase.
• 29-day period also commonly known as lunar months.

The most commonly used method to establish the expected delivery date by a majority of medical personnel is the last menstrual phase. This method approximates the pregnancy to last for at least 40 weeks or ten months or 280-days. Nine months is included to the initial date when you last had your periods which is then added to 7 days. Alternatively, your gynecologist will manually count 280-days from the first date of your last periods. To simplify the calculation, doctors often use what is known as pregnancy wheel.

Pregnancy Week 1 - Fetal Growth

As stated earlier, the first week of your pregnancy starts from the initial date when you last received your menses. Doctors do not consider as pregnant during this time, nonetheless, the countdown starts from this point. When conception does finally happen, the fetus has already attained the age of two weeks. When planning to conceive, medical practitioners often recommend that you enhance your folic acid consumption to 400 mgs a day. This ought to be done a month prior to conceiving and continued for three months consecutively. Folic acid intake is vital in preventing cases of deficient development of the brain or spinal cord. In addition, make certain that you take balanced diet daily and steer clear of certain food substances, e.g. alcohol, caffeine and nicotine.