During your month 1 of pregnancy, your developing baby begins to grow and so does their brain! It's time to monitor the many stages of pregnancy and see how your baby develops in each one during these crucial months.

Pregnancy Stages: Month 1

Symptoms of Pregnancy When You’re 1 Month Pregnant

At month 1 of pregnancy, chances are that you may not even be aware that you have conceived! At this point, you are likely to not have - missed your period yet! Even then, there are some signs and symptoms of pregnancy that you may notice.

During month 1 of pregnancy, your baby has settled into your uterus. Your body is already undergoing some remarkable changes; both the amniotic cavity and placenta are forming to take care of your baby.¹

  • In week 4, some symptoms of pregnancy that you may experience include light spotting,¹ as the foetus implants in your uterus. Please consult your obstetrician if this happens for further assessment though it is not uncommon to have spotting in the first trimester.

  • Watch out for morning sickness. Commonly, pregnant women experience nausea and vomiting in the first trimester, especially around the sixth to ninth week of their pregnancy.²

  • If you suspect you are pregnant, or if you are planning to conceive, these early pregnancy stages are a good time to start taking prenatal vitamins or supplements. In particular, you should eat food that is rich in folic acid, an important nutrient throughout your pregnancy. Taking folic acid supplements around the time of conception has been found to lower the risk of neural tube defects.³

Pregnancy Stages, Explained

Your little achiever starts early! From the moment of conception, your developing baby’s centre of cognitive growth starts to evolve – and, like the rest of his or her body, it will continue to do so throughout your pregnancy.

It might seem a little confusing, but your baby’s development is measured either by weeks or months. These are divided into three pregnancy stages called trimesters.

Gestational age is the term used to describe how far along the pregnancy is. It is measured in weeks, from the first day of the woman's last menstrual cycle to the current date. A normal pregnancy can range from 38 to 42 weeks.4

How Does My Baby’s Brain Develop in Month 1 of pregnancy?

Brain development starts almost right away. During the first two and three weeks of pregnancy, the neural tube begins to develop. This is an important groove-like structure that will eventually transform into your developing baby’s brain, spinal cord, nervous system and backbone.

By week six, the left and right hemispheres of your developing baby’s brain start to become distinct. But it’s not just the brain that is taking shape; by the end of the second month, your growing baby is developing his heart and circulatory system. This means his heart starts to beat inside of you – in fact, your developing baby’s heart beats two times faster than your own!

How Do You Support Your Developing Baby’s Progress?

Your developing baby relies on you as their sole source of nutrition. This means that your diet during month 1 of pregnancy can impact not only your health but also your baby’s health and development too!

You can help your baby’s cognitive development by having a well-balanced diet that provides valuable nutrients such as DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (Arachidonic acid). These nutrients are enriched with omega-3 and omega-6 fats respectively, which are critical for supporting the healthy development of your baby’s brain and eyes .⁵ ⁶ These beneficial fats can be found in fish such as salmon, bass and anchovies.⁷

The US Department of Agriculture as well as the US Department of Health and Human Services recommend that pregnant women consume at least eight to 12 ounces (226 to 340 grams) a week of a variety of seafood. During your first month of pregnancy, try to eat two servings of fatty fish – like salmon – each week.

While fish are extremely valuable sources of DHA, it is best to avoid fish and shellfish that contain high levels of mercury, during your pregnancy, as too much of it can potentially harm your developing baby’s nervous system. In general, older and larger fish contain more mercury, so avoid swordfish, shark and tilefish.⁸

Additionally, you can support your baby’s all-round development through month 1 of pregnancy by supplementing your diet with Enfamama A+. Get  your FREE SAMPLE of Enfamama A+, which contains DHA and essential nutrients like Folic acid, Iron, Zinc, Iodine, and Vitamin B6 which are important for your developing baby. 

Did You Know?

The sense of touch is the first of the five senses – sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch – to develop. Your developing baby will develop their sense of touch around the fifth and sixth week of your pregnancy.

What Does Your Developing Baby Look Like?

While your baby’s facial features are not discernable during month 1 of pregnancy, their eyes, ears and mouth will begin to appear. Your unborn child is a unique blend of you and your partner’s DNA, so you won’t know whose physical qualities your developing baby will have until both of you see your child! Their sex, potential height, the color of their hair, skin and eyes, and even some of their personality traits, were determined at the moment of conception by a set of 46 chromosomes.

In the meantime, this month 1 of pregnancy has been a period of hard work for both of you. No wonder one of the earliest signs of pregnancy is the fact you’re feeling tired.⁸ With all these changes, your developing baby will have grown to more than half an inch or slightly over one centimetre long. That’s about the size of the nail on your thumb – an impressive first milestone!

Did you know that your developing baby starts moving during the second month of your pregnancy? To find out more, read Pregnancy stages: Month 2.

Your baby’s brain develops continuously throughout your pregnancy, especially at the onset at month 1 of pregnancy so it’s important to eat foods that support cognitive development. Learn more about DHA and other essential nutrients that help with your child’s brain development.

Want to learn more about how your baby will develop over your pregnancy – plus, nutritional advice, online support and more? Sign up for Enfamama A+ Club to receive new articles, useful tips and rewards that can help you and your developing baby!

Expert Resource:
Dr. Raymond Choy Wai Mun
(MCR 18097A)
MBChB (UK), Aviation Medicine (Singapore)

 


REFERENCES:

  1. Your Pregnancy Week by Week: Weeks 1-4, https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/your-pregnancy-week-by-week-weeks-1-4#2-3, Accessed 16 November 2020
  2. Morning sickness, https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/morning-sickness-pregnant#1, Accessed 16 November 2020
  3. Blood folic acid and vitamin B12 in relation to neural tube defects, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8605127/, Accessed 16 November 2020
  4. Gestational age, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002367.htm, Accessed 16 November 2020
  5. Innis SM. Dietary (n-3) fatty acids and brain development. J Nutr 2007;137:855-859.
  6. Uauy, Ricardo, and Alan D. Dangour. Nutrition in brain development and aging: role of essential fatty acids. Nutrition reviews 2006; 64 (suppl 2): S24-S33.
  7. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. FAQ001 Nutrition during pregnancy, http://www.acog.org/-/media/For-Patients/faq001.pdf?dmc=1&ts=20151020T09.... Accessed October 2015
  8. Pregnancy nutrition: Foods to avoid during pregnancy https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/art-20043844, Accessed 16 November 2020