Pregnancy Guide: What You Need to Know at 4 Weeks Pregnant

Are you 4 weeks pregnant? There is so much going on with the f0etus growing inside you on your first trimester! Here’s everything you need to know on week 4 of pregnancy.

4 Weeks Pregnant in Months

4 weeks pregnant is how many months?

If you are 4 weeks pregnant, you are in the first month of your pregnancy. You have a long way to go before your baby arrives!

How Long Does the First Trimester Last

The first trimester of pregnancy lasts from when you get pregnant until week 12. The second trimester lasts from weeks 13 to 27, and the third trimester goes from week 28 to birth.

Week 4 of Pregnancy: Baby

The fourth week of pregnancy is crucial for your baby’s development. Your baby is starting to get more and more active, and you may be able to hear their heartbeat with a Doppler machine.

At week 4 of pregnancy, their organs are starting to form, and they are starting to grow some hair! Your baby’s lungs haven’t fully formed yet, so they’re not breathing air yet—but they are working hard to do so! Keep reading to learn more about what’s happening in your body and your baby’s body at 4 weeks pregnant

Baby’s Growth

This week marks the beginning of your baby’s embryonic period, even if your baby is still microscopic. It’s around 1mm and weighs around 0.1g, the size of a poppy seed.

Your baby is developing a skeleton, muscles, and ligaments. They’re also starting to form fine hair called lanugo, which will help keep the body warm after birth.

Your baby’s heart is beating about 100 times per minute, and it can hear sounds outside your belly now!

Baby’s Development

• The amniotic sac is now present at week 4 of pregnancy. This will be home to your baby until the time of birth. Also present is the yolk sac, which will produce your baby’s red blood cells. The yolk sac is also responsible for delivering all nutrients to them until the placenta is developed and ready to take over this function.
• This is the beginning of major activity for them. From now onwards, for the next six weeks, all of their organs will begin to develop (and some will even begin functioning!).

This is also a crucial time when your baby will be most vulnerable to anything that might interfere with their development, so even if you haven’t confirmed your pregnancy yet, steer clear of alcohol, smoking, drugs, and unsafe chemicals at this point.

Baby’s Movement

The best part of week 4? Your baby is starting to move around! It’s probably too early to feel those tiny kicks and flutters, but it’s so exciting to imagine that you’ve got a little person with their heartbeat growing inside you.

4 Weeks Pregnant: Your Body

At week 4 of pregnancy, you may start noticing changes in your body.

Most of the changes will be small, like your uterus growing and your breasts getting fuller. You may also start experiencing nipple pain as a sign of pregnancy.

Your uterus is growing rapidly as it prepares for your baby’s arrival. As for your placenta, it is also growing and developing.

Your cervix is beginning to thin out and soften, which means it’s easier for sperm to enter your uterus and find an egg if you have sex this time around. The lining of your uterus (the endometrium) is getting thicker, and blood flow increases so a fertilised egg can implant itself there safely once it arrives.

At the end of the third week of your pregnancy, you may feel a little more energetic and ready to go about your day. That’s because your uterus has grown to about the size of a grapefruit, which means that it’s pressing on your bladder and making it more likely for you to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. 

You may also be noticing some new symptoms if you’re experiencing morning sickness or feeling tired all the time. Some women even experience headaches or heartburn during this week! The good news is that most of these symptoms will improve by week 12.

4 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms

• You will probably be taking a home pregnancy test to confirm your suspicions of being pregnant—not all women know about their pregnancy this early on. Remember that for the most accurate results, you must wait for at least a week after your expected period. Try taking the test in the morning when hCG levels are more concentrated. 
• You may not yet feel much different, but brace yourself for morning sickness shortly.
• Do you feel so tired lately? Exhaustion is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy due to a dramatic rise in progesterone, the pregnancy hormone.
• Thanks to progesterone again, you may experience a slowing in your digestion, leading to a feeling of bloating and gas.
• There might be some mild cramps and perhaps a bit of bleeding. This is because your baby travels up the fallopian tube and implants him/herself to the wall of your uterus.
• Your fluctuating hormones could be causing mood swings. While it is normal for pregnant women to experience varying emotions, check in with your healthcare provider if your mood swings are becoming more frequent, more intense, or if they last longer than two weeks. 14 to 23 per cent of women battle mild to moderate depression during pregnancy.

Maternal Weight Gain

At week 4 of pregnancy, your body is still adjusting to the fact that it’s now housing a tiny human. The most noticeable changes in your body are probably the extra weight you’ve gained and the fact that you must pee every 5 minutes.

Because your baby is so small, it doesn’t require a lot of food or water to survive—and that’s why you’re not gaining much weight. At this point, your baby weighs just over half an ounce!

So how much should you be gaining during pregnancy? Well, there’s no one-size-fits-all rule here. But if you have a healthy diet and exercise regularly (which we recommend for everyone!), try not to worry about what numbers to shoot for on the scale—focus on feeling good and being healthy and check in with your doctor!

Nutrition

You might be surprised to learn that your baby is already growing at an astounding rate. At four weeks, the baby’s heart has already begun beating!

Your body is also going through some changes. So don’t be surprised if you’re 4 weeks pregnant and hungry all the time. You may also notice that you have aversions to certain foods or smells, making it difficult to keep up with a balanced diet.

Your nutritional needs during pregnancy differ from those of someone who isn’t pregnant. Your body needs more calories than usual to support you and your growing baby—especially during the first trimester when your baby’s organs are forming rapidly.

Eating regular meals (and snacks) throughout the day is important, ensuring they’re balanced with various nutrients from each food group (protein foods; grains; fruits; vegetables). And don’t forget about iron! Iron deficiency can lead to anaemia—which can cause fatigue and shortness of breath—so make sure you get enough iron in your daily diet by eating meat or fish with red meat like beef.

4 Weeks Pregnant: Things to Do This Week

• Once you confirm your pregnancy, you need to stop smoking and limit the intake of alcohol and caffeine.
• Avoid unpasteurised soft cheeses such as camembert, brie, undercooked meats, and soft-boiled eggs to avoid e-coli and salmonella infections.
• Avoid fish with high mercury levels, such as sharks, swordfish and king mackerel.
• If you’re experiencing digestive problems such as bloating and gas, try eating smaller meals throughout the day. Eat slowly and chew your food well. Start avoiding carbonated beverages, gum, and the artificial sweetener sorbitol. 
• Regular light exercises, like walking or prenatal yoga, can also provide relief from gas and bloating. You may also find that wearing loose-fitting clothes at the waist can help you feel better. 
• If the home pregnancy test is positive, you need to call and fix your first prenatal visit to your gynaecologist.
• You need to list any medications you might be taking, whether prescription or over-the-counter and check with your doctor if it is safe to continue with them.
• You need to pay a lot more attention to what you are eating and begin taking prenatal vitamins as early as 4 weeks pregnant.

4 Weeks Pregnant Ultrasound: What to Expect

The 4-week ultrasound is a great time to start getting excited about your baby. At this point, you’ll be able to see them move around and get an idea of their size. 

What the Ultrasound Looks Like

The 4-week ultrasound will look different depending on where in your pregnancy you’re at and what kind of equipment your doctor uses. In most cases, it will be a trans-abdominal ultrasound (TAU), which means that an instrument called a probe is placed on your abdomen so that the doctor can check out your baby’s heart rate, fluid levels, and position in the uterus. 

Some doctors use an instrument called a vaginal probe for this scan instead—it might feel uncomfortable for some women because it’s inserted into the vagina instead of pressed against the abdomen as TAU does; however, many women find that vaginal probes give better visual detail than TAUs do, so it’s worth asking if your doctor has one available before deciding between them!

Spotting on Week 4 of Pregnancy

Spotting at 4 weeks pregnant – should you be alarmed?

This is very common in early pregnancy, and it’s usually nothing to be concerned about. Many women spot during their first few weeks of pregnancy and then go on to have normal pregnancies with healthy babies. Spotting can be caused by implantation bleeding or ovulation, but it’s also possible that the spotting is unrelated to your pregnancy. 

This is called implantation spotting or ovulatory spotting, respectively. If this is what has happened in your case, then your next period will come when expected (usually around 14 days after ovulation).

If you have any signs of pregnancy complications like fever or cramping, call your doctor immediately so they can evaluate whether you need medical attention.

When to See the Doctor at 4 Weeks Pregnant

While mild symptoms like fatigue, breast tenderness, and mild cramping are common during early pregnancy, it’s important to pay attention to any unusual or severe symptoms. If you experience heavy bleeding, severe abdominal pain, or have any concerns about your health or the pregnancy, contact your healthcare provider right away.

Your next week: 5 weeks pregnant

Your previous week: 1-3 weeks pregnant

Updates from Pheona Ilagan

Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.