PARENTING ARTICLES & TIPS

1 Month Pregnant

Read on and learn what you can expect to see happening in your body when you are 1 month pregnant ...

Some women may or may not know when they are 1 month pregnant, and if not, it’s only a matter of time until the symptoms of pregnancy become evident. A missed period is usually the first indicator, which may also be accompanied by sore breasts, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, light spotting, or mild cramping. If using the calendar method of calculation, being 1 month pregnant means that it has been one month since the start of the last menstrual period. Ovulation usually occurs around the fourteenth day or midway through the menstrual cycle, and after the egg has been fertilized by the sperm, it takes another ten to fourteen days for the newly formed embryo to implant in the uterine lining. During implantation it is quite normal for some light spotting to occur, but if bleeding is heavy or bright or dark red then a physician should be consulted, that is if the woman knows she is pregnant. Otherwise, the spotting could be seen as the start of the menstrual cycle.

During the first month of pregnancy a lot is happening. Hormones are fluctuating, and periods of being extremely happy are exchanged for times of crying for no apparent reason! No wonder the women’s partners can’t quite figure out what is going on. (Hmmm. I brought home her favorite dessert for after dinner and she cried for an hour afterward not really knowing why!!! Something strange is definitely going on!!!) In addition to crazy hormone changes, appetite may change too. At 1 month pregnant nausea may occur from time to time, especially in the morning, and foods that were once favorites may smell too pungent to eat and cause a mad dash to the nearest restroom. Other significant changes are also occurring at this time. The amniotic sack is forming as is the umbilical cord, and until this process is complete, the yolk sack protects and provides nourishment to the developing fetus.

With all these changes going on at once, being 1 month pregnant is a significant time. Some women may not even know they are 1 month pregnant, and may not even suspect until the second month or so. These women may have experienced a lighter flow during their cycle, but not suspect anything until they miss their next period completely. A planned pregnancy is much different because these women know before they are even 1 month pregnant that they are expecting; they know as soon as their cycle is a little off because they are looking for all the little signs of pregnancy, no matter how subtle. Being 1 month pregnant is just the beginning.

For more information about pregnancy and caring for pregnant mums, see the "resources" section of this website, or go to articles about pregnancy.