How Your Baby Grows Inside You: Week 2

You are not pregnant yet but if you are planning to conceive then anxiety and excitement levels are surely building up! We totally understand that this is the  ‘butterflies in your stomach phase’. It is important however, that you maintain your calm and keep the stress at bay. Stress is known to lower fertility rates in women and thus reduce your chances of conceiving. So ladies, take a deep breath, relax and allow your pregnancy to take the natural course!  

During this week, the eggs in your ovaries are starting to ripen. Every month, one of these eggs will erupt from its follicle and leave the ovary to enter the fallopian tube. This is what we call ovulation.

In a 28 day cycle, this generally happens between day 14 to day 17. This is the time when you are considered most fertile and if you do make love in this period, the likelihood of a pregnancy is the highest.

During ejaculation, your man will release millions of sperms into your vagina and these will now swim vigorously in a race towards your uterus and the egg which is still in your fallopian tube.

In the next 24 hours, fertilization will occur if one of the sperms meets the egg and is  able to penetrate it. The sperm’s nucleus then merges with the nucleus of the egg and a unique genetic composition is created within you. This is the magical formation of life, that is going to be your baby!

Your egg carries only the X chromosome, while your man’s sperm carries either  the X or the Y chromosome. What that means for you is -- if  your man happens to fertilize your egg with an X chromosome you can expect a baby girl and if he happens to fertilize your egg with the Y chromosome then a baby boy is on his way! Celebrations are in order, either way.

At this stage though, your baby is a single cell and will soon multiply into trillions of cells, making life bit by bit!  

Signs and Symptoms

As the zygote implants itself into the uterus, a little bleeding can occur which will show as spotting.

*Some women may show early signs of pregnancy  during this period like fatigue or drowsiness. Most women don’t feel any different.

Physical Development

After fertilization, the egg starts multiplying and makes its way into the uterus. This egg is now called a zygote. This  zygote floats around in the uterus looking for a suitable spot to implant itself. It then starts burrowing into the lush lining of the uterus. The baby is now developing at a rapid pace and is called a blastocyst.

*There is still some time to go before your body starts to show any marked external changes.  

Emotional Changes

The excitement might make you a little impatient and you might want to try a urine pregnancy test but the results will still show negative. It will be another two weeks till you see the two lines on the home pregnancy test. So hang on and wait some more on those frantic home pregnancy tests!

Red Flags

The bleeding that is seen after implantation is no cause for concern as long as it is marginal spotting.

*If the blood flow is intense or you experience severe pain around your lower abdomen, contact your gynaecologist.

Old Wives' tales​

Pregnant women are often asked to exclude foods like papaya from their diet as it is said to cause miscarriage. Studies too have proved that eating ripe papayas in moderation is harmless. So relax if you hear this again from a well wisher!

*Infact, ripe papayas are  rich in vitamins and can ease constipation. However, raw papayas contain latex, a substance which could cause uterine contractions and should be avoided.

Also Read: Week 1, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 13, Week 14, Week 15, Week 16, Week 17, Week 18, Week 19, Week 20, Week 21, Week 22, Week 23, Week 24, Week 25, Week 26, Week 27, Week 28, Week 29, Week 30, Week 31, Week 32, Week 33, Week 34, Week 35, Week 36, Week 37, Week 38, Week 39, Week 40

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