FOURTH WEEK OF PREGNANCY – DEVELOPMENTS AND SYMPTOMS
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FOURTH WEEK OF PREGNANCY?
From the 4th week of pregnancy, which is considered the beginning of the embryonic period, your baby’s body functions and organs continue to develop until the 10th week. In the 4th week of pregnancy, which is almost one of the most vulnerable periods in the development process, your baby is the size of a flower seed and in the form of an embryo. The embryo of this size has layers called hypoblast and epiblast that provide the development of various limbs and organs of the baby and is divided into three parts.
In two of these three sections; While the circulatory system and the heart take their shape, the early stages of intestinal and lung development begin. In the other part, the central nervous system and the brain take its volume, take shape and continue its development as neural tubes. Within 4 weeks of baby development, the primary placenta also has two types of layers, and the placental cells make deep tunnels throughout the uterus. With this movement, blood fluid is transferred to the placenta. Thus, the nutrients and oxygen needed for the placenta are met. Again, the amniotic sac and amniotic fluid, which occur during this period, host the baby and prevent it from being damaged by various external factors.
The development process of the embryo, which has a size of less than 1 mm, is quite rapid during this period. The vitreous sac is constructed and the amnionic sac is formed around the embryo. The yolk sac is the structure that makes up your baby’s digestive system. At this point, the embryo has 3 different layers of cells and they grow inside the baby’s body in special parts. The outermost layer of these layers is the ectoderm and plays a role in the development of the baby’s eye structure, skin, nervous system and hair. Again, the middle layer is called the mesoderm and is effective in the development of kidneys, muscle structures, genitals, heart and bone. The last layer is the innermost endoderm layer. This layer provides lung, liver and digestive system development.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF PREGNANCY?
During the 4th week of pregnancy, various changes occur in the mother. At the beginning of the 4th week pregnancy symptoms, there is an increase in your heart rhythm. Due to the excess blood volume you have, your body, which cannot keep up with this sudden acceleration, may feel quite tired at first. Accordingly, due to the increased blood volume and increased pregnancy hormones, more blood begins to reach your nipples. Therefore, among the 4th week pregnancy symptoms, the most common nipple tenderness may occur. During this period, the fertilized egg creates a tunnel-shaped channel in the uterus, and you are likely to experience bleeding for this reason. However, bloating in the stomach, changes in hair and skin texture can be seen in a mother with a sensitive body.
During this period, it is quite natural to see symptoms such as nausea, weakness and fatigue due to various pregnancy hormones. You can protect yourself from such negative situations by resting more and controlling your eating habits. In the 4th week of pregnancy symptoms, it is also possible that you will often find yourself as an individual with different emotions. At this point, it is necessary to stay away from stress as much as possible. Short and regular walks during the day are one of the most effective methods for both you and your baby’s health. All these discomforts are uncomfortable for the expectant mother in the first stages of pregnancy, but towards the 12th week, these symptoms also decrease. Besides, all these symptoms can vary from mother to mother.
HOW TO DO SPORTS IN THE FOURTH WEEK OF PREGNANCY?
Continuing to exercise during pregnancy is very important both for the health of your baby and for your health after pregnancy. For this reason, you should definitely exercise every week with the advice of an expert in this process. During this process, you should generally do exercises that are not heavy and will not tire you much.
WHAT SHOULD BE THE BETA HCG VALUE AT 4 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY?
Beta HCG test is done to determine whether there is a pregnancy situation. With the Beta HCG test, the week of pregnancy can be determined according to the results. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin / Beta HCG is a pregnancy test that is preferred by doctors today and has precise results. The reason why this test method is called “Beta HCG test” is the secretion of the HCG hormone as a result of the fusion of egg and sperm cells. Beta HCG hormone, which normally increases during pregnancy, may increase in some cases outside of normal pregnancy. Empty pregnancy, molar pregnancy and ectopic pregnancy are among these abnormal pregnancy types.
Beta HCG hormone value of a non-pregnant woman is between 0-10 mIU/ml. This pregnancy check test is not a benchmark for measuring the baby’s health. The test is quite easy to administer.
Beta HCG value at 4 weeks of pregnancy is average 5-426 mIU/ml. At this point, it does not make any sense if the hormone level is closer to the lower or upper values, and there is no need to follow the Beta HCG values after the 4th week of pregnancy. From the pregnancy test, ultrasound imaging, necessary pregnancy examinations and controls and baby development follow-up are continued.
IS THE BABY VISIBLE ON ULTRASOUND AT WEEK 4?
We can say that the structures that make up your baby’s heart and head develop during the 4-week baby development process. Since the embryo is still quite small during this period, the 4-week ultrasound image cannot be observed clearly. In the 4th week, a ring called yolk sac forms inside the embryo sac, which is too small to be observed, and the yolk helps the embryo to carry the nutrients it needs with the liquid it has.