2 Weeks Pregnant
Howdy, mommies and daddies-to-be and welcome back to my Pregnancy Week by Week series! What does it mean to be 2 weeks pregnant? Hmmm. As I explained in Week 1, I started this series later on in my 6th pregnancy but have come back to fill in weeks 1-3. These weeks occur before you realize you are pregnant. If you have missed a period and know that you are pregnant, skip ahead to Week 4 or beyond.
So… Week 2. Where are we, exactly? Is your bun finally in the oven? Probably not. Ovulation — the stage of your period during which conception occurs — depends upon the individual, meaning that you could conceive during Week 2 or even Week 3. Consider this week the proofing stage: the step just before your dough goes in the oven. Either way, as your body progresses toward ovulation, there are some changes that you should be aware of, especially if you’re still trying to conceive. Let’s take a look at everything that is happening in your body this week.
2 Weeks Pregnant: Common Symptoms
During week 2, the symptoms you should look out for are signs of ovulation, which is the peak point of your fertility. During ovulation, you have the highest chance of getting pregnant.
Changes to Cervix
Not only does your cervix begin to produce a clear, slimy mucus — a jelly like discharge — around the time of ovulation, it also moves upward in the uterus and becomes softer. A soft cervix during early pregnancy (or ovulation) allows sperm to easily navigate into the uterus in search of the egg. This gelatin-like discharge can be helpful in determining when you’re ovulating.
Fluctuations in Basel Body Temperature
In the days just prior to ovulation, your basal base temperature will reach its lowest point in the menstrual cycle. Meanwhile, a rise in a woman’s basal body temperature signals the fact that ovulation has happened. When trying to get pregnant with my first baby, I kept a log of my temperature each day over the course of a couple months to help find a predictable pattern.
Heightened Sense of Smell
Do you suddenly have the sniffer of a massive hound dog? Studies have shown that women gain a sharper sense of smell during pregnancy, which can play a role in causing morning sickness. I haven’t noticed this heightened sense of smell. That may be to my benefit, as I’ve been fortunate enough to avoid morning sickness. For you, however, your sensitivity to smells during early pregnancy may make you incredibly nauseous, but take heart! This symptom should be gone by the second trimester. Try to avoid the foods or smells that cause you morning sickness or that make your nose cringe!
Increased Libido
Do you have a greater desire to get it on? The same hormones that cause the release of your egg during ovulation also stimulate and increase your libido. Your partner will likely adore your increased libido during ovulation.
Lower Abdominal Pain
Mittelschmerz, or middle pain in German, describes the lower abdominal pain you may experience halfway through your menstrual cycle — so-called ovulation pain. If you experience this cramp-like pain, I would recommend using pregnancy-safe painkillers, like acetaminophen.
Sore Breasts around Ovulation
Your breasts and nipples may get sore right around the time of ovulation and are caused by the increased levels of hormones around this time. This symptom is also very common during the first trimester of pregnancy, so you may unfortunately have to get used to it. Or you may be lucky like me and avoid the symptom entirely — my fingers are crossed for you!
Spotting as a Sign of Ovulation
You may experience spotting during ovulation. This is no cause for concern, as some ovulation bleeding can be expected. This is the case unless the amount of ovulation spotting reaches the levels of your period. Contact your doctor if that is the case.
Thickened Uterus Lining
Every month, your body prepares for pregnancy. Around the time of ovulation, the lining of your uterus will thicken (this will be shed during your period if you do not get pregnant). The thickened uterus lining is meant to act as a sort of nest in which the fertilized egg will stay for the entirety of pregnancy.
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So When Exactly Is My Due Date?
Ovulation is incredibly hard to pinpoint, which is partly why conception can be so challenging at times. In order to align all pregnancies to some standard, doctors typically begin the 40-week clock on the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). This means that you aren’t actually pregnant until conception, which occurs around weeks 2 or 3. To have the most accurate due date prediction, keep track of the days when your period starts while trying to conceive and let your doctor know when your last period began. Technically, this means you are only pregnant for 38 of the 40 weeks.
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Fun Fact About Pregnancy Humans and a whole lot of other animals — whales, dogs, and pigs — all begin as an egg approximately the same size! |
Preparing Your Home for Your Baby
While you make sure your baby’s environment inside your body is safe for pregnancy, also look to your home environment. Avoid toxins and bacterias during pregnancy to reduce your child’s risk of birth defects. Below, I’ve compiled some advice I’ve learned over the years that you should be actively aware of during your pregnancy. Now is a great time to remove the toxins from your life! I’ve even tried to keep some of these measures going beyond pregnancy.
Eat Organic Foods to Reduce Exposure to Pesticides
- Opt for “The Clean 15” and try to avoid “The Dirty Dozen” as much as possible. The Clean 15 are crops with the least amount of chemical traces.
How to Avoid Toxins during Pregnancy
- Avoid consuming alcohol, illegal drugs, and marijuana
- Wear long, loose clothing during mosquito season and the summer.
- Stay inside at dusk when mosquitoes are most active
- Reduce the amount of leaves and empty pots around your house (mosquitoes reproduce in standing water)
- Choose natural personal products, including:
| toothpaste | soap | deodorant |
| shampoo/conditioner | body wash | makeup |
- Avoid products containing phthalates, parabens, and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLES)
- Try to purchase products, such as toothpaste, without sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS free toothpaste) and paraben-free shampoo and lotion
- Distinguish between sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate. Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) is created when SLS undergoes ethoxylation. Both substances can be irritating and SLES can potentially be contaminated with carcinogens during manufacturing, so it’s best to avoid both of these substances when possible.
- Get rid of your toxic house cleaning products
- Get someone else to take out the kitty litter
- Cat litter and pregnancy are not a good pairing due to dangerous Toxoplasma gondii bacteria that lie within the litter.
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Your Pregnancy at 2 Weeks: Prenatal Appointments
At week 2 of pregnancy, the preconception doctor’s appointment is available.
Week 2 Pregnancy Checklist
- Keep an eye out for signs of ovulation
- Use an ovulation test
- Download a period/fertility app (they can calculate ovulation based on your logged periods)
- Take your prenatal vitamin and make sure to get plenty of folic acid
Resources
- What to Expect & What to Expect When You’re Expecting – 5th Edition (2016)
- The Bump
- Parents.com
- Healthline.com
- WebMD
- The Mama Natural Week to Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth (2017)
- Mayo Clinic’s Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy – Second Edition (2018)
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
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