Hey there newly pregnant moms-to-be! You may be unaware still, but by the end of this week, the Big Bang has occurred and you will have conceived! I sometimes think about what I may have been doing when conception occurred, as it can happen up to 24 hours after ovulation. What do you think? Were you washing the dishes or submitting a work proposal when the exciting moment happened? Congratulations on being 3 weeks pregnant!

3 Weeks Pregnant: Recurring Symptoms

3 Weeks Pregnant: Common Symptoms

Changes to Breasts

While your breasts may have been sore last week as a result of ovulation, breast heaviness this week could be due to increasing hormone levels in your body. Your breasts may feel tender and you may have noticed that your aureolas are darkening. It is also normal for your breasts to develop small bumps around the areola. Have no fear — these are simply oil glands called Montgomery tubercles. These breast changes are natural symptoms of pregnancy. Breast soreness is a common occurrence in the first trimester and for an important reason: your breasts are growing in preparation to produce milk for your newborn. I haven’t had sore breasts, but I definitely am in the minority. The good news is that this tenderness should go away as your hormones stabilize in the second trimester. Hakuna-ma-tatas, y’all!

Metallic Taste

On a list of weird pregnancy symptoms, this one sure takes the prize. Did you just dream about licking a metal pole or was that real? Believe it or not, one of the stranger symptoms of pregnancy is a metallic taste in your mouth. Weird, right? This symptom arises as a result of the increasing hormones levels in your body, which can even affect your taste buds. I haven’t experienced the taste of quarters in my mouth. I’ve learned, though, that you can combat this metallic taste during pregnancy by brushing your tongue when you brush your teeth as well as by eating more acidic foods, such as vinegar or citruses. However, I would advise you to skip the acidic foods if you experience any nausea.

Missed Period

If your period is on the shorter end, you may have noticed that it mysteriously disappeared this week! I for sure just thought my period was late, but when it never arrived, I had my suspicions that something far more exciting was going on!

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Stages of Fetal Development: Baby Growth & Size at 3 Weeks

After your egg is fertilized during conception, your new baby will make the long journey from the fallopian tube to your uterus. Within a couple hours of fertilization, the fertilized egg — or zygote — will split in two. As your little zygote (awww) begins its journey, cell growth continues to occur, eventually leading to the transformation of your zygote into a blastocyst. The blastocyst contains two types of cells: one group of cells called trophoblast cells which will eventually form the placenta and the embryoblast cells that will transform into your baby.

Ultimately, four days will have passed since conception before the blastocyst will reach the uterus, likely while you’re still unaware of its presence. At the beginning of week 4, the blastocyst will embed itself into the lining of your uterus. While the journey doesn’t seem long for you, it was for your baby, so make sure you award the marathon runner with proper nutrition and rest.

All you Need to Know About Ectopic Pregnancies

I know this is a pretty dark topic, but I think it’s important to address from the standpoint of maternal safety. An ectopic pregnancy is considered to be a nonviable pregnancy (unable to grow and survive) because the fertilized egg is growing in an area outside of the uterus. Most commonly, the egg implants in the fallopian tubes. Ectopic pregnancies are commonly diagnosed through a pregnancy ultrasound, a pelvic examination, and/or a blood test. Unfortunately, ectopic pregnancies must be terminated either through surgery or drugs. It is impossible to re-implant an ectopic pregnancy. The good news is that only 2% of pregnancies are ectopic. I’ve created a guide that walks you through what can increase your risk of developing an ectopic pregnancy as well as the symptoms that commonly arise as a result.

Your Pregnancy at 3 Weeks: Prenatal Appointments

Home Pregnancy Test

Home Pregnancy Tests are simple and accurate tests you can purchase over the counter at your local drugstore. These tests detect hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) within a sample of your urine. However, the levels of hCG in your urine must reach a certain level before they can be detected by the test, so taking it too early may tell you you’re not pregnant when you actually are. If you wait — in the past, it took so much mental energy for me to do so — until you expect your period to reoccur, there is a 90% accuracy reading, so try to wait until then.

Pregnancy Blood Test

If you can’t wait this long, you can schedule an appointment with your doctor for a blood test, which typically has 100% accuracy by analyzing only a very small amount of blood.

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How Many Months Is 3 Weeks?

Doctors typically don’t measure your pregnancy based on months for a very good reason: months have a different number of days and weeks, meaning that the month during which your pregnancy occurs would influence the month of pregnancy you’re in. If you’re wondering about this, however, figure that three weeks in months means you are less than 1 month pregnant.

Week 3 Pregnancy Checklist

Resources

• What to Expect & What to Expect When You’re Expecting – 5th Edition (2016)
• The Bump
• Baby List
• Parents.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