4 Weeks Pregnant

When we found out IVF was successful and we were pregnant, we found out that we are 4 WEEKS pregnant! It still feels surreal and because I have never been in this position I don't think it has really sunk in yet that I AM PREGNANT!

I downloaded a couple different pregnancy tracking apps but The Bump and Ovia Pregnancy are my favorite and here is what's going on in week 4: How’s Baby? Missing your little blastocyst? Baby is now as big as a poppyseed, and has entered the embryonic stage of the pregnancy. The placenta is also starting to form, spreading its roots into your uterine wall, and will be quite skilled in its task of transporting vital materials such as oxygen and food by the end of the week. For now, while the placenta settles in and develops, Baby is being nourished by the yolk sac from your egg, and the placenta is busy reaching out and making a connection with your blood supply. Because it’s making that connection, this is when anything in your bloodstream starts to get a direct line to your poppyseed-sized Baby. By now the neural tube, which sprouts to become the brain and spinal cord, is forming, and the amniotic sac and fluid, in which Baby will live for the next eight months, is present. Baby also has three “germ” layers: the endoderm, which becomes her lungs and most of the vital organs; the mesoderm, which will grow into the heart and skeleton; and the ectoderm, which makes up the nervous system. How’s mom? Feeling the heat yet? Not literally - if you’re going to have hot flashes, chances are they won’t hit for at least a few more weeks. By the fourth week of pregnancy, though, even many women who are not trying to conceive have the inkling that they are pregnant, whether due to bloating caused by the hormone progesterone, mild discomfort in the form of implanting in your uterus, or some other sensation. For most women, nausea and vomiting are still a bit down the road at this point, but the science experiment taking place inside of you is already wreaking hormonal havoc, and you may experience mood swings as a result - think of it as your first adventure in the emotional rollercoaster that is parenting! The increase in estrogen and progesterone is also doing a number to reduce the speed with which your digestive system works, in an effort to maximize nutrient absorption and most effectively supply and nurture your growing baby. You may experience aversions to certain foods as a result, but don’t worry, this is perfectly normal. The scientific reasoning around food aversions during pregnancy is murky, but the two leading schools of thought surrounding aversions in early pregnancy are that either the nausea is triggered by the hCG produced by Baby’s placenta, which will nourish and protect her throughout your pregnancy, or that aversions are your body’s way of limiting you from eating things that will be bad for Baby’s development. Whichever one is true, just remember that many side effects are nature's way of keeping both you and your baby healthy.

WE ARE BEYOND THE MOON EXCITED and can't believe THIS IS REAL LIFE! Thank you for all the love and support! It means the world to us!