3 weeks 4 days positive pregnancy test

Your developing baby is a tiny ball (called a blastocyst) of several hundred cells that are multiplying and burrowing into the lining of your uterus. The cells in the middle will become the embryo. The cells on the outside will become the placenta, the pancake-shaped organ that delivers oxygen and nutrients to your baby and carries away waste.

Connecting to you

Your little blastocyst is receiving oxygen and nutrients (and discarding waste) through a primitive circulation system made up of microscopic tunnels that connect your developing baby to the blood vessels in your uterine wall. The placenta will eventually take over this task around the end of the first trimester.

Having twins?

It’s too soon to know. But it’s still fun to see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week. You can also learn about your likelihood of having twins or more.

Pregnancy symptoms during week 3

No pregnancy symptoms?

Some women feel pregnant even before the test is positive, but most don't notice anything yet. If you have symptoms this week, some of them may feel like PMS. Don't worry if you don't feel anything yet. Even at 5 weeks pregnant, only half of women feel pregnancy symptoms.

Gas and bloating

The hormone progesterone relaxes muscles throughout your body, including in your digestive tract. These relaxed muscles slow down digestion, which can lead to gas and bloating and create uncomfortable sensations in your gut. About half of pregnant women experience constipation at some point during their pregnancy. To keep things moving, stay hydrated and eat high-fiber foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Sore breasts

Many women say that the tenderness they feel is an exaggerated version of how their breasts feel before a period. Some women also notice their nipples getting darker during pregnancy.

Spotting

One in four or five women notice a small amount of spotting this week. This is known as implantation bleeding because it happens around the time the fertilized egg implants in the uterus. (If you have pain along with bleeding, call your healthcare provider immediately because this can be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy.)

Basal body temperature stays high

If you're charting your temperature, it should stay elevated this week. To keep track, use a basal body thermometer and take your temperature after you wake up in the morning, before you get out of bed.

Pregnancy checklist at 3 weeks pregnant

Pay attention to your emotions

When you're waiting to learn whether you're pregnant or not, or just finding out, it's normal to be more anxious than usual. If you're feeling stressed or worried, talk to your partner or a trusted friend. Or, try writing down everything that's bothering you. Journaling can improve your emotional well-being, mental clarity, and even physical health. 

Avoid overheating

Hot baths are okay during pregnancy as long as they aren't too hot. But avoid steam baths, hot tubs, and saunas. Elevated body temperature, especially early in pregnancy, has been associated with an increased risk of neural tube defects in babies.

Eat nutritious meals and snacks

Eat foods that support conception and pregnancy such as fruits and vegetables, low-mercury fish, and whole grains. Choose foods containing vitamin C (like strawberries, citrus fruits, bell peppers, and tomatoes), iron (like beef, poultry, soy products, and spinach), and calcium (like Greek yogurt, fortified cereal, and pasteurized cheese). For snack ideas, check out 10 of our favorite healthy snacks for expecting moms.

Cut down on coffee

While you're trying to conceive and once you get pregnant, experts recommend limiting your intake of caffeine to about one cup of coffee a day. It's important to watch your consumption of coffee and caffeine overall because excessive caffeine can affect your pregnancy and your baby. See how much caffeine is in different foods and drinks.

Get help quitting

If you need help quitting smoking, drinking, or taking drugs, talk to your healthcare provider and ask for a referral to a program or counselor.

Improve your sleep

Rest while you can so that when pregnancy-related sleep disturbances hit in a few months, you'll be ready for them. Form better habits around sleep and work on good sleep practices like establishing a regular bedtime routine and making your bedroom a sleep sanctuary.

This means that in the first 2 weeks or so, you are not actually pregnant – your body is preparing for ovulation (releasing an egg from one of your ovaries) as usual.

Your "getting pregnant" timeline is:

• day 1: the first day of your period
• day 14 (or slightly before or after, depending how long your menstrual cycle is): you ovulate
• within 24 hours of ovulation, the egg is fertilised by sperm if you have had sex in the last few days without using contraception
• about 5 to 6 days after ovulation, the fertilised egg burrows into the lining of the womb – this is called implantation
• you're now pregnant

Find out more about trying to get pregnant.