How big is your baby?

Even though it’s called being 2 weeks pregnant, this is actually the beginning of your baby’s new life.

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Confused? Well, basically the 40 weeks of pregnancy start from the last day of your period. This means ‘week 2’ is around the point at which you conceive, because you are most fertile in the middle of your menstrual cycle, and on average this is 2 weeks after your last period.

Now find out how your baby begins to form…

How is your baby growing?

At ovulation, an egg is released from one of your ovaries and will live for a maximum of 24 hours if it’s not fertilised. A healthy sperm will remain active for anything from 12 to 48 hours after ejaculation, so your egg may be fertilised by sperm present from intercourse before you ovulated.

Your egg and his sperm each have 23 chromosomes and when these come together they form the 46 chromosomes which make up a human cell. The united cell is called a zygote and at first it splits into two cells each with 46 chromosomes, then these divide again and again as they pass down the fallopian tube.

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By the time they reach the uterus there are about 100 cells – the building blocks of the baby who will emerge in around 8-9 months time.

Now find out about what’s happening to your body…

What’s happening to your body?

Women don’t always know exactly when they ovulate – sometimes you might feel a twinge on one side of your abdomen or the other, your temperature rises and you might notice a thicker white discharge.

This is why regular sex around the middle weeks of your menstrual cycle is the best option to maximise your chances of conception.

You’re unlikely to have any early pregnancy symptoms or physically feel anything when the egg is fertilised, despite the busy cell division going on inside you!

Learn more about what symptoms to expect this week and check out our week by week pregnancy guide...

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Find out what’ll be happening in week 3 of your pregnancy…

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