Week 1 – Your Last Menstrual Period Before Pregnancy

This week is technically your last menstrual period before you conceive. In the first week of pregnancy, your baby is not even a speck because you body is just about gearing up for baby making. This is your most fertile period, which means ovulation will happen and if the egg happens to meet a sperm, you have reason to celebrate. There will be no overt symptoms of pregnancy in the first week and you won’t know if you’re pregnant for sure till the next month.

Read: Know Your Ovulation Cycle

Let’s try and understand why this week is counted as the first week

Funny, isn’t it?  Your baby is not even conceived and yet it’s the 1st week of pregnancy. Well, to get the facts right, there’s actually no way you can pinpoint the exact date and time of fertilization. Likewise it’s hard to put a finger on the day of ovulation. But you can’t go wrong with the first day of your last menstrual cycle, right? This is why the first day of your last period (if you happen to get pregnant) is used as a pregnancy timeline benchmark to standardize the 40-week pregnancy. This date is also important in many ways as it gives a fair idea about your baby’s due date (Your expected date of delivery is usually calculated from the first day of your last menstrual period.)

Read: Conception Planner

Some tips for you

• If baby making is on the cards, it is a good idea to consult your doctor about any prescription drugs that you are taking and if it is safe to continue them.
• It also good a kick the tobacco habit and steer clear of alcohol and drugs.
• A well-balanced diet with adequate amount of vitamins and folic acid is essential during this phase. You could talk to your doctor about taking a folic acid supplement, as it reduces the risk of neural tube defects.

Read: Best Sex Positions for Conception

Fertility Tips for Dads-to-be

• Making lifestyle compromises is not just for the mom-to-be. Prospective dads too must take care of their health and start making sacrifices.
• One of the primary causes for male infertility is abnormal sperm count. And the factors that contribute to this are alcohol, smoking and drugs.
• And if you didn’t know, external factors like heat also contribute to the quality and quantity of sperms. Even though men produce millions of sperms a day, the testicles perform best when they stay cooler than the rest of the body.
  Studies show that prolonged exposure to heat can affect the testes adversely and slow down sperm production. They need a cool environment, ideally a little below the body temperature, to produce the best quality of sperm. So make sure not to expose yourself to artificial heat environments. Even hot baths and saunas can have a negative effect.
• Refrain from wearing tight underwear. It can increase the temperature of the testicles by up to one degree C!
• If you have a sedentary job, take regular breaks and move around. Again, the heat generated from sitting for long hours can negatively impact sperm production.