Pinpointing your ovulation schedule
Week 2: Your body is getting ready for pregnancy
There's no baby yet, but your body is preparing for ovulation and, ultimately, conception. If you are wondering how you can be 2 weeks pregnant before your baby is conceived, there's an easy explanation.
Conception typically occurs when you are two weeks pregnant, or two weeks after your period starts. Even while you're menstruating, your body is getting ready for pregnancy.
- An egg, maturing within one of your ovaries, releases.
- This process, called ovulation, usually occurs approximately 11 to 14 days after your period.
- After ovulation, the egg moves into one of your fallopian tubes, which connects your ovaries and uterus, and waits to be fertilized.
- If you have intercourse during ovulation, you might become pregnant.
- Sperm can live in your body for up to six days, but your egg, once released during ovulation, must be fertilized within 12 to 24 hours.
- At this point, your egg is 1/200 of an inch - too small to see with the naked eye.
Your Week 2 nutrition and health
How to start choosing the right foods to eat
Growing a baby from a single cell into a healthy newborn draws tremendous energy, nutrients, and resources from your body. A healthy diet can help you maintain your energy. At 2 weeks pregnant:
- Remember, eating the right foods provides enough energy to support you and your growing baby.
- Eat a balanced choice of foods (including nutrient-rich foods containing protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins, and minerals). Balance the five food groups to help keep your body healthy.
- Try to eat foods in the proper proportions. You can try to mentally divide your plate in half. Vegetables and fruits should make up half of your plate. Proteins and grains compose the other half. Use moderation when it comes to fat, sugar, and salt. Visit www.ChooseMyPlate.gov for more information about guidelines you should use when preparing your plate.
A short conception window, filled with possibilities
Your egg, after it is released during ovulation, must be fertilized within 12 to 24 hours. If your ovaries produce more than one egg, this can result in fraternal (nonidentical) twins, triplets, or more, if multiple eggs are fertilized.
How your diet affects your baby
From the moment your baby is conceived, your diet determines if the building blocks of good nutrition will be there when your baby needs them. However, every organ and cell has its own schedule, which is why you should eat healthy, nutritious meals before and throughout your pregnancy.
What is a prenatal multivitamin?
Prenatal multivitamins offer a great way to ensure that you're getting the vitamins and minerals you and your baby will need. Though similar to adult multivitamins, prenatal multivitamins often contain levels of vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid and iron, specifically modified to meet the needs of pregnant women. Talk with your OB/GYN about prenatal multivitamins.