Unless you've planned for the pregnancy, you may not even know you're pregnant till you miss the first period. But if you've planned your pregnancy, and the minute you feel you've conceived, take all the care as a pregnant woman would. Find out what will be happening even from the first week itself.
Pregnancy is always counted from the first day of your last menses. So, if this is the case, then the first week begins from the moment your last menses begins. You will be most fertile around 14 days after the last menstruation. When you want to conceive, it is good to have intercourse when you are most fertile. You can know whether you're fertile by the type of secretion that occurs. When you are very fertile the discharge is sticky, slippery, clear and copious.
If it's a planned pregnancy, you must make it a point to avoid all alcohol as this may impair the development of the fetus. In fact both husband and wife can plan to quit smoking and drinking alcohol, so that they will be conceiving in the best environment possible. You also need to stop taking over-the-counter medicines, or getting an X-ray done. If you're on any prescription drugs, you must discuss this with your doctor so that you can stop it. Also discuss whether it's going to affect your baby, and how you can stop it for the duration of your pregnancy. The doctor will be able to guide you.
Even though you've not conceived as yet, start taking care of yourself as though the baby has already been conceived. When you've successfully conceived, your body temperature will be slightly more, and will remain so till the baby is born. So, it's a good idea to take your temperature daily from the last period before you plan to conceive your baby, so that you may know whether you have conceived or not.
It's unlikely you'll feel any pregnancy symptoms in the first week, because cannot conceive as yet. Since pregnancy is counted from the first day of your last period, and the most fertile period is about 14 days later, how in the world can you even conceive in the first week?
Even if it is highly likely that you are pregnant in this first week, act as if you are already pregnant and take care of yourself and take foods rich in nutrients.
Take a lot of food containing folic acid which will keep the neural tube in the fetus developing well. Foods that contain Folic acid are whole wheat; lentils, black-eyed peas and chickpeas; sunflower seeds; juice of grapefruit, orange or pineapple; vegetables like okra, spinach and collards. Also eat lots of other raw vegetables and fruits; and lots of pure water.
