Are you curious about what happens every week during pregnancy? In this part of our week-by-week pregnancy series, we will explain what happened in the expectant mother and the baby's development process in the 4th week of pregnancy. 

Yeditepe University Hospitals Gynecology and Obstetrics Department Head and IVF Specialist Prof. Dr. Erkut Attar gave information about the 4th week of pregnancy.

What Happens at 4 Weeks of Pregnancy?

After implantation, the cell community is divided into two: Your baby will develop from the cells that make up the embryo, and the placenta will develop from the other group of cells. The placenta, also known as the afterbirth, is the bridge between you and your baby and ensures the exchange of nutrients.

First Pregnancy Symptoms

This week may be a little early for positive pregnancy tests. Apart from the first pregnancy symptom of delayed menstruation, other pregnancy symptoms may start to appear this week. You may not feel any symptoms at all, or you may feel symptoms similar to premenstrual syndrome (PMS). You may experience mild groin pain, breast tenderness and enlargement, and mood swings.

Settlement Bleeding

In about 25% of cases, a light, pink/light red/light brown spotting called implantation bleeding may occur, usually before the expected menstrual period. Therefore, when you encounter such a situation while waiting for pregnancy, it is useful not to assume that you are menstruating immediately and to take precautions.

Image of a 5-Week-Old Baby 

1 Question | 1 Answer about Pregnancy

• What should be considered when using medication during pregnancy?

Before using medication for any reason at any time during pregnancy, you should consult your obstetrician and not use medication without their approval. In pregnancy, medication should not be used unless the medical condition or complaints require the use of medication, and medication should be used with the doctor's recommendation. There is a drug suitable for use in pregnancy for almost every medical condition. But as we said, the gynecologist's advice should be taken first. When medication is used during pregnancy without being noticed or when medication is required, the physician should be contacted, and after the content of the medication is determined, its suitability should be determined from the books classified according to these categories.