Pregnancy Week 2
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Read about how your baby's journey begins in week two including ovulation and fertilization.
How big is baby?
Your due date will be calculated from the first day of your last menstrual period. Conception occurs about two weeks from this day, and that's when you're truly considered pregnant. In just 40 short weeks, your baby will grow from the size of a tiny seed to the size of a plump watermelon.
Baby's Development
So far your baby doesn't exist, but this is the week you ovulate. Your ovary releases a ripened egg (ovum) into your fallopian tube, where it will patiently await the sperm that have survived the 6- to 8-inch trek through your cervix and uterus. While 75 to 900 million sperm embark on this journey, less than a thousand actually make it past your cervix -- and only one lucky swimmer will have the honor of penetrating the egg at the moment of conception.
Baby Week 2
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Week 2 Ultrasound
There's no ultrasound image of your baby-to-be for weeks 1 and 2. While your health care provider counts these two weeks toward your due date, you aren't really pregnant. Confused? Your pregnancy due date is calculated using the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). Obviously you weren't pregnant at that time, but it's the best reference your health care provider has for estimating baby's arrival day (until you get an ultrasound, which may provide a more accurate due date).
Read MoreWatch Baby's Growth
Sperm Meets Egg: Weeks 1 to 3 of Pregnancy
Mom's changing body
Is it official yet? Not quite -- but be assured that your body's got those baby-making mechanics well under way. After fertilization, your ovaries start ramping up the production of progesterone, a hormone that prepares your uterus to host the newly fertilized egg, or zygote, that will live there for the next 38 weeks or so.
Weekly Tip
Right now, you're just dying to find out: Am I pregnant or not? Unfortunately, you'll need to stick it out a bit longer. About four days after your egg is fertilized, it begins producing a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), which pregnancy tests can detect in about another week -- first in your blood (via a test at your doctor's office) and then in your urine (which an at-home screening would spot).
Must-Reads
Sperm Meets Egg: Weeks 1 to 3 of Pregnancy
Something magical is about to happen! Watch as the ovulation process occurs, and then millions of sperm swim upstream on a quest to fertilize an egg.
How Do I Know if I'm Pregnant?
When you're wondering whether or not you're pregnant, you need to know -- now! Look out for these common, early pregnancy symptoms and signs.
Am I Pregnant? 6 Things to Know About the 2-Week Wait
Wondering if you might be expecting? Here's what you should know while you're waiting to take a pregnancy test.