By: ePregnancy
What do you mean I'm not pregnant?
Get this: in your first week of pregnancy, you technically aren’t even pregnant yet!
Confused? It doesn’t make sense to us either, but it’s true. With all that arithmetic you slaved over in grade school, if you were asked how many weeks make up a pregnancy, you’d probably guess 36 (because that's 9 months at 4 weeks a month) but you’d be wrong. It’s a trick question! A pregnancy is 40 weeks or 280 days long. The extra two weeks are added in because your practitioner is using the LMP method to calculate your pregnancy. This means that instead of your pregnancy being calculated from the day you ovulated, it’s calculated from the start date of your last menstrual period. From that start date 14 days are added – because ovulation and conception typically occur 14 days after the first day of menstruation. Add to that the 266 days the baby stays in your womb, and there you have the full 280 days.
If I'm not pregnant, does it matter what I eat?
Yes! It absolutely matters what you eat. Getting the proper nutrition can aid in conception in ways you may not have thought about. Meet your cast:
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The Builders - Vitamins A, E and selenium help to build up your endometrium (the nutrient-rich lining of your uterus in which the embryo will nestle).
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The Regulator - Vitamin B6 is especially important to the proper regulation of reproductive hormones. Boost your intake with lots of leafy green veggies and whole grains.
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The Replicator - Everyone has heard of folic acid, and we all know that we should take it before and during our pregnancy, but how many of us actually know what it does? Folate is essential for the production and maintenance of new cells. And what is at the base of pregnancy but the rapid multiplication of cells? Folate is also necessary for proper DNA replication and if that goes wrong it can result in birth defects, including spina bifida and brain malformations. Inadequate folate can also create problems with bone marrow, which is where our new blood cells are generated. Adults and children both need folic acid to keep our marrow healthy and prevent anemia. Folate also helps prevent DNA mutations that may lead to cancer. So, eat your folate-rich foods (legumes, fruits, fortified OJ) and be sure to also take a supplement.
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The Hydrator - Drinking water is one of the most important things you can do while pregnant. We don't mean just a sip or two at the gym: if you don't already, this is the time to start drinking eight or more glasses each day. Water makes up a whopping 75% of your body, and soon you'll have two bodies to drink for!
Now that you know what you should consume, continue to Week 2 to find out what you shouldn't!