Take your time with this information
Week 3
Although it is too early to detect with a pregnancy test, at 3 weeks pregnant you will have conceived and are officially carrying a tiny embryo the size of a vanilla bean seed!1
Your body
Following ovulation, the remaining empty follicle forms into a cyst called the corpus luteum (CL) and is responsible for producing the hormone progesterone that plays a key role in thickening the uterine lining for implantation of the fertilised egg.2
By week 3 the fertilised egg will have travelled from the fallopian tubes to the uterus, a journey that typically takes around 8–9 days after ovulation. Once it reaches the uterus it implants into the uterine lining and starts to produce another hormone; human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).2 This hormone is what will give you a positive pregnancy test (usually around 4 weeks or the first day of your missed period).1
Symptoms
You may not experience any symptoms at 3 weeks. The most common tell-tale pregnancy signs around this time are:1
- Lower abdominal pressure
- Metallic taste
- Heightened sense of smell
- Mild nausea
Things to do this week
Now is a good time to continue making healthy lifestyle choices to support early pregnancy:
- Try to take folic acid consistently to support conception and reduce the risk of brain and neural tube defects in the early stages of foetal development3
- Staying active and keeping a healthy weight can help support fertility and overall health4
- Try to avoid alcohol consumption and smoking – both are known as risk factors for miscarriage5,6
To test or not to test?
Although it can be very tempting to start taking pregnancy tests, it is advised to wait until the first day of your missed period. This is around 4 weeks after your last period. Some pregnancy test brands state that they can detect pregnancy as early as 6 days prior to your missed period. However, hCG levels start to rise only once the embryo implants into the uterine lining, and double over 48 to 72 hours.1 Therefore, you may be pregnant, but taking a test too early can result in false negatives and unnecessary heartache.