1 week pregnant
At 1 week pregnant you're not actually pregnant yet. Pregnancy is counted from the first day of your last period, so week 1 is your period. Conception usually happens about 2 weeks later.
What's happening in week 1
Week 1 is the week of your period. Your body sheds the lining of the womb, and hormones start preparing a new egg to mature in one of your ovaries. Doctors count pregnancy from this day because most people know when their period started, but not when they ovulated.
Symptoms at 1 week
There are no pregnancy symptoms at 1 week, because there's no pregnancy yet. You'll have your usual period symptoms. Some websites list early pregnancy symptoms for week 1, but these can't happen until after implantation, at around 4 weeks.
What to do if you're trying to conceive
- Start folic acid, 400 micrograms a day, if you haven't already. Ideally start 3 months before trying.
- Take vitamin D, 10 micrograms a day.
- Stop smoking and alcohol, and limit caffeine.
- Note the first day of your period so you can work out your fertile days with our ovulation calculator.
Working out your dates
Use our due date calculator once you know the first day of your last period, or the how many weeks pregnant am I calculator.
Questions about being 1 week pregnant
Can you be 1 week pregnant?
Not really. Week 1 of pregnancy is your period, before you conceive. It's counted so that all pregnancies are dated from the same starting point.
Can a test show pregnancy at 1 week?
No. There's no pregnancy hormone to detect until after implantation, around week 4.