In this article:
Key takeaways at week 2
Baby's development at week 2
Pregnancy symptoms this week
Your body at 2 weeks
Tips for week 2
Checklist for week 2
- At this stage, you’re not truly pregnant. You’re actually in the second week of your ovulation cycle. (Confused? Read on!)
- You might be ovulating! Check for the subtle symptoms or consider getting an ovulation predictor kit. It could be baby-making time!
- If you’re trying to conceive, start preparing for the journey ahead. Begin taking a prenatal vitamin, cut out alcohol and tobacco and make some healthy lifestyle adjustments.
Think you’re 2 weeks pregnant? You might not be—here’s why. Most OBs count pregnancy starting from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). (It’s more accurate for doctors to estimate a due date this way.) So if you think you conceived about two weeks ago, you’re probably at least four weeks pregnant—maybe even five. We give you permission to skip ahead to week four. If you really are in the second week of your cycle and are trying to conceive, we’ve got some advice right here for you.
What’s Happening at 2 weeks pregnant? Your period should be finished and you might start ovulating in the next few days. So at 2 weeks pregnant, you’re actually not pregnant. But you may be close! If you’re preparing to try to get pregnant, keep your eyes open for signs of ovulation and do that thing you do to get pregnant—have plenty of sex around the time you expect to ovulate.
2 week ultrasound
You probably won’t have a 2 weeks pregnant ultrasound. If you could see inside your 2 weeks belly at the time of ovulation, it’d go a little something like this: First your ovary releases an egg (smaller than a fleck of ground pepper) into your fallopian tube, where it must be fertilized within 12 to 24 hours. If you’ve had sex within the last six days, there could still be living sperm inside you, and one of those could fertilize the egg. Otherwise, you’ll have to have sex stat to get pregnant.
Getting pregnant relies on timing sex for when you’re most fertile—this is probably in the two days before you ovulate and the day you actually ovulate. If you’ve got a regular 28-day cycle, chances are you ovulate on day 15. But let’s be real, not everyone has a regular 28-day cycle every month!
At two weeks pregnant, symptoms of ovulation can clue you in on the best time to have sex and hopefully conceive a baby. You’re probably ovulating if you notice these signs at week 2 of pregnancy:
“Egg white” cervical mucus
Sounds a little gross, but it’s true. Your cervical mucus becomes thin, clear and stringy, like egg whites, as you near ovulation. This consistency helps sperm travel toward the egg.
Better sense of smell
Believe it! Hormonal changes boost your ability to pick up different scents, which is probably nature’s way of helping you sniff out male pheromones in an effort to procreate.
Breast soreness or tenderness
Hormone surges associated with ovulation can make your boobs feel slightly sore.
Pelvic ache
As your ovary releases an egg, you might feel a little twinge in one side of your abdomen. This is the phenomenon known as Mittelschmerz, named for the doctor who first documented it.
Light spotting
You might notice a small tinge of red or brown on your underwear around the time of ovulation. This spotting can be common, but let your doctor know if you experience something heavier than just random spotting in between periods, or if that spotting is bothersome to you.
Increased sex drive
A higher libido is not uncommon during ovulation. You might “just know” that you’re ovulating and naturally get revved up for some baby-making sex.
Cervical changes
If you check your cervix routinely—something women who chart often do—you may notice a change as it becomes higher, softer and more open when you’re ovulating.
Some women buy an OTC ovulation prediction kit to help them figure out when they might be most fertile. A low-tech strategy is to have sex every other day from about day 10 to day 18 of your menstrual cycle—meaning toward the end of the second week to the beginning of the third.
How soon do pregnancy symptoms start?
For some people, pregnancy symptoms can begin just a few days after conception. You may experience physical symptoms, or you may just sense that something is different in your body. Other people may not feel any difference in their body until well after seeing a positive pregnancy test.
If you have conceived at 2 weeks pregnant, these are the symptoms that could soon clue you in:
Spotting
About 5 to 10 days after conception, you may notice a little spotting. This is caused by the embryo implanting itself into the lining of your uterus.
Frequent urination
Pregnancy hormones can cause you to take more trips to the bathroom in the first weeks of pregnancy.
Sore breasts and/or darker areolas
Pretty much as soon as those hormones appear, a woman’s body starts prepping her boobs for breastfeeding.
Fatigue
Total exhaustion is some women’s first clue they’re expecting. That’s because your body will use a ton of energy to grow baby.
Morning sickness
Probably the most notorious pregnancy symptom, nausea usually begins to rear its ugly head around week 4 to week 9.
Bloating
As your body starts to realize you’re pregnant, it will probably slow down the digestion process in an effort to deliver more nutrients to baby. This can result in a bit of gas and bloating—hey, maybe it will even look a bit like a 2 weeks pregnant belly! (Not that that exists.)
What are some unusual signs of early pregnancy?
Have you had nosebleeds, dizziness, acne or a weird, metallic taste in your mouth? These could be early signs that you’re pregnant. The earliest signs of pregnancy are the result of changes in your hormones, and those hormones can cause a variety of bizarre symptoms. While some of them are well known, like morning sickness and fatigue, you might not expect the weird taste in your mouth. Don’t worry about these odd symptoms, but do take note of them so you can communicate them to your doctor if they bother you.
If you do conceive at 2 weeks pregnant, symptoms won’t appear right away. In fact, you won’t be able to find out for sure if you’re pregnant until there’s enough pregnancy hormone in your system for a home pregnancy test to detect. That should happen at about week 4, which is the same time you’ll probably miss your period. Around this time, those hormone levels are finally high enough that they give you some noticeable pregnancy symptoms. Some women swear they do start noticing early pregnancy signs before week 4 though.
If you haven’t already, you should make a preconception visit with your ob-gyn. At this visit they'll make sure you're healthy to conceive, check your blood pressure and review your medical history, medications and immunizations. This visit is an important first to step to optimize your health before pregnancy!
It’s time to get ready. Here’s how you can get your ducks in a row to try to get pregnant.
Time your sex in order to conceive
Now it’s time to start “trying,” as the saying goes. At 2 weeks pregnant, you’re not actually pregnant yet, but you’re likely in the most fertile part of your cycle, so it’s time to get busy! Have sex regularly (although the best timing depends on your individual cycle to maximize your likelihood of getting pregnant).
Relax and take care of yourself
Trying to conceive is a lot more fun if you can relax and enjoy the process. Plus, stress could reduce your likelihood of getting pregnant as quickly. Try to incorporate relaxing, calming routines into your life like streaming a yoga class or spending time each day reading with a cup of tea. This is great for your overall mental health, but it just might help get that egg fertilized too.
Take care of your body
Your body is about to begin a big new job, so treat it well. Drink lots of water and eat well, and cut out any bad habits like smoking or drinking too much coffee. It’s a good idea to stop drinking alcohol now, just in case, and to get regular moderate exercise.
Take a deep breath, and don't lose sight of your own mental health and well-being. Struggling with fertility takes a toll. Treat yourself kindly, show yourself grace and do something special for yourself.
Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.