Week 2 of 40
What's happening with the baby
There's still no baby in week 2. Like week 1, it's counted from the first day of your last period, before conception. Pregnancy is usually dated as starting about two weeks after that day, around when you ovulate, as ACOG explains. Mayo Clinic calls weeks 1 and 2 "getting ready".
Towards the end of this week, an ovary releases an egg. If it meets sperm in the fallopian tube, fertilisation can happen, which is what week 3 is about.
What you might notice
Ovulation usually happens about 14 days before your next period starts, which is around day 14 of a 28-day cycle. The exact day varies from person to person and cycle to cycle. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's ovulation guide covers this in more detail.
Some people notice signs around ovulation, such as vaginal discharge becoming clearer and more slippery, or a small rise in body temperature afterwards. Others notice nothing at all. Home ovulation kits test urine for a rise in a hormone called LH, and a positive result suggests you'll ovulate in the next 24 to 36 hours, according to Pregnancy, Birth and Baby.
Things worth doing
- Know your fertile window. Sperm can live for up to 5 days inside the body, but an egg only lives for 12 to 24 hours after ovulation. So you're most likely to conceive from sex in the 5 days before ovulation and on the day itself. See Pregnancy, Birth and Baby and healthdirect on fertility awareness.
- Don't over-plan. If tracking feels stressful, healthdirect suggests that sex every 2 to 3 days in the week before and around ovulation gives you a good chance.
- Keep taking folic acid. The usual advice is 400 mcg a day while you're trying and through the first 12 weeks. Check with your doctor or midwife if you might need a higher dose. See the NHS vitamins page.
- Alcohol. The NHS advises not drinking if you're planning to get pregnant, to keep any risk to a minimum.
For partners this week
- Trying to conceive can feel like pressure. Keep talking, and keep it kind.
- Help keep track of the cycle if that's welcome, but let them lead on how much tracking feels right.
- If one of you is worried about fertility, go to the doctor together.
When to get help
Most healthy couples conceive within a year of trying, as Pregnancy, Birth and Baby notes. Talk to a doctor if:
- you're under 35 and have been trying to conceive for a year without success
- you or your partner are over 35 and have been trying for 6 months, as fertility decreases with age
- your periods are very irregular, or you're not sure whether you ovulate
- you have a health condition or take medicine that could affect a pregnancy
- you're worried for any reason. You don't have to wait
If you're unsure about anything here, check with your doctor or midwife. healthdirect notes that cycle tracking is less reliable if your periods are irregular or you've recently stopped hormonal contraception.