1 Week Pregnant: What Dads Need to Know (Yes, Already)

Wait, there’s no baby yet?

Correct. Pregnancy is counted from the first day of the last menstrual period, not from conception. That date is easy to know and conception almost never is, so ACOG and doctors everywhere use it as day one. In a typical 28-day cycle, ovulation and conception happen around the end of week 2. That’s why by the time a home test turns positive, she is already “four weeks pregnant.”

So if you’re reading this in week 1, you’re either trying to conceive, or you’ve just worked out a due date and are reading from the beginning. Either way, welcome.

What’s happening in her body

Week 1 is her period. Her body is shedding the lining from the last cycle while hormones start ripening a new set of follicles in the ovaries, one of which will release an egg in about two weeks.

The CDC recommends that anyone who could become pregnant take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, because it helps prevent serious birth defects of the brain and spine that form in the very first weeks, often before anyone knows they are pregnant. If she isn’t on a prenatal vitamin yet, this is the week to start.

What’s happening in yours

Your contribution also takes planning. Sperm take roughly two to three months to fully develop, so habits now affect the sperm that might be involved down the line. According to Mayo Clinic, things that can help sperm health include:

• Not smoking, and limiting alcohol.
• Keeping a healthy weight and staying active.
• Avoiding excess heat around the groin, such as long hot-tub sessions.
• Managing stress, and asking your doctor about any medications you take.

None of this is about blame. Many couples take months to conceive, and most of the time there’s no single cause. It’s about being the kind of partner who changes his own habits instead of watching her change hers.

Start the money and logistics thinking

You don’t need a spreadsheet yet, but it helps to know the shape of things before there’s a deadline:

• Insurance: what your plan covers for prenatal care and delivery, and your deductible and out-of-pocket max.
• Leave: whether your employer offers paid parental leave, and whether your state has a paid family leave program.
• Savings: even small, automatic transfers to a “baby” account now make month one easier.

Next week: ovulation, and the slightly unromantic logistics of timing.