How big is your baby at 2 weeks?

There is still no baby and no pregnancy. Week 2 is the run-up to ovulation. ACOG explains that the standard due-date calculation counts from the first day of your last period and assumes a 28-day cycle with ovulation on day 14 — the last day of this week. Until sperm meet that egg, there is nothing to measure.

The first stage worth describing comes in week 3, once an egg has been fertilised and become a tiny ball of cells. Why the count starts before conception is explained on 1 week pregnant.

What is happening in your body this week?

Your body is getting ready to ovulate. The NHS explains that rising oestrogen causes an ovary to develop and release an egg as the womb lining thickens. In the second half of the cycle, progesterone helps the womb prepare for a developing embryo to implant.

The timing follows your cycle, not the calendar. The NHS says ovulation usually happens around 10 to 16 days before your next period, and that regular cycles from 21 to 35 days are normal. With a regular 28-day cycle you are likely to be fertile around day 14. In a 35-day cycle, ovulating about 14 days before the next period puts it nearer day 21 — the end of what the calendar calls week 3.

ACOG notes that dating from your period cannot allow for this variation, and calls a first-trimester scan the most accurate way to date a pregnancy.

When does conception happen?

Only in about six days of each cycle, ending on the day you ovulate. In a US study of 221 women trying to conceive, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, nearly all pregnancies came from sex during the six days up to and including ovulation. The chance of conceiving ranged from 10% for sex five days before ovulation to 33% for sex on the day itself.

The window opens before ovulation because the NHS says sperm can survive in the fallopian tubes for up to 7 days after sex. You do not need to pinpoint the day. The NHS says that if you are 39 or under and have sex without contraception every 2 to 3 days, you are likely to get pregnant within a year.

Our fertile window calculator estimates your six days from your cycle length, and sex, timing and fertility myths covers what makes no difference.

2 weeks pregnant symptoms and discharge

There are no pregnancy symptoms at 2 weeks, because there is no pregnancy yet. The NHS says early signs of pregnancy usually start at around 4 to 6 weeks. What you might notice this week are signs of ovulation.

The clearest is discharge. The NHS says vaginal secretions change through the cycle and, around ovulation, become thinner and stretchy, a bit like raw egg white. That is fertile cervical mucus rather than a pregnancy sign; understanding cervical mucus explains how to read it. See a GP if your discharge changes in a way that worries you.

2 weeks pregnant hCG levels

At 2 weeks there is no pregnancy hCG to measure. hCG is the hormone pregnancy tests detect, and the NHS says it starts to be produced around 6 days after fertilisation. Healthdirect, Australia's national health information service, says low levels can usually be found in the blood about 6 to 10 days after ovulation, and its guide to hCG by week does not start until 4 weeks.

A test this week can only reflect an earlier pregnancy, never this cycle's. Healthdirect says home tests usually detect hCG about 2 weeks after conception, around the day your period is due. Our pregnancy test date calculator works out that day for your cycle.

Ultrasound, belly and pictures at 2 weeks

Nothing has changed that a scan or a photo could show: your belly is the same, and an ultrasound would show your womb and ovaries with no pregnancy in them.

Is 2 weeks pregnant 1 month?

Week 2 is the second week of month 1. Month 1 runs from week 1 to week 4. There is no official weeks-to-months map, and a calendar month averages about 4.3 weeks rather than 4, so 40 weeks is a little over nine months. The most widely used mapping:

Month 1 — weeks 1 to 4
Month 2 — weeks 5 to 8
Month 3 — weeks 9 to 13
Month 4 — weeks 14 to 17
Month 5 — weeks 18 to 22
Month 6 — weeks 23 to 27
Month 7 — weeks 28 to 31
Month 8 — weeks 32 to 35
Month 9 — weeks 36 to 40

What to eat and avoid at 2 weeks pregnant

Conception can happen at the end of this week, so the NHS advice for trying to get pregnant applies now:

Folic acid: 400 micrograms every day, ideally from 3 months before you conceive until 12 weeks of pregnancy, to reduce the chance of a neural tube defect such as spina bifida. Some people need a higher, prescribed dose.
Vitamin D: the NHS recommends 10 micrograms a day in pregnancy between early October and late March, when we cannot make enough from sunlight.
Vitamin A: do not take cod liver oil or supplements containing vitamin A (retinol) in pregnancy, and avoid foods high in vitamin A, such as liver.
Alcohol, smoking and drugs: the NHS lists not drinking alcohol, getting support to stop smoking and not using illegal drugs.
Diet and weight: a healthy, varied diet, and a healthy weight — the NHS says weight that is too low or too high can make it harder to get pregnant.

Before trying, the NHS also recommends the MMR vaccine if you have not had it, checking whether your cervical screening is due, and STI testing if you or your partner might have an infection. More detail: folic acid and prenatal vitamins and alcohol, caffeine and smoking when trying to conceive.

Who should see a GP before trying?

The NHS suggests speaking to a GP if you want to get pregnant and:

you or your partner live with a condition such as epilepsy, diabetes, sickle cell disease or HIV
either of you takes prescribed or over-the-counter medicine, or herbal remedies — and do not stop a prescribed medicine until you have talked to your GP or specialist
either of you has a fertility issue, such as endometriosis or a low sperm count
you have been trying to get pregnant through sex for 1 year or more
you need help to stop smoking, drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs

Outside the UK, have the same conversation with your own doctor. When to see a doctor about fertility covers when to ask for tests.

Frequently asked questions

Can you have pregnancy symptoms at 2 weeks?

No. At 2 weeks you have not conceived yet, so there is no pregnancy to cause symptoms. Stretchy, egg-white discharge or other mid-cycle changes come from ovulation, not pregnancy. The NHS says early signs of pregnancy usually start at around 4 to 6 weeks pregnant, and not everyone has them.

Can a pregnancy test detect 2 weeks pregnant?

No. A test looks for hCG, which the NHS says starts around 6 days after fertilisation, and fertilisation has not happened yet. Healthdirect says home tests usually pick up hCG about 2 weeks after conception. A positive test this week can only mean a pregnancy from an earlier cycle, so speak to a GP or midwife.

When do you ovulate if you are 2 weeks pregnant?

At about the end of this week in a textbook 28-day cycle, which is where the dating convention puts it. In real cycles the NHS says ovulation usually happens 10 to 16 days before your next period, so with a longer cycle you ovulate later, and your first scan may move your due date.

What should I avoid at 2 weeks pregnant?

The NHS advice for trying to conceive: no alcohol, no smoking, no illegal drugs, and no vitamin A supplements or cod liver oil in pregnancy. Take 400 micrograms of folic acid a day. Do not stop any prescribed medicine without talking to your GP first, and see a GP before trying if you have a long-term condition.

2 weeks pregnant