The best outcomes of pregnancy are seen with mothers who have their blood phe under control prior to becoming pregnant and in the early stages of pregnancy.
Having phe levels controlled before pregnancy means your baby is protected right from the start. The heart and brain start developing soon after conception. Keeping the phe levels controlled in the early weeks of pregnancy is important to protect the baby’s heart and brain as they start to form.
You may not know you are pregnant until you miss your first or second menstruation which relates to the 4th or 8th week of pregnancy.
At 6 weeks the heart may be beating, and the brain and spinal cord are developing. The foetus will be the size of a pea.
At 8 weeks the limb buds are developing, and the foetus will be the size of a kidney bean.
By 12 weeks the organs of the foetus including the brain are formed. The foetus will be the size of a lemon.
When the low protein diet is followed, you are just as able to have healthy babies as women without PKU.
Read less