5 Weeks of Pregnancy
Highlights this week
Feeling pregnant?
You may be growing more aware of early pregnancy symptoms, including fatigue, achy or swollen breasts, nausea, and the need to pee more often
Announcing your pregnancy
There are no hard and fast rules about when to announce your pregnancy. Many expecting parents wait until late in the first trimester, but it's up to you.
Baby development at 5 weeks
Tiny embryo
Deep in your uterus an embryo is growing at a furious pace, and it looks more like a tadpole than a human. The embryo is made up of three layers – the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the endoderm – which will later form all of the organs and tissues.
Brain development
Your baby's brain, spinal cord, and nerves form from the neural tube, which is starting to develop from the embryo's top layer – the ectoderm. This layer will also give rise to skin, hair, nails, mammary and sweat glands, and tooth enamel.
Your baby is about the size of a sesame seed
The third layer, or endoderm, will become the lungs, intestines, and early urinary system, as well as the thyroid, liver, and pancreas. In the meantime, the primitive placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to your baby, are already on the job.
Heart development
The heart and circulatory system begin to form in the embryo's middle layer, or mesoderm. The mesoderm will also form your baby's muscles, cartilage, bone, and the tissue under the skin.
Lungs and gut
Pregnancy symptoms during week 5
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Pregnancy hormones plus your body's increasing blood volume may equal a near-constant need to pee. During pregnancy, running to the bathroom much more than you'd like is a fact of life. It's important to stay hydrated, but you may want to cut back on fluids late in the day so you don't have to get up to pee as frequently at night.
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Breast tenderness can be one of the first signs of pregnancy. It usually starts around 4 to 6 weeks and lasts through the first trimester. You may notice your breasts growing or your nipples darkening. Some women also see prominent blue or purple veins develop on their breasts in early pregnancy.
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For many women, exhaustion is one of the early signs of pregnancy. Pregnancy fatigue affects almost all expecting moms in the first trimester, likely due to a dramatic rise in progesterone.
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About 1 in 4 women experience spotting or light bleeding during the first trimester. It's often nothing, but sometimes it's a sign of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. Call your doctor or midwife just in case. And if you're actively bleeding or you have severe pain and can't reach your provider, head to the emergency department right away.
Pregnancy checklist at 5 weeks pregnant
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Morning sickness – also called nausea and vomiting of pregnancy – affects different expecting moms at different times (and some not at all). It usually starts around week 5 or 6 of pregnancy. For some women, that telltale queasy feeling is one of the first giveaways that they're pregnant. There are safe ways to get relief from morning sickness, including changes to your diet and lifestyle, natural remedies, and medication. Be sure to talk to your provider if you're suffering.
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Does the smell of your coworker's lunch suddenly make your stomach churn? Food aversions often start around now. Most expecting moms experience them, thanks to changing hormones and a heightened sense of smell. Some of the most common aversions include meat, coffee, eggs, dairy, and foods with a lot of spices or fat. To cope, try eating bland or cold foods. If cooking makes you sick, ask a loved one to cook for you or get takeout.
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If you already have an ob-gyn or midwife you love, you're set. If not, start doing some research. Talk to friends and relatives, ask one of your other providers to recommend someone, check out the preferred providers under your health insurance plan, or search online.
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Talk to relatives on both sides about your families' medical histories. Your provider will want to know whether any chronic conditions or genetic abnormalities run in either of your families.
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If you haven't started taking a prenatal vitamin yet, now's the time to start. It's particularly critical to get enough folic acid now, because it greatly reduces your baby's risk of developing neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida.
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Studies have linked high caffeine consumption to miscarriage and other pregnancy problems. That's why the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises expectant moms to limit their caffeine intake to 200 mg per day or less (that's about one large cup of coffee).
