Pregnancy Week By Week : 5 Weeks Pregnant - What To Expect

Welcome to this amazing 5 weeks of your pregnancy. You are in your first trimester. You have been pregnant for a while now, have had a missed period, have tested positive in the home-pregnancy test and have probably shared the good news with your friends and family. From now on things get real. Do you want to know your baby's progress at this stage? Read on to find out.

Baby Development

Your baby has now found a fixed place in your womb. The process of implantation has occurred and your baby is safeguarded inside the amniotic sac and getting its blood supply and nourishment through the vascular network. Here are the vital changes that will take place during week 5 of your pregnancy.

Development of the Central Nervous System: The Central Nervous System, commonly referred to as the CNS has begun to develop, which means that its nervous network is spreading to the various parts of its body. The nerves are on their way to branch out.

Heartbeat: You may not be able to feel a thing about your growing baby as yet, but nothing will delight you more to be able to listen to your baby's heartbeat during an ultrasound scan. The heart rate of the fetus may vary between 80 to 100 beats per minute. In some cases, there may not be a clear heartbeat, but that is because the heart is still in the developing stage. There is no need for concern at this stage if the ultrasound does not clearly indicate a beating heart.

Development of heart chambers: The heart of the fetus is developing and will soon separate into four heart chambers. It has probably already started pumping blood and hence the heartbeat.

Formation of the neural tube: By the end of the 5th week, the neural tube has almost developed and soon it will form the spinal cord and the brain.

The placenta supplies nutrition to your baby: The embryo that has now evolved into several vital organs needs nourishment to sustain itself. All this while the placenta has been developing and now it sends in nourishment to the baby with the help of the umbilical cord.

Beginning of the skeletal system: Though it will take a while for the complete skeletal system to develop, the process has already begun in the 5th week of your pregnancy.

Hint of other facial features: You may not be able to distinctly figure out the facial features of your baby as yet, but the eyes, nose, ears and mouth cavity have all begun to take shape.

The size of your baby: The size of your little one is now comparable to an orange seed. With screening eyes, you can spot your baby in the ultrasound photos. However, it is growing at a rapid pace and the tiny seed will grow bigger by the end of the week.

Body Changes & Common Symptoms

By now probably you are used to the nausea, morning sickness, and fatigue. You are already aware of the breast tenderness and having extreme mood swings. So let us see what other changes your body is undergoing at this stage and their symptoms.

Increase in HCG level

During week 4, the growth hormone, HCG was present in your system. This week there is an increase in its secretion to help your baby grow. But this increase manifests in unpredictable mood swings and you may find it hard to deal with for some time.

Feeling bloated

There is still no visible baby bump, but with all the fluids and secretions in your body, it is likely that you will feel bloated. Whenever you eat or drink something, it may seem that you have suddenly piled up oodles of weight and seem unusually full.

Increased pressure in the abdomen

By week 5, you will feel an increased sense of pressure in your abdominal area as your uterus wall thickens and implantation takes place. There is no need to feel alarmed if you suddenly feel that something is pushing against your belly. As the amniotic sac fills up with liquid, this is a natural feeling.

Frequent need to relieve yourself

All the pressure against your abdomen will also push your urinary bladder and therefore you will feel the urge to go to the washroom every now and then. But this should not deter you from consuming a substantial amount of water and other fluids such as fresh fruit juice, tender coconut water and so on.

Sudden drooling

This may surprise you but you may find your mouth salivating excessively for no reason during this time. It is because of the hormones and is not really a problem unless you're in the middle of a corporate meeting! Keep a chewing gum handy for such situations.

Health Tips

Since your baby has started its developmental journey to grow into a human form, here are some things you have to start taking care of from now on:

• Lookout for foods to avoid: This is a good time to let go off unpasteurized food items and undercooked eggs and animal protein.
• Mercury rich food is off limits now: From the 5th week onwards, give up on mercury-laden seafood as it can have an adverse effect on your growing baby. If you are a fish lover, stick to safe fish varieties that are free from mercury.
• Keep a safe distance from cat litter: Cat litter may cause toxoplasmosis, an infection that pregnant women are especially prone to. This infection can harm the baby inside you and hence it is best to keep away from your pet feline until the end of your pregnancy for the safety of your little one.

So now you are well into your first trimester and your baby is growing at a rapid pace. So take care of yourself and try to keep yourself happy and stress-free as much as possible though the mood swings, nausea, and bladder pressure can make it a difficult task for the time being.