Pregnancy - Week 6

What is going on with your baby during week 6?

• From crown to rump your baby measures at 2-4mm or 0.08-0.16 inch, the size of a small lentil.
• This week marks the beginning of the embryonic period which spans from the 6th to 10th weeks of pregnancy or the 4th to 8th weeks of fetal development.
• Growth is rapid this week with your baby resembling a tadpole with a tail but no brain.
• It is already 10,000 times larger than the fertilized egg; it doesn't have gender characteristics yet.
• Over the next 5 months, more than 100 billion neurons will be formed in the brain, laying the necessary groundwork for a lifetime of learning.
• His heart, the size of poppy seed, is beating on its own
• Your baby at this stage has his own bloodstream with blood circulating already.
• Testes or ovaries at this stage are mere clusters of cells.
• Other major organs continue to develop including liver, kidneys and lungs.
• The head has the beginnings of the eyes, ears and mouth and there are tiny buds which will become arms and legs.

Changes in you at this stage

• You may have gained few pounds by now; conversely due to not eating well and nausea you may have lost some weight.
• In first time pregnancies abdominal changes are not that apparent.
• The areolas darken to brownish circles of patches around the nipples.
• Bluish veins may be seen just under the skin as the blood supply to breasts increases.
• If you have a pelvic exam, your doctor can usually feel your uterus and note some change in its size.
• The pregnancy hormone hCG continues to increase making you prone to fatigue and nausea.
• You may find yourself noticing babies more and wondering how yours will look.
• You may find yourself thinking a lot about how your life will change now that you are pregnant. You will probably start thinking about a wardrobe change if you are pregnant for the first time. In other words, your appearance is probably going to occupy your mind in a different way

Good to Know in Week 6

Definitions of time

• Gestational age (menstrual age) - begins from the 1st day of your LMP (about 2 weeks before you conceive). This age is most used by doctors. Average length of pregnancy is 40 weeks.
• Ovulatory age (fertilization age) - begins the day you conceive. Average length of pregnancy is 38 weeks.
• Fetal age - the actual age of the growing fetus (always 2 weeks behind gestational age).
• Trimester - each trimester consists of 13 weeks. There are 3 trimesters in pregnancy.
• Lunar months - a pregnancy lasts an average of 10 lunar months (28 days each) hence 280 days in total.

Due date calculation

• It doesn't matter when you think you became pregnant. Your doctor will always calculate your due date from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP).
• The main reason being many women don't know for sure when they ovulated. Your doctor will use the LMP as an equalizer to deal with the variations in cycles of every pregnant woman to reach the same calendar.
• For instance if your LMP was 20th Feb, your due date will be calculated thus: 7 + 20 and minus 3 months i.e. your due date will be 27th Nov

Wholesome Advice in Week 6

• Do yourself a favor - the moment your pregnancy is confirmed, go off the booze. Don't kid yourself into thinking an occasional drink is fine. It is tricky business knowing the safe level.
• Start saving now for maternity clothes; they can be expensive.
• Your baby is totally, completely dependant on you for all its needs. To ensure she gets a proper headstart in life, it is important that you eat right, rest enough and stay as healthy as possible throughout your pregnancy.

Your actions can impact your baby's growth at this stage

Heartburn

• Progesterone causes the burning sensation in the middle of your chest or upper digestive tract. This hormone relaxes the muscle that is responsible for controlling the opening at the top of the stomach.
• Secondly, progesterone causes the stomach to empty more slowly so that as many nutrients as possible can be absorbed from the food you eat. The stomach gets compressed as you grow bigger. It may begin early, although it tends to become more severe later in pregnancy.
• Avoid sodium bicarbonate as it contains a lot of salt which will cause water retention.
• Avoid fatty and greasy foods, carbonated drinks, processed meats and junk food.
• Eat slowly. The more slowly you eat, the more time the enzymes in your saliva have to break down the food before it reaches your stomach.
• Eat less; heartburn is more likely to flare up if you overfill, in particular with carbohydrates. Don't eat too close to bedtime.
• Avoid lying flat on your back when you are resting or sleeping as this intensifies heartburn. Try propping yourself up on pillows.
• Check with your doctor on antacids.

Stress

A major change, including a happy one, is stressful. You will read that stress is bad for your baby - this thought alone is going to stress you out. A reassuring fact to know is millions of healthy and happy babies are born each year to moms who were stressed out, including in early pregnancy. So don't stress over the fact that you are stressed! Of course attempts to de-stress should be made if you are overly stressed; anything in excess is no good

Pregnancy - Week 5

The heart and circulatory system of your baby are developing, while the hCG hormone level in your body are now high enough to confirm that you're expecting using a home pregnancy test.

Your Baby in Week 5 of Pregnancy

Your baby now resembles a teeny tadpole (complete with a tiny tail) and is about the size of an orange seed. The circulatory (or blood) system, along with the heart, is the first part of that tiny body to be functional; and as your baby's heart starts to form, you may even be able to see it beating on an early ultrasound. Another part of your little tadpole that is under construction: the neural tube, which will eventually become your baby's brain and spinal cord.

Your Body in Week 5 of Pregnancy

Your body's had all the early pregnancy signs — the missed period, nausea, tender breasts, and fatigue. And now you've got proof as your pee works its magic on that test strip — yup, you're officially preggers! This news will probably elicit a combo platter of emotions ranging from sheer joy to sheer terror as the reality that you're going to be a mom sets in. Mood swings are totally normal (kind of like PMS on overdrive) and you'd better get used to them since they'll be hanging around for the next nine months or so.

Week 5 Pregnancy Tip: Telling Your Friends You're Pregnant

Have you or your partner been bursting to spread the good news about your pregnancyever since that home pregnancy test turned positive? Not sure when's the best time to grab a megaphone (or a telephone…or a computer keyboard) and start sharing? Only the two of you can make the call, so to speak, on that one. Some couples can't wait to tell their friends they're pregnant (if they could, they'd shout it from the highest mountain — or scream it on the Times Square JumboTron), while others prefer to keep their happy news a secret until after the third month, when the risk of miscarriage greatly decreases. Still others wish that they could stay mum about becoming a mom (and dad) but can't help blabbing the first chance they get. Talk it over together and remember, it's your private news for as long as you choose.

Week 5 Pregnancy Symptoms

Frequent urination: Spending too much time in the loo these days? The reason is that the pregnancy hormone hCG is increasing the blood flow to your pelvic area and your kidneys, making them more efficient during pregnancy (after all, you're urinating for two). What can you do about it? Well, what you don’t want to do is cut back on liquids (thinking it’ll keep you out of the bathroom) because your body and baby need a steady supply of fluids to stay hydrated during pregnancy. But you can skip the diuretics like caffeine, which will only make your frequent urination even more frequent.

Fatigue: Pregnancy is hard work, and that can cause a downshift in your get-up-and-go. During the first trimester, a huge amount of energy goes into building a life-support system for your baby (namely the placenta), which can leave you feeling just a bit tired or full-out wiped-out. Also to blame are the hormonal (and emotional) changes that are occurring in your body. The good news: By the end of your first trimester, your body will have completed the Herculean task of manufacturing the placenta, so you might feel a renewal of energy. In the meantime, listen to your body (which is telling you it’s pooped!) and get plenty of rest and eat right (and often!).

Breast tenderness and changes: What’s causing your breasts to grow and become ultrasensitive and tender? That hormonal duo — estrogen and progesterone — deserve most of the blame. Other factors include the good and necessary fat that’s building up in your breasts and the increased blood flow to the area, both of which will help turn your breasts into milk machines for your baby. To help relieve breast tenderness, invest in a good bra (and wear it to bed if you’re uncomfortable sleeping) and ask your partner to handle them with care. (In other words, look but don’t touch, darling!)

Nausea: That queasy feeling in your stomach, which can sometimes lead to vomiting, can hit at any time of the day or night (not just morning!), especially in the first trimester, thanks to some unknown combination of hormones, increased stress, and other body changes (like a keener sense of smell). To keep nausea under control, don’t skip meals (even if the thought of eating makes you feel a little sick). Be a grazer instead, sticking to foods that appeal to you, and try to follow a healthy diet.

Excessive saliva: Horrified to find your mouth watering for no reason at all? If so, you might be experiencing early pregnancy’s double whammy: a queasy tummy and excessive saliva (and yes, you can blame those pesky pregnancy hormones for those symptoms, too!). How to deal with the drool? Chewing sugarless gum can help your mouth stay a little dryer.

Food cravings and aversions: Suddenly struck by an overpowering urge to eat a grilled cheese sandwich? Can’t stand the sight of salads (or anything green)? Welcome to the wacky world of food cravings and aversions. Hormones play a role here (as they do in most pregnancy symptoms) — especially in these early weeks when your body is getting used to hormonal havoc. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em — within reason. Indulge your chocolate cravings with a mini bar instead of a king-sized one and find healthy substitutes for the foods you can’t stand (like drinking a V-8 instead of eating salads).

Pregnancy - Week 4

Baby: Now that your egg is fertilized, it burrows into the lining of your uterus. This is called implantation.

Mom-to-be: You're probably expecting your period this week, and if it doesn't occur, it might be one of the first signs that you're pregnant. You may also notice light spotting as the embryo implants itself in your uterus. You might not feel any different yet, but the amniotic cavity, which will be filled with fluid, and the placenta, which will bring oxygen and nutrients to nourish your baby, are forming in your uterus.

Tip for the Week: Try to eat healthfully, which means choosing a variety of foods from recommended food groups and drinking at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. But you don't really need to "eat for two"; you only need an extra 300 calories per day while you're pregnant. And don't worry if your food intake drops in the beginning because of morning sickness. If you've been eating right already, your baby will get what it needs. 

What's Happening Inside You?

The fertilized egg grows, and a water-tight sac forms around it, gradually filling with fluid. This is called the amniotic sac, and it helps cushion the growing embryo.

The placenta also develops. It is a round, flat organ that transfers nutrients from you to the baby and transfers baby’s wastes.

A primitive face takes form with large dark circles for eyes. The mouth, lower jaw, and throat are developing. Blood cells are taking shape, and circulation will begin.

By the end of the first month, your baby is about 1/4 inch long --smaller than a grain of rice. 

Pregnancy - Week 3

Baby: Congratulations! If your egg and your partner's sperm have joined successfully, your embryo is really there, although it's very small -- about the size of the head of a pin. It doesn't look like a fetus or baby; it's just a group of about 100 cells multiplying and growing rapidly. The outer layer of cells will become the placenta, and the inner layer will become the embryo.

Mom-to-be: You won't notice any changes in your body at this point. Remember, you haven't even missed your period yet.

Tip for the Week: Can't wait to find out? Take a home pregnancy test. They're about as reliable as a urine test or blood test done in the doctor's office -- and you get results immediately. To ensure accuracy, read the directions carefully and make sure all the supplies you use are clean.

Pregnancy - Week 1 & 2

Baby: Your baby is still just a glimmer in your eye. It’s difficult to know exactly when conception occurred, so doctors calculate your due date from the beginning of your last menstrual cycle. That’s right -- for calculation purposes, you’re “pregnant” before you even conceive!

Mom-to-be: At the beginning of your period, about 20 eggs called ova occupy fluid-filled sacs called follicles. If you typically have your period every 28 days, then about 14 days later, you ovulate: One of these follicles releases an egg, and it travels down your fallopian tube where it awaits fertilization. This time -- 14 days after your period started and a day or so longer -- is when you're the most fertile. If you want to get pregnant, this is the best time to try. Once the egg is fertilized, it moves into the uterus.

Don't be disappointed if you don't get pregnant the first time. Each month, women have a 25% chance of getting pregnant, so you may need to try more than once.

Tip for the Week: Make sure you've scheduled a preconception visit with your ob-gyn to determine risks of genetic diseases and environmental hazards as well as learn about necessary lifestyle changes to ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby. Most important, make sure you've started taking 0.4 milligrams, or 400 micrograms, of folic acid a day. Folic acid taken a few months before conception has been shown to dramatically reduce such neural tube defects as spina bifida.