Welcome to week 6. 34 weeks to go!
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Baby
Your little apple seed-sized baby has grown to be about the size of a pea. Until week 14, your baby’s length is measured from crown to rump. They are about 0.2 inches (.5 centimeters).
The cute little nose, mouth, and ears are beginning to take shape. If you could see your baby right now, you would see a big head with dark spots where your baby’s eyes and nostrils start forming. Small depressions on the sides of the head mark their ears, and their arms and legs begin as tiny protruding buds. Folds of tissue on top of the head develop into your baby’s jaw, cheeks, and chin. The kidneys, liver, and lungs are also taking shape this week. Your baby’s little heart is now beating 80 times a minute and getting faster daily.
Mom
You might feel like you are running to the bathroom every five minutes. Frequent urination is one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy, especially early on. The pregnancy hormone hCG (the one that caused your pregnancy test to be positive) doubles every 48 hours in early pregnancy. The increase in hCG is causing an increase in blood flow to your pelvic area. This is good for increased sexual pleasure but not so good when running to the bathroom every five minutes. Your kidneys are more efficient at ridding your body of waste, and your growing uterus is beginning to push down on your bladder. All of this adds up to a lot more frequent bathroom breaks.
A buzzword that you will continually hear throughout your pregnancy is hormones. You may be on an emotional roller coaster, but remember that the wide range of emotions you feel is normal and results from fluctuating hormones.
Morning sickness may be in full swing by this week. This affects 70-80% of pregnant women. If you do not have morning sickness, count yourself as one of the lucky ones.
This is an excellent time to evaluate your diet. Your goal should be to eat mostly healthy whole foods. Some episodes examine the evidence on specific aspects of diet like fish, meat, sugar, natural and artificial sweeteners, plant-based diets, and organic foods. It is also critical to drink adequate water and stay hydrated.
If you have an ultrasound at 6 or 7 weeks and a heartbeat is not detected, don’t panic. The heartbeat may not be detected because you have a tipped uterus, a larger abdomen, or inaccurate dating with the last menstrual period. This is one of the reasons care providers generally do not have your first prenatal visit until about week 8. Need an excuse to get outside and enjoy some sun? A review found that exposure to UV radiation in the first three months of pregnancy had beneficial effects on fetal growth and blood pressure during the pregnancy period.
Tip for Dads and Partners
Your significant other may have morning sickness, which rarely occurs only in the morning. They may be nauseous at any time or even all day. This can start as early as three weeks after conception and usually eases up and dissipates in the second trimester. Find out what helps them cope and have some sympathy. Morning sickness sucks.
Want more evidence-based information to navigate your pregnancy and birth?
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