By the time you hit the fifth week, there are no more ‘ifs’ because everything points that you are pregnant. You have missed your period, passed all pregnancy tests, and very high level of HCG (pregnancy hormone) is bringing a wide range of symptoms from prime-breast tenderness and sensitivity to morning sickness. An ultrasound of the fifth week will clear all these estimations and guesses because it can detect the growing baby.
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Baby’s growth and development in week five
By the fifth week, the baby is growing very rapidly and will be looking like a tadpole (about 5mm) by the end of 7 days. The vital organs that started developing at the close of the 4th week will take an even more recognizable shape. The heart continues growing faster and can be seen in an ultrasound picture at the inner upper end. As the week progresses, the heart shapes into different chambers.
Other rapidly developing organs include the spinal cord and brain that are seen as a neural lobe starting at the upper part and fading immediately. Though the spinal cord and brain are very primitive at this point, they are functional and crucial in guiding other developments. By the close of the week, the skeleton will also begin to form along the spinal cord. However, the skeleton only takes the form of differentiated cells that will grow, multiply, and harden into bones in later trimesters.
Liver cells that started forming in the fourth week become elaborate and play a great role in later developments. The cells help to produce the first red cells of the embryo and also release some pregnancy hormones so that your body can help the baby grow. The liver cells will continue developing and will be able to release most of the pregnancy hormones by the close of the first trimester.
Other embryo developments in this week include reproductive organs that only appear as special cells. By the close of the week, the reproductive cells will start moving down-and outwards from the yolk sac. They will continue developing into testes for boys or ovaries for a girl. However, it is still very early to predict the sex of the baby.
By the close of the 5th week, the baby’s skin has developed and is only one cell thick. This makes the embryo transparent so that all developing organs are easily visible. In the coming weeks, it will develop two layers (one that will be shed off at birth, and another that the baby will be born with).
Size of Baby at 5 Weeks Pregnant
Your baby is about the size of a sesame seed.
Changes to expect in Mom’s body during week 5
This is perhaps the week when everything intensifies because the HCG hormone is at its peak. For many pregnant mothers, the changes are so intense and feelings are getting out of control. Some of these include the following:
- Intensive mood swings: Because of the high levels of GCG hormone, you will most likely experience intensive mood swings. In one minute, you might feel that you seriously want a specific item or product and then dislike it the next moment. You are likely to get into conflict with people close to you because they will not know what to give since you even dislike things you are used to.
- Missed period: You will be sure that by now, it is not a matter of the period getting late, but missing it completely.
- Severe morning sickness: The peaking HCG reaches most parts of the body and causes vomiting and nausea.
- Food craving and aversions: Though this does not happen to all pregnant women, some experience a lot of craving or aversions to specific food.
- A lot of fatigue and fever: Because of intensified embryo development and activities in the pregnant mother’s body, you are likely to feel very tired and even get a fever after doing simple tasks. It is advisable to take enough rest and start shifting from very intense tasks.
- Very sensitive breasts that make you sense everything that comes close including clothes that you are used to.
- Some people might experience fainting because a lot of blood is being redirected to meeting the high demand of developing the embryo and leaving very little to supply the brain.
Things to do during the 10th week
Because of the high intensity of HCG released into the body system and body changes, make sure to do the following;
- Make sure to go for the pregnancy confirmation test. For many who agreed with the doctor’s advised to wait until the fifth week; this is the moment of truth. Not only will the symptoms confirm about the growing baby, an ultrasound scan will be able to identify it.
- Continue taking your daily 400 mg of folic acid so that you can support the crucial development of key organs such as spinal cord, nerves, heart, and brain.
- Continue taking the right food to keep your body supplied with all the necessary nutrients, vitamins, and proteins. It is important to particularly take a lot of vegetables, fruits, and high-value drinks.
- Start discussing being a mother and a father with your spouse. This discussion should commence from here until the baby is born. It will keep reminding you about the responsibilities ahead.
- Make sure to record the report by the doctor and continue filling the pregnancy diary. At this week, you need to capture all the doctor’s remarks about the pregnancy for progressive learning.
- Start reviewing the best maternity hospitals to (or “intending to”) identifying the one you want to use during the remaining part of pregnancy and delivery.
- Just like you are thinking about the facility for delivery, it is also ideal to think about the baby names. It is important to ensure that you get assistance from your partner.
- Now that you have been confirmed pregnant, start thinking about the baby shower by looking for themes, guests, and location of the event.
- Because many airlines will not allow you into their planes in the coming weeks (many do not carry pregnant mothers because of negative effects of heights), you might want to take the last flight to your preferred destination. This is a perfect bonding time with your partner as you talk more about the baby.
- Keep discussing the pregnancy and the changes so that your partner can appreciate that the changes such as high headedness and food aversions are temporary.
