5 Weeks Pregnant – Pregnancy Week 5

5 Weeks Pregnant – Baby’s Development

At 5 weeks pregnant, the placenta is under construction. It will finish forming by the end of the first trimester. It’s an organ that will soon connect your developing fetus to your uterine wall, providing baby-to-be with nutrients and oxygen. You are in the first trimester.

The mass of cells we call an embryo is starting to look like a fetus, with a forming neural tube (which will become the spinal cord and brain) running from head to rump. The fetus has a tail, as well.

While all this is happening, the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels in your body are usually high enough to verify that you’re expecting if you use a home pregnancy bioassay. Go to the doctor to verify the news and find out your due date.

If you’re 5 weeks pregnant, you’re in month 2 of your pregnancy. Only 7 months and 3 weeks to go!

At week 5 of pregnancy, there is still much to be done for the baby to develop fully. All the major and minor body systems (e.g., the digestive, circulatory, and nervous systems) and organs such as the heart, lungs, and stomach have to form from scratch. The first system to be operational is the circulatory (blood) system, along with its companion organ, the heart. You may be able to see the heart beating on an early ultrasound image, though it’s more commonly visible at week 6 or 7.

5 Weeks Pregnant – Self-Care tips 

According to experts, moms-to-be should not clean the kitty’s litterbox. Doing this may cause an infection called toxoplasmosis, which can harm unborn babies. Cat feces are a source of the parasite causing the infection. Not only are you free from litterbox duty for the duration of your pregnancy, but you also should not eat raw or undercooked meat or feed it to your cat. You should not play in or clean out a child’s sandbox because it might be used as a litterbox by local cats.

At 5 weeks pregnant, teeth cleanings are okay for pregnant women. They are needed because about 40 percent of moms-to-be have periodontitis, a condition that ups their chances of developing preeclampsia (extremely high blood pressure). Dental x-rays should be avoided until after the baby arrives, though, unless the danger of not having an x-ray outweighs the relatively small risk of radiation to the fetus.

Pregnancy week 5 is the time to take some foods off the menu, such as unpasteurized foods and undercooked meat, fish, and eggs. These can cause food-borne illnesses that are bad for your baby. Other foods that pregnant women should avoid include hot dogs, deli meats, fish with high mercury levels, and raw sprouts.

Make sure you drink 8 glasses of water each day, especially if vomiting is leaving you dehydrated. Ginger is often good for what ails a queasy pregnant woman. Use ginger in cooking (e.g., in a ginger‒carrot soup or ginger muffins), infuse your tea with it, nibble on some ginger biscuits, nosh on some candied fruit, or suck on some ginger candy. If your symptoms are particularly rough, ask your practitioner about taking a vitamin B6 supplement.

5 Weeks Pregnant – Nutrition & Exercise

Some of the healthiest foods can leave you feeling gassy and not at all in the mood to eat your veggies. Opt instead for healthy substitutions that will not cause bloating, such as mangoes rather than broccoli or strawberries rather than cabbage. Pop bagel chips rather than potato chips and poached pigeon breast rather than those once-beloved chicken fingers. Here’s a very simple way of deflating those tummy bubbles: Rather than soda water, choose plain water.

At 5 weeks pregnant, if queasiness allows it, try stepping outside for a brisk walk. Chances are, you’ll feel better, from both the fresh air and the exercise. Don’t forget to stay hydrated.

You know you need your protein, but chances are you’ve had a falling out with meat (and chicken, and fish…) and can’t even be in the same room together with them, never mind sharing a plate with them. You’ll eventually be able to stomach animal foods again, but until then, pick up protein from cottage cheese, yogurt, beans, or soy products, especially tofu. Or consider quinoa, a nutty grain that packs a super punch of protein. Yellow vegetables are often easy to find, so try carrots or yams, or get your beta-carotene in cantaloupes, mangoes, peaches, and apricots.

5 Weeks Pregnant Ultrasound

The gestational sac age may be determined on an ultrasound around the fifth week by women in their first trimester. Learn more about: 5 weeks pregnant ultrasound.

Pregnancy Week Guides & Information: