5 Weeks Pregnant
When you are 5 weeks pregnant, there are some of the most important changes happening in your baby. On the contrary, there are no major changes in the 5 weeks pregnant symptoms because they are similar to the previous week’s symptoms. The 5 week ultrasound is likely to throw up something extraordinary and that is the baby’s heartbeat. Your baby at 5 weeks will start growing bigger and look more human with each passing day, especially with the tissues forming in the baby’s body. So, though the pregnancy symptoms at 5 weeks may not change, the baby at week 5 pregnancy will be undergoing major changes.
How Your Baby is Growing This Week?
Now implanted into your uterus, the embryo at 5 weeks starts growing in a very fast pace. In this week, your embryo is nothing bigger than a sesame seed and looks more like a tadpole than a human embryo. Your embryo is currently made of 3 layers, namely the ectoderm, mesoderm and the endoderm. These layers later form the baby’s vital organs and body tissues.
In the 5th week of pregnancy, the neural tube (which later develops into your baby’s spinal cord nerves, backbone and brain) starts to develop from the ectoderm layer. Your baby’s skin, nails, hair, tooth enamel, sweat glands and mammary glands also develop from this layer itself.
The mesoderm or the middle layer gives rise to your baby’s heart and the entire circulatory system. In this week, your baby’s tiny heart divides and forms the different chambers and also starts beating and pumping blood throughout its small body. This layer in the next weeks gives rise to your baby’s bones, cartilages, muscles and the subcutaneous layer (tissue layer beneath the skin).
Lastly, the endoderm layer develops into your baby’s lungs, urinary system, pancreas, liver, thyroid gland and intestines.
Sometime during this week, the primitive placenta and the umbilical cord start functioning and providing your growing embryo with the required nourishment and oxygen for your baby’s growth.
Changes in Your Body at 5 Weeks Pregnant
If you do not know what to expect at 5 weeks pregnant period, it is important to note that there are some body changes that occur during this phase. For starters, you will have a 5 weeks pregnant belly. There will be a mild bulge and you will have various symptoms as mentioned below. You will also sweat more than usual and there could also be night sweats. You will start having funny taste in your mouth, mainly a metallic taste. You should also know what does implantation bleeding looks like because it will help you to differentiate this bleeding from other kinds of bleeding when you are 5 week pregnant. Bleeding apart, there could be a jelly like vaginal discharge. The body will also have higher HCG level at 4 weeks and 5 weeks pregnancy.
Week 5 Pregnancy Signs and Symptoms
When you are five weeks pregnant, it would seem as if there are no new symptoms at all. This is partly true. Most women seem to think that 5 week pregnancy symptoms do not exist. The truth is that there are no new ones except the existing symptoms. There are some women who are 5 weeks pregnant no symptoms, but these are exceptional and very rare. Most women have some or the other 5 weeks 3 days pregnant symptoms present and 5 weeks pregnant cramping is one of them. Apart from cramping, there are certain pregnancy signs and symptoms that you should be aware of. These symptoms include:
- Abdominal cramps
- Increased nasal senses (sense of smell)
- Dizziness
- Fainting (caused due to low blood sugar or inappropriate reduced diet for certain hours)
- Aversions towards food or Food cravings
- Dysgeusia (having the metallic taste in your mouth)
- Fatigue
- Lower back pain
- Night sweats
- Discharge of clear jelly like vaginal fluid
- Feet and leg cramps
- Excessive salivation
- Frequent urination
- Excessive thirst
- Pain in the groin or joints
- Runny nose or Rhinitis
It does not matter whether you are 5 weeks 2 days pregnant or 5 weeks 4 days pregnant or 5 weeks 6 days pregnant, you will have nearly the same kind of symptoms listed here.
5 Weeks Pregnancy Complications and Congenital Defects
If you are 5 weeks pregnant and cramping, then it is common. On the other hand, there are some complications that can occur during pregnancy. These can be identified through ultrasound at 4 weeks or 5 weeks ultrasound. The fetus at 5 weeks can be seen in the scan and a mild heartbeat is detected in a normal pregnancy. If ectopic pregnancy symptoms at 6 weeks are noted, it ends in termination of pregnancy. The pregnancy 5 weeks is the time when scans are used to identify the health of the fetus at 5 weeks. Spotting at 5 weeks and signs of miscarriage at 5 weeks are commonly noted as this is the time when the pregnancy is in its initial developmental phase. Bleeding at 5 weeks pregnant stage can occur and strict bed rest is advised if the fetus is healthy. Bleeding and related symptoms are signs of a miscarriage at 5 weeks. An ultrasound 5 weeks check can ascertain the health of the baby.
It is also during this time when birth defects in the embryo may occur. Any abnormality noticed in the tail side of the developing neural tube can lead to spina bifida or other abnormalities of the brain, also including a condition called anencephaly.
Diagnostic Tests and Ultrasound Results in Week 5 of Pregnancy
If you have been following early pregnancy symptoms week by week, you would love to know how your baby looks like at 5 weeks. The transvaginal ultrasound scan is the right method of knowing this. The 4 week ultrasound would have showed you your developing embryo. The increased HCG levels at 5 weeks boost your baby’s growth and making it grow faster. Though the size of the baby is similar to that of a sesame seed, you can still look at its tadpole like structure by magnifying the image of the scan. The baby is even likely to have a faint heartbeat which you can hear during your 5 weeks pregnant ultrasound. If you are 5 weeks pregnant with twins, you can see both the embryos during the scan.
Pregnancy Health Tips
- Continue with your prenatal vitamins
- Folic acid and Vitamin D supplements are a must
- Eat food rich in vitamin C as it also helps in the rapid development of your baby’s body.
- Maintain your fitness by performing little exercises that keep you fit.
- Prepare yourself for your coming baby and body changes with a positive attitude.
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