Five Weeks, Two Days - The Sixth Week

Ok, I lied. We're doing the developmental update tonight. Sources of information are "Your Pregnancy Week by Week", babycenter.com, and babyzone.com. All information is for Week 6.

The Baby
The crown-to-rump length of your growing baby is 0.08 to 0.16 inch (2 to 4 mm). Occasionally, with the proper equipment, a heartbeat can be seen on ultrasound by the 6th week. This is the beginning of the embryonic period (from week 6 to week 10 of pregnancy. It is a period of extremely important development in your baby! Around this time the neural groove closes and early brain chambers form. The eyes are also forming. Limb buds appear. The heart tubes fuse and heart contractions begin.

Cells are dividing furiously as your embryo takes shape. By week's end, it's about the size of a small lentil bean (4 to 5 millimeters across). If you could see through your uterine walls, you'd find an overlarge head and dark spots where the eyes and nostrils are beginning to form. The emerging ears are marked by pits and the arms and legs by protruding buds. The embryo's hands and feet are shaped like paddles, and fingers are beginning to form even now. The heart has divided into the right and left chambers and is beating between 100 and 130 times a minute. The pituitary gland is also forming.

This week your embryo is working very hard to begin growing its nervous system. There's a primitive heart now, and just wait until it can show you its love! Tiny buds have appeared -- if all goes well, these will someday be arms to hug you and legs to kick at you during temper tantrums. By now, your baby displays reflexes in response to a touch! This means his nervous system is communicating with his primitive muscle cells. This communication forms the foundation of all your baby's behavior even after birth.


The Mom
You may have gained a few pounds by now. If you have been nauseated and not eating well, you may have lost weight. You have been pregnant for 1 month, which is enough time to notice some changes in your body. If this is your first pregnancy, your abdomen may not have changed much. Or you may notice your clothes are getting a little tighter around the waist. You may be gaining weight in your legs or other places, such as your breasts. If you have a pelvic exam, your healthcare provider can usually feel your uterus and note some change in its size.

If you haven't already, you may soon find yourself riding pregnancy's emotional roller coaster, feeling moody one day and joyful the next. Disturbing as this is to some women who pride themselves on being in control, what you're going through is normal and will probably continue throughout your pregnancy. Up-and-down emotions are partly caused by fluctuating and (in many cases) very high levels of hormones.

Your uterus is the size of a plum, your breasts may be incredibly tender, and, ugh, you may start feeling some odd symptoms , though for some women the morning sickness doesn't kick in until later (if at all). Because this is a critical time in your baby's organ development, avoid alcohol, substances, drugs, and treatments that you don't really need. If you haven't done so already, find a doctor, and make that appointment.