5 Weeks Pregnant

5 Weeks Pregnant: The 5th Week of Pregnancy

Congratulations! Weeks four through seven are when most women discover they are pregnant. This week-by-week newsletter will keep you informed about what to expect for you and your developing baby during your pregnancy. At 5 weeks pregnant, you may want to begin by reading weeks 1 through 4. And get the Fetal Life App for Apple and Android endorsed by the American Pregnancy Association.

How is pregnancy calculated?

There is can be confusing when discussing the way in which pregnancy is calculated. Since most women do not know when they conceived as it is challenging to know exactly when ovulation occurred, pregnancy is determined from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). Counting from your LMP, your pregnancy will last around 40 weeks. For more information on how pregnancy is measured, please see our information on calculating your dates.

What changes are occurring to your body when you are 5 weeks pregnant?

There are still probably not any changes noticeable to those around you at this time. You may begin to notice more pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness. About 50% of pregnant women will experience morning sickness. Morning sickness normally begins around the 6th week of pregnancy, but it is not too soon to begin preparing for how you will deal with it. Morning sickness can be experienced in the morning, throughout the day, or in the evening. For ways to help deal with nausea that accompanies early pregnancy, read our tips for surviving morning sickness. If morning sickness is so severe that you are constantly throwing up and not keeping anything down, consult with your doctor about the possibility of having hyperemesis gravidarum.

What is happening with your baby?

Your baby looks more like a tadpole than a baby at this point. Your baby’s heart is beating at a steady rhythm, and the structures that will become the eyes and ears are forming. The fetal skeleton is also beginning to form.

How big is your baby when you are 5 weeks pregnant?

Your baby is still very small, measuring 0.118 inches (3 millimeters) long. At this point, your baby’s length is measured from the crown of the head to the bottom of the rear end (CRL). The CRL measurement is used until 20 weeks gestation, at which point it will change to measuring from crown to heel (CHL).

What should you plan for this week?

If you still have not arranged an appointment for your first prenatal visit, then you should go ahead and do so. If you are still interviewing doctors and/or midwives, you would want to begin narrowing it down to choose your provider.

Tips for making your pregnancy better

You may be wondering how much weight you should expect to gain. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends a weight gain of 25 to 35 pounds (11.3 to 15.9 kilograms) during pregnancy for women who are at a normal weight when conception occurs. Underweight women should gain about 34 pounds (15.4 kilograms), while overweight women should gain about 20 pounds (9 kilograms). For more information see about pregnancy weight gain.

Tips for mom’s partner

Try helping out with household tasks without being asked. This could be as simple as vacuuming, taking out the trash, washing the dishes or making her favorite meal. Be prepared to help her more, especially near delivery and after the baby has arrived. You will discover you can do a lot more than you believed possible when it is required to care for your newborn.

Want to Know More?