Where is your baby located at 5 weeks
Pregnancy at week 5 | Pregnancy Birth and Baby
Pregnancy at week 5 | Pregnancy Birth and Baby beginning of content4-minute read
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Your baby
By week 5, your baby has burrowed into the wall of your uterus. It is now called an embryo and measures about 2mm from end to end. The foundations for all of the major organs are in place. The baby is inside an amniotic sac, a bag of fluid that protects it.
The cells in the baby are still dividing. In week 5, the brain and spinal column are already starting to form. The spinal cord is called the neural tube and is developing as an open groove. Your baby’s head is much larger than the rest of the body at this stage as the brain and face are developing very rapidly.
Your baby’s heart will start beating this week. The blood vessels are already starting to form and blood is circulating in the baby’s body. A string of blood vessels connects you to your baby, and this will eventually become the umbilical cord.
Your baby at 5 weeks
Length: | 2mm |
Your body
Week 5 is when most women start to wonder whether they may be pregnant. You will have missed your period, but you may be feeling like it’s just about to start. You may notice your breasts are larger and feel sore, and you may be feeling quite tired.
Some women may feel nauseous, or notice they need to go to the toilet more often than usual.
You will also be producing more human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
Things to remember
You can do a pregnancy test the day after you miss your period. There are many different tests available, so make sure you follow the instructions carefully.
If the pregnancy test shows you’re pregnant, it’s a good idea to see your doctor as soon as possible. They will confirm you are pregnant and advise you on how to look after yourself and your baby.
Finding out you’re pregnant can be very exciting. But for some women, pregnancy is unplanned. Whether the baby was planned or not, you may feel a range of emotions from joy to surprise to shock.
It’s important not to drink any alcohol, smoke cigarettes or take illicit drugs if you’re pregnant since these can all be very harmful for your baby.
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Sources:
Raising Children Network (Pregnancy week-by-week), Women's and Children's Health Network (The first 3 months of pregnancy: the first trimester), Parenthub (5 weeks pregnant), Australian Journal of General Practice (Preconception care)Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: August 2020
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46
Highlights this week
Feeling pregnant?
You may be growing more aware of early pregnancy symptoms, including fatigue, achy or swollen breasts, nausea, and the need to pee more often.
Announcing your pregnancy
There are no hard and fast rules about when to announce your pregnancy. Many expecting parents wait until late in the first trimester, but it's up to you.
Having twins
The likelihood of twins is about 3 out of 100 for most people, but chances are as high as 30 percent if you had certain fertility treatments. Women typically discover they're having more than one baby during an ultrasound in the first trimester.
Baby development at 5 weeks
Tiny embryo
Deep in your uterus an embryo is growing at a furious pace, and it looks more like a tadpole than a human. The embryo is made up of three layers – the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the endoderm – which will later form all of the organs and tissues.
Brain development
Your baby's brain, spinal cord, and nerves form from the neural tube, which is starting to develop from the embryo's top layer – the ectoderm. This layer will also give rise to skin, hair, nails, mammary and sweat glands, and tooth enamel.
Heart development
The heart and circulatory system begin to form in the embryo's middle layer, or mesoderm. The mesoderm will also form your baby's muscles, cartilage, bone, and the tissue under the skin.
Lungs and gut
The third layer, or endoderm, will become the lungs, intestines, and early urinary system, as well as the thyroid, liver, and pancreas. In the meantime, the primitive placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to your baby, are already on the job.
Your baby at 5 weeks
Tap the plus for more details
Your baby is about the size of a sesame seed
Pregnancy symptoms during week 5
Frequent urination
Pregnancy hormones plus your body's increasing blood volume may equal a near-constant need to pee. During pregnancy, running to the bathroom much more than you'd like is a fact of life. It's important to stay hydrated, but you may want to cut back on fluids late in the day so you don't have to get up to pee as frequently at night.
Tender, swollen breasts
Breast tenderness is often one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. Increased hormone levels boost blood flow, which may make your breasts feel swollen, sore, tingly, and unusually sensitive to touch.
Fatigue
No one knows for sure what causes bone-crushing exhaustion in early pregnancy, but it's likely that hormonal changes are to blame. Most women find that their energy returns in the second trimester. Until then, try to get more sleep, lighten your load, ask others for help, and take good care of yourself.
Spotting
About 1 in 4 women experience spotting or light bleeding during the first trimester. It's often nothing, but sometimes it's a sign of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. Call your doctor or midwife just in case. And if you're actively bleeding or you have severe pain and can't reach your provider, head to the emergency department right away.
Morning sickness
Morning sickness – also called nausea and vomiting of pregnancy – affects different expecting moms at different times (and some not at all). It usually starts around week 5 or 6 of pregnancy. For some women, that telltale queasy feeling is one of the first giveaways that they're pregnant. There are safe ways to get relief from morning sickness, including changes to your diet and lifestyle, natural remedies, and medication. Be sure to talk to your provider if you're suffering.
Food aversions
Does the smell of your coworker's lunch suddenly make your stomach churn? Food aversions often start around now. Most expecting moms experience them, thanks to changing hormones and a heightened sense of smell. Some of the most common aversions include meat, coffee, eggs, dairy, and foods with a lot of spices or fat. To cope, try eating bland or cold foods. If cooking makes you sick, ask a loved one to cook for you or get takeout.
Don't see your symptom?
Wondering about a symptom you have? Find it on our pregnancy symptoms page.
Your body at 5 weeks
Tap the plus for more details
Pregnancy checklist at 5 weeks pregnant
Choose a pregnancy healthcare provider
If you already have an ob-gyn or midwife you love, you're set. If not, start doing some research. Talk to friends and relatives, ask one of your other providers to recommend someone, check out the preferred providers under your health insurance plan, or search online. Find out more about what to consider when choosing a doctor or midwife.
Put together a family health history
Talk to relatives on both sides about your families' medical histories. Your provider will want to know whether any chronic conditions or genetic abnormalities run in either of your families.
Get our pregnancy app
For expert pregnancy info, helpful tools, and detailed fetal development images, download BabyCenter's free pregnancy and baby app.
Take your prenatal vitamin
If you haven't started taking a prenatal vitamin yet, now's the time to start. It's particularly critical to get enough folic acid now, because it greatly reduces your baby's risk of developing neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida.
Cut down on caffeine
Studies have linked high caffeine consumption to miscarriage and other pregnancy problems. That's why the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises expectant moms to limit their caffeine intake to 200 mg per day or less (that's about one large cup of coffee).
5 weeks pregnant bellies
At 5 weeks pregnant, your belly may be starting to look slightly different – perhaps like you had a big lunch. For some women, abdominal bloating due to hormonal changes is an early sign of pregnancy. That's why your clothes may feel more snug than usual at the waistline, even early on when your uterus is still quite small.
Or, you may not see any changes yet. There's no one-size-fits-all formula for how and when women show during pregnancy.
During the first trimester, nausea and vomiting may keep you from feeling like eating much. That's fine: Your baby-to-be is tiny at this point, and you don't need to eat any extra calories. It's typical to gain about 3 to 5 pounds in the first trimester (and it's okay if you don't gain any weight at all).
Some women lose weight in early pregnancy. In most cases, this weight loss isn't dangerous. If you're losing a lot of weight, though, or if you think you may be suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness), tell your provider right away.
This week's video
Kate Marple
Kate Marple is a writer and editor who specializes in health, pregnancy, and parenting content. She's passionate about translating complicated medical information into helpful pregnancy and parenting advice that's easy to understand. She lives in San Francisco with her family.
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what's going on, baby's weight, fetal movements, ultrasound
35 weeks: what month of pregnancy is it
The 35th week of pregnancy is approximately 8.5 calendar months from the last menstruation. If you determine how many months have passed when calculating the obstetric period, then it will be 9 months.
There are still about 6 weeks left until the full term of bearing the baby at 40 weeks. But labor can begin between the 38th and 42nd week. You have very little left and soon you will see your baby, take him in your arms for the first time, hug him. The remaining weeks will fly by quickly, and some preparations are needed now.
Important!
At this time, a small percentage of women may start preterm labor. If the baby hurries to be born, the mother should be ready for this. When leaving home, always take your exchange card and documents with you.
Pregnancy is gradually coming to an end, the expectant mother is increasingly experiencing fatigue due to the increasing size of the abdomen and the increase in fetal weight. The baby is constantly developing, its organs are finally formed, their functionality is constantly being improved. The volume of amniotic fluid and the height of the uterus increase, the gait changes, the stomach bulges strongly forward and seems very large. Now it’s getting more and more uncomfortable for mom to walk, but soon the fetal head will sink into the small pelvis, and the uterus will stop pressing so hard on the diaphragm and internal organs. It will become easier to breathe, heartburn and nausea will decrease after a heavy meal.
Child development
A 35 week old baby feels very comfortable in your womb. Previously, he had room for somersaults and kicks, but now the crumbs seem to be more restrained. This is due to the fact that the baby does not have enough space, and he can only toss and turn or straighten his arms and legs a little. If the baby is in head presentation, the greatest activity is felt under the ribs (if he moves his legs) and in the navel (if these are handles). If this is a breech presentation, the baby may still turn head down, but it is possible that it will remain in this position until delivery.
The fact that your baby is almost ready to be born does not mean that he is no longer developing. These last few weeks are very important to ensure that all of your baby's organs have the opportunity to fully mature, the baby has gained mass through muscle and fat before being born. Every week, the baby's weight is added by about 200-220 g. Now he can weigh about 2300-2500 grams. The growth of the baby is now about 45 cm. From this period, the growth of the baby is added slightly, but he gains weight quickly.
Important!
Now the baby has already clearly formed facial features, and he already looks like mom or dad. But he also developed an individual skin pattern on his fingers and palms. And no one in the world has a second such drawing!
Your baby is training the sucking reflex a lot, because very soon he will be kissing your breast for the first time. While the baby is not very low, but gradually the head of the fetus will fall lower to the entrance to the small pelvis.
Your baby's kidneys are now fully mature and produce sterile urine, which is excreted from the bladder and mixed with the rest of the amniotic fluid. If you have a boy, his testicles should descend into the scrotum.
Most of your baby's weight gain at 35 weeks comes from body fat, which will help him regulate his temperature postpartum. The shoulders of the baby also gain a significant amount of fat, which will soften this area during childbirth.
Indicator
Norm
Maternal weight gain
Average weight gain 11.3 kg (range from 8.0 kg to 14.5 kg is allowed depending on the initial weight before pregnancy)
Fundal height
32-00433 cm
Fetal weight
2300-2500 g
Fetal height
42-45 cm
Mother's body changes
It is quite normal if the expectant mother feels a little uncomfortable at the end of her pregnancy. This is due to significant changes in the body. Your uterus has grown to a significant size and is now located just below the chest. On average, the mother will gain 250g-400g (depending on starting weight) per week during the remainder of the pregnancy.
Here are some of the most common symptoms at 35 weeks pregnant:
- Braxton-Hicks contractions (periodically occurring uterine tone). This is a way to train the uterine muscles before a big event, so periodic contractions are completely normal. But if you notice an increase in their duration, frequency or intensity, your stomach is pulling or your lower back hurts, you should consult a doctor.
- Sensitive fetal movements. There is less and less room in the uterus for the baby, so the baby may move a little less often, but his movements are quite sensitive for the mother. They are especially noticeable if the baby decides to stretch his legs or pull his arms. Sometimes you can clearly distinguish the edges of the heel or elbow.
- Frequent urination. The baby's head gradually sinks down and puts a lot of pressure on your bladder, which means you'll need to use the toilet much more often.
- Urinary incontinence. This same pressure can cause drops of urine to leak, especially when you sneeze, cough, or laugh. This is completely normal and an unpleasant phenomenon should disappear after childbirth.
- Clumsiness and peculiar duck gait. Your growing belly will make it harder for you to move and balance. When moving, you reflexively spread your legs wider, hence the change in gait.
Discomfort during this period
As a woman prepares for the upcoming birth, the hormonal background of a woman is being rebuilt. A high level of sex and other hormones determines some changes in the female body, which may not be the most pleasant.
Frequent mood swings are due to accumulating fatigue and not always feeling good. In addition, the fear of the upcoming birth worries. All this can lead to tearfulness, resentment and hypersensitivity. Think only about the good, the baby feels everything with you.
Stretch marks on the chest, abdomen and thighs. These are red-purple or pink stripes inside the skin, associated with its excessive stretching and micro-ruptures of the dermis. Stretch marks can be prevented by taking care of your skin and thoroughly moisturizing it.
Vaginal discharge. By the end of pregnancy, they intensify and look like transparent, odorless mucous lumps. This is a variant of the norm, as the cervix and vagina are preparing for childbirth, increasing their activity. If there are no streaks of blood in the discharge, this is the norm. If there are spotting, spotting - immediately see a doctor. It is also worth visiting a doctor if the discharge is yellowish or greenish, profuse and watery. These may be signs of infection or amniotic fluid leakage.
Edema in the legs and arms. At the end of pregnancy, the load on the vessels of the female body increases significantly. In addition, expectant mothers consume more fluid, and some of it is retained in the tissues. There may be swelling in the hands and feet. If the swelling is pronounced, you need to talk to your doctor, he will select a diet and fluid intake.
Ultrasound at 35 weeks pregnant
Doctors constantly monitor the health of the expectant mother and the development of the baby. In order to confirm that the baby feels well, an ultrasound examination is prescribed. During this period, the condition of the placenta is assessed, as it is responsible for supplying the fetus with nutrition and oxygen. By the time of 35 weeks, it should have a second degree of maturity.
The doctor also determines the weight of the fetus and its height, the correspondence of the level of development of the fetus to the gestational age. The doctor examines all organs of the fetus, listens to the heartbeat to confirm the absence of any pathologies.
During this period, it is necessary to assess the volume and condition of amniotic fluid. The doctor determines their volume by measuring certain indicators. The presentation of the fetus is also assessed. If the baby is in a breech presentation, this will allow the doctor to think over the tactics of managing pregnancy and the upcoming birth.
From the 30th week of pregnancy, a woman goes on maternity leave, and for the second month she has been enjoying the rest and the pleasant chores associated with preparing for the replenishment of the family.
Try to use this time to your advantage - attend courses for expectant mothers, study literature on your own. There are only about 4-5 weeks left (or maybe a little less) and you will meet your baby.
- 1. Normal pregnancy (clinical recommendations) // Obstetrics and Gynecology: News. Opinions. Learning. 2020. No. 4 (30).
- 2. Nashivchnikova N.A., Krupin V.N., Leanovich V.E. Features of the prevention and treatment of uncomplicated infections of the lower urinary tract in pregnant women. breast cancer. Mother and child. 2021;4(2):119-123. DOI: 10.32364/2618-8430-2021-4-2-119-123.
- 3. Obstetrics: national guidelines / ed. G.M. Savelyeva, G. T. Sukhikh, V.N. Serova, V.E. Radzinsky. 2nd ed. Moscow: GEOTAR-Media
- Pediatrician
- Pathophysiology, immunology, nutrition of children and adults
- Completed the course on HB from WHO/UNICEF, taught at the Volgograd State Medical University, Department of Pathophysiology with a course of immunology, allergology
Others articles by the author
what is happening, sensations in the abdomen, the size and movements of the fetus, ultrasound
What happens to you at the 15th week of pregnancy
The good news is that the symptoms that bothered you earlier have gone without a trace, you do not feel sick, do not suffer from drowsiness , do not irritate dishes and smells as they did in the first trimester of pregnancy 1 . Of the new nuances, the appearance of gingivitis and periodontitis in pregnant women is possible, so carefully monitor oral hygiene, remember the obligatory two brushings, a toothbrush with soft bristles and rinsing the mouth after eating 1 2 3 . In addition, allergic rhinitis of pregnant women often manifests in the second trimester. This phenomenon is temporary, and your nasal breathing will recover after the birth of the baby on your own, without the use of drugs 4 , therefore, if you experience a prolonged runny nose that is not associated with a cold, swelling of the nasal mucosa and difficulty in nasal breathing, monitor the humidity in the room where you work and rest, avoid the use of vasoconstrictor drugs that have both a negative effect on the fetus and are addictive receptors on the nasal mucosa, leading to atrophic changes in the mucosa and aggravation of nasal breathing disorders 4 5 .
What is also new is that you start to gain weight slowly, on average, 200-300 grams per week, over the next 4 weeks. To control body weight by weighing at home, always do it at the same time, optimally, in the morning after waking up and before breakfast.
If you are 15 weeks pregnant and you can't see your belly, don't worry about it. Your figure has changed slightly, and you still do not notice the stomach, this is a variant of the norm. More often it is invisible if you initially had excess body weight or obesity, and even with normal parameters of the body mass index, good tone of the abdominal muscles at fifteen weeks of pregnancy, an increase in your abdomen may not be traced.
At this time, you can often experience abdominal discomfort, namely, heartburn, belching, a feeling of heaviness in the upper abdomen and a feeling of early satiety and overeating after a normal meal, this is due to an increase in the size of the uterus, displacement of intestinal loops, changes in gastric motility -intestinal tract 1 2 3 . There are several ways to get rid of or reduce heartburn 1 5 . In particular, eat small meals, but often, for example, after 3 hours.
One of the basic rules for heartburn is do not lie down immediately after eating, this will increase heartburn, but on the contrary, try to move after eating.
In addition, choose the type of physical activity that you like and that is convenient or possible in specific life circumstances. And of course, avoid eating foods that provoke heartburn - fatty, fried, finished, spicy pickled dishes.
Growth and development of the fetus at the 15th week of pregnancy 1 2 3
So, the fifteenth week of pregnancy is marked by the fact that the size of the fetus reaches a length of about 10 cm, weighs about 70 grams, and in volume it resembles an average pear. Your baby continues to form the facial skull, eyes, and auricles.
There may be changes in your appearance, your stomach at the 15th week of pregnancy has increased slightly, but you have new sensations in your stomach that differ from the usual intestinal motility. These new sensations give rhythmic, regular movements of the fetus, although they are not too strong, because the mass of the limbs (arms and legs) is small and reaches only 2.5-3 grams.
By the way, fetal movements at 15 weeks of pregnancy are clearly visible on ultrasound, they are still involuntary, but reflex in nature, and you can easily distinguish them during ultrasound.
In order to get information about the size of the baby and find out about the development of the fetus at an appointment at the clinic, an obstetrician-gynecologist or a nurse measures the height of the uterine fundus above the level of the pubic articulation, it is this size that reflects the growth of your child 2 .
Many expectant mothers at this time are interested in where the fetus is, answering this question, it must be said that its position changes at 15-16 weeks, and your baby is actively moving in the uterine cavity 3 .
The main features of the development of the fetus and changes in the body of a woman at a certain gestational age
indicators
Norma
Mother's weight gain:
with a weight deficiency before pregnancy
0. 5–3.2 kg
with normal weight before pregnancy
0.5–2.5 kg
Overweight before pregnancy
0.5–1.3 kg
Fundal height
12–13 cm
Fetal weight
30-50 grams
Fetal height
14-16 cm an invasive diagnostic procedure such as amniocentesis, to diagnose a number of genetic diseases in the fetus. There are clear indications for such a diagnostic procedure, which are determined by your attending physician together with a geneticist 1 2 3 . 15 weeks pregnant very active, so you should be careful about taking a number of vitamins and trace elements 1 5 . In addition, during pregnancy, the calorie content of food increases, and the need for a number of vitamins, for example, folic acid, adequate intake of which has been proven to reduce the risk of developing neural tube defects in your baby 1 2 3 5 .
According to WHO recommendations, the need for folic acid during pregnancy is 400 µg per day, for iodine 250 µg per day, for calcium up to 1500–2000 mg per day, it has been proven that the normal supply of these nutrients has a positive effect on the development of the fetus 5 .
Be careful about your diet, try to plan your diet the day before, cook it yourself if possible and take food with you to work, this will allow you to minimize fast food snacks and purchase ready-made food in stores 1 10 .
In case of overweight, WHO experts recommend to monitor the nature of nutrition especially carefully in the period from 15 to 24 weeks 5 10 11 . Therefore, always keep on hand products for healthy snacks, such as yogurt, nuts, cheese, dried fruits, and not the usual sweets, chocolate, coffee, cookies. Take into account the basic rule - breakfast is required 5 11 .
If you go in for sports, attend regular workouts, then make it a rule to have a snack half an hour before training, for example, smoothies based on cereals and sour-milk drinks, so that in addition to fiber and fruit juice, there is a sufficient amount of a protein component that will prevent sharp fluctuations in blood glucose levels 5 10 11 .
15 weeks of pregnancy and sports
As for physical activity during pregnancy, it is not only good for your body and allows you to control weight gain, blood sugar levels, reducing insulin resistance, but also has a positive effect on the development of your baby, improving blood saturation oxygen, providing preparation for the birth process. Therefore, sports during pregnancy are recommended by WHO experts 5 10 11 . It is important to note that it is necessary to engage in physical exercises during this period in the gym or in the pool under the guidance of certified trainers for working with pregnant women, instructors, physical therapy doctors with special professional training and a high level of knowledge, and experience in working with pregnant women 5 13 14 15 16 17 18 . In general, the effect of physical exercise on the health of a pregnant woman and a baby is multifaceted, and the methods of health-saving technologies continue to be improved and studied 13 14 15 16 17 18 .
References:
- 1. National guidance. Gynecology. 2nd edition, revised and enlarged. M., 2017. 446 p.
- 2. Guidelines for outpatient care in obstetrics and gynecology. Edited by V.N. Serov, G.T. Sukhikh, V.N. Prilepskaya, V.E. Radzinsky. 3rd edition, revised and expanded. M., 2017. S. 545-550.
- 3. Obstetrics and gynecology. Clinical guidelines. — 3rd ed., rev. and additional / G.M. Savelyeva, V.N. Serov, G.T. Dry. — M.: GEOTARMEDIA. 2013. - 880 p.
- 4. Diagnosis and treatment of rhinitis and rhinosinusitis in pregnant women. A.S. Lopatin. Russian Allergological Journal. 2006. No. 1. S. 12-18.
- 5. WHO antenatal care guidelines for a positive pregnancy experience. 2017. 196 p. ISBN 978-92-4-454991-9
- 6. Dedov I.I., Gerasimov G.A., Sviridenko N.Yu. Iodine deficiency diseases in the Russian Federation (epidemiology, diagnosis, prevention). Toolkit. — M.; 1999.
- 7. Iodine deficiency: current state of the problem. N.M. Platonov. Clinical and experimental thyroidology. 2015. Volume 11, No. 1. S. 12-21.
- 8. Melnichenko G.A., Troshina E.A., Platonova N.M. Iodine deficiency diseases of the thyroid gland in the Russian Federation: the current state of the problem. Analytical review of publications and official state statistics (Rosstat). Consilium Medicum. 2019; 21(4):14–20. DOI: 10.26442/20751753.2019.4.19033
- 9. Clinical guidelines: diagnosis and treatment of (multiple) nodular goiter in adults. 2016. 9 p.
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