Overview of Week 6 of pregnancy
During week 6 of pregnancy:
- Your baby is 1/4 inch long
- You are in trimester one
- 34 more weeks to go
- Heartbeat can be seen on ultrasound
This is the week when you may start to feel pregnant. Most women will experience morning sickness, or nausea, during the first trimester and this is the week that it is likely to begin.
This is also the week when your baby starts to look more like a baby instead of a ball of cells. Face, limbs and organs are all starting to form. Plus, if you get an ultrasound this week, you may get to see your little one’s heart beating.
How many months pregnant is 6 weeks?
You are approximately 1 month and 1 week pregnant during your sixth week of pregnancy. You are still in trimester one and have 8 months of pregnancy left.
How big is baby at 6 weeks pregnant?
This week your little embryo has grown to around 1/4 inch long; about the size of a pea.
Now that your baby is starting to form into a body shape, instead of just a ball of cells, length is determined by measuring the crown to the rump. This means that the length of the embryo is measured from the top of the head to the bottom of the bum. Since your embryo is so small and curled into a little ball, crown to rump measurements are the easiest and most accurate way to determine the size of your little one. Ultrasound technicians use this measurement to determine gestational age until the second trimester when extremities are easier to measure and measurements become more accurate.
Baby development during week 6 of pregnancy
Heartbeat
Your baby has a heart and it is beating at over 100 beats per minute. Although this organ is still developing, it is the first organ to start functioning. If you have an ultrasound this week, you may even get to see it on the screen. However, you won’t be able to hear it with a doppler for another few weeks.
Face
This week your baby’s face is also starting to form. There are indents where the eyes will be and small depressions on both sides of the head for the ears to soon develop. The cheeks, chin, and jaw are also starting to form.
Limbs
Your embryo’s limps are starting to form as little paddles that stick out slightly from the body. The leg buds are curled and tucked up into the torso.
Pregnancy Week 6 Symptoms
Nausea
More than 50% of women experience morning sickness during pregnancy. Despite its name, morning sickness is nausea and vomiting that occurs anytime throughout the day. It is caused by the sudden increase in pregnancy hormones in your body and can be triggered by certain foods, smells, or even for no reason at all. This symptom usually only lasts until the end of the first trimester; however, some women may experience morning sickness throughout the whole pregnancy.
Fatigue
As hormones, particularly progesterone, surge in response to pregnancy, you are sure to feel more tired than usual. Your body is starting to work overtime to grow a new human so it is normal to feel a bit fatigued. Your heart will also pump faster as blood volume increases to supply the developing placenta and the developing circulatory system of your embryo. This increase is also a culprit for this new tiredness you are experiencing.
Frequent urination
You may find yourself running to the washroom a bit more often nowadays. This is due to the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). This hormone increases blood flow to your pelvic region, causing your need to urine more often. Your growing uterus will also start to put more pressure on your bladder, which in turn, will cause your bladder to empty more frequently.
Pregnancy week 6 tips
Start a prenatal vitamin
Starting a prenatal vitamin is recommended as soon as you decide to start trying to conceive and even more important once you become pregnant. Making sure you have sufficient vitamin intake is important in the beginning stages of baby development. Most importantly is folate intake. Adequate folate levels can decrease your growing baby’s chances of developmental defects.
Prepare mentally
You are officially pregnant. This is the time to make sure that you are mentally ready for this life-changing decision. Make sure you are in the right mindset and are realistic about the changes that will incur. Take some time and work on your mental health. This can be both an exciting and terrifying time in any woman’s life.
Make healthy life choices
Now that you are pregnant, make sure you are making the right life choices that will lead to a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. If you smoke, this is time to quit. That goes for alcohol as well. Start adding a few more fruits and vegetables to your diet and maybe start taking short walks around the block for more exercise.
Remember that these changes are for the benefit of your child. Keeping this in mind may make the choices to change your lifestyle a little easier and give you some extra motivation.
Find out what you can eat
Not only will nausea prevent you from eating some of your favorite foods, but pregnancy also comes with rules about what can and cannot be eaten. Some things to avoid when pregnant are soft cheese, deli meats, some kinds of seafood, and caffeine. So, first, find out what is on the okay list for eating during pregnancy, then find out if your stomach will keep those foods down.
