Pregnancy Week 5

What happens to you?

You may be extremely tired or sleepy. Don’t push yourself! It’s best to take your body’s cues that you need more rest during the first trimester (first three months) of your pregnancy. Make a few adjustments to your lifestyle by trying some of the suggestions below:

  -Plan a nap or a few rest periods during your day.
  -Go to bed earlier than you usually do.
  -Allow yourself to sleep late on weekends.
  -Eat a balanced diet.
  -Take your prenatal vitamin.
  -Cut out any unnecessary activities.
  -Ask a family member or other support person to help you with any tasks that seem especially exhausting right now.
  -Relax your housekeeping standards until you have more energy.

Sleeping in a sports bra can help with breast soreness. Some women may also get headaches from the rise in hormones.

There are also a lot of women who will have none of these symptoms. They will sail through early pregnancy without vomiting or being light headed. For a lot of women this can be normal as well. Do not panic if you do not have pregnancy symptoms, although you should contact your care provider if you suddenly lose your pregnancy symptoms.

What happens to the baby?

The heart will begin to beat this week. It is now possible to differentiate between the head and the tail of the baby. By the end of the week that folic acid will be paying off as the neural folds begin to fuse over the baby’s spine. The baby is now called an embryo. Its average length is 1.5 - 2.5 mm.

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