5 Weeks Pregnant
Your Baby
By week five baby is moving along quickly in the growth process. The blastocyst now consists of three layers. The innermost layer or endoderm is where the intestine, bladder, pancreas, and liver will form. Right now, there is only a small tube. The middle layer, or mesoderm, is home to the heart, bones, muscles, reproductive organs, kidneys and circulatory system. It may not look like much now, but this layer will grow rapidly over the next weeks. The outermost layer or ectoderm is where the brain, skin, neural tube, spinal cord, and hair will develop. This layer needs folic acid to develop properly. Most moms will not even know they are pregnant at this stage, so prenatal diet and vitamins are important before conceiving a baby.
Your Body
Changes are now starting to happen that you are probably noticing. You have missed your period and enough time has passed for sufficient hCG levels tobe present in urine to trigger a positive home pregnancy test. Some women prefer to know early and others prefer to wait a while, and allow nature to take its course. Each choice is fine as the doctor or midwife will not likely make an appointment this early in pregnancy anyway, although moms who are pregnant with multiples often seek out medical attention sooner. At this stage, every symptom is exemplified and hunger is nearly ravenous. The best advice right now in week five is to eat and rest.
If you see the doctor during the 5th week, a sonogram can show the pregnancy and the embryo inside the uterus, though the fetal heart beat cannot usually be seen until the 6th week. This is a reassuring sign, especially for women at risk for an ectopic pregnancy. This is also the time for prenatal tests.
Dad
Mom’s mood swings may leave her feeling exahusted, emotional and not very social. It's okay, perfectly normal, in fact, and this stage will pass by shortly. Dad can help by being there for mom when she is feeling down or sick, because morning sickness could be rolling in. Also, now is not the time to go back into the trying to get pregnant mode. We told you things would change rapidly!
Tips For This Week
—Take every day slowly and calmly.
—If you must know whether or not you are pregnant, call your gynecologist and ask for a blood hCG test. This test will be required after a positive home pregnancy test anyway. Some women simply do not trust urine tests. If the test is positive, start looking for a good OB-GYN or midwife.
—Keep in mind that this is the time when choosing an obstetrician is about more than just having an annual pelvic exam. The doctor needs to believe the same way mom and dad do about pregnancy and birth.
