When 5 weeks pregnant, most women will get a positive pregnancy test result. If that’s you, congratulations!
And even if you still haven’t seen a positive result, you may notice other early signs of pregnancy.
Inside your body, your baby’s heart will start to beat at the fourth week of gestation, which can be as early as its 22nd day of life. It’s a special moment for sure!
This article will cover the early stages of your baby’s growth and development and symptoms of pregnancy that you might experience, mom.
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What to Expect When 5 Weeks Pregnant
In this article:
How Many Months is 5 Weeks Pregnant?
Being five weeks pregnant means you have entered the second month of your pregnancy. You are still in your first trimester (the second trimester starts after 12 weeks of being pregnant).
To keep things simpler, it is easier to track pregnancy in weeks. However, like most women, you would also probably want to know how many months pregnant you are at a certain point.
Read our post on how to count pregnancy weeks and months to avoid confusion in the future.
Your Baby at 5 Weeks
How Big is My Baby at 5 Weeks?
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The fetal age of your baby is now 3 weeks.
At 5 weeks, your baby is about 1.5 millimeters long. That’s as large as pepper corn or a sesame seed.
You’ll find a handy (and cute!) chart for baby size by pregnancy week here, with more detailed measures and fruit comparisons.
What Does My Baby Look Like at 5 Weeks Pregnant?
At this point, the shape of the embryo is similar to that of a tadpole, with a head and a small tail. But, don’t worry, the tail will be gone soon, more changes will happen, and you’ll be holding your baby in your arms in only seven months.
Fetal Development
With all the growing and developing taking place inside your body, the embryo’s three layers – the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the endoderm – become more differentiated than when these layers first appeared when you were 3 weeks pregnant. These parts will further develop into the organs and tissues of your infant.
The ectoderm layer, or outer layer, is where the neural tube forms, developing into your baby’s nervous system. This includes the brain and spinal cord. This neural tube runs from the top to the very bottom of the embryo. The ectoderm layer is also in charge of developing your baby’s top layer of skin (the epidermis), hair, nails, parts of the ears, eyes, nose, and even tooth enamel. In fact, the lenses of your baby’s eyes develop at around this time.
The mesoderm layer, or the middle layer, eventually develops into the heart and circulatory system, bones, rib cartilage, muscles, some areas of skin in the body, and some layers of the intestines. This week, your little one’s heart starts to pump blood throughout their tiny body.
The endoderm layer, or the inner layer, first develops a simple tube that will later become part of your baby’s lungs, intestines, liver, pancreas, thyroid, ears, and urinary bladder.
At this time in embryo growth, the heart and very primitive circulatory system functions will form quite rapidly as needed by the growing baby. The heart starts to form as a simple tube-like structure that expands and loops around. Although it will start beating soon, you won’t be able to see it on the ultrasound until week 7 of your pregnancy.
The blood begins to circulate as the baby already has a few major blood vessels.
The placenta is growing so that it can nourish the growing baby with everything it needs from its mother.
Mom’s Body When 5 Weeks Pregnant
The Belly
Although you are probably looking forward to seeing your belly grow, you won’t be able to see it just yet. This usually happens at 12 weeks pregnant, which is the end of the first trimester.
However, once it starts growing, you’ll have plenty of time to observe and enjoy it.
Pregnancy Symptoms
Have you gotten a positive pregnancy test yet? If so, congratulations!
If not, this can be a very stressful time, looking for signs of pregnancy, running to the toilet to see if your menstrual period has started, squeezing your breasts to see if they are tender… and if they are, could it be because you’ve squeezed them too much? :-)
Did you think you were the only one behaving like a lunatic around the time when your period was due? Not at all!
But if you are trying to conceive and your menstruation is late, you might find out soon if you are pregnant.
This is a time when many women question if they are indeed carrying a child despite not having their period arrive on time. For some women, it takes a while before their bodies produce enough placental hormones, like hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), to create a positive result on a rapid, home pregnancy test.
At 5 weeks pregnant, many hormonal changes in your body are happening without you even knowing it.
Nausea can be the first indication of pregnancy for some women, while others may start having sudden food cravings or need frequent trips to the bathroom at night.
Other possible early pregnancy symptoms are tender breasts and being extra tired or moody. You can read about other early signs of pregnancy here.
Things to Do and Buy This Week
Many women who monitor their bodies closely have already found out they are pregnant, and they start with prenatal care and dietary changes.
Once you realize that you do have an infant arriving soon, schedule a prenatal visit, stock up on your prenatal supplements, and start eating healthy.
You know your body best; if you have that “feeling,” do not ignore it. Be sure to make better choices for your diet and turn down that glass of wine with dinner.
If you are very active, you should remain active unless a medical practitioner has instructed you otherwise. A healthy body during pregnancy and afterward will help your delivery and recovery once your little one has been born.
If physical activity has not been a part of your routine, check with your doctor which types of moderate exercise you could do during pregnancy.
The CDC advocates at least 150 minutes of exercise per week for pregnant women. Even a nice walk each evening after dinner can help your circulation and elevate your heart rate enough to get a good workout.
Week 5 Pregnancy Video
Diary of a Daughter
What’s it really like being 5 weeks pregnant…? Here’s a true diary from a 5 weeks pregnant mom (Me..!)
On June 23, the very day my period was due, my pregnancy test returned positive. I’m pregnant. I can’t believe it. I’m pregnant!!! I am praying that this will be a real pregnancy and not an early miscarriage like it was the last time.
Are you also 5 weeks pregnant? Please share your experiences and thoughts by leaving a comment below!
Read Next
- Poll on early pregnancy signs – find out what other moms are experiencing
- What to eat and not during pregnancy
- The exciting signs of being pregnant
References:
Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
Joanne Stone MD and Keith Eddleman MD, The Pregnancy Bible: Your Complete Guide to Pregnancy and Early Parenthood
Nilsson, L; Hamberger, L. A Child Is Born
Soderberg, L., Mammapraktika. B Wahlstroms.
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Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing are based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.
Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians who assist in reviewing and writing articles.
Hello even I am expecting and having some early pregnancy symptoms hopefully waiting for the best very excited yet confused.
It sure is a confusing time. I wish you good luck!