5 weeks pregnant

How’s Baby?

As an embryo, Baby continues to develop but is still teeny tiny this week — just the size of a peppercorn. But your little one is growing like wild, nearly doubling in size each week. With growth like that, you’re lucky you don’t have to buy clothes yet!

Your baby’s developing neural tube, which will become the brain and spinal cord, has recently grown a little tail — so your baby looks like a tiny little tadpole — but this will disappear back into the spinal cord soon. They also have a number of other amazing organs and bodily systems that are continuing to develop,  like their digestive system, stomach, liver, nervous system, and, yes, brain.

But Baby isn’t just a brainiac, they’re also full of heart. Baby’s circulatory system is under construction and their heart is already starting to form its different chambers. In fact, a heartbeat may even show up on an ultrasound by the end of the week!

What’s new with you?

If you are used to a regular cycle, now is about the time when you’ll miss your first period. And with pregnancy well underway, some common symptoms of early pregnancy may be starting to pop up. You might be experiencing a few physical effects from the increased production of hormones in your body, including sore breasts and a frequent urge to pee, all of which are totally normal.

Morning sickness, or nausea, is also very common for many folks, especially in the first trimester. The good news is that this usually decreases by the end of the first trimester. But if you’re feeling sick to your stomach at present, there are a few things that may help you get some relief well before then, including eating several smaller snacks throughout the day, avoiding triggering smells, taking your prenatal vitamins with a meal, having food or drinks with ginger, keeping hydrated, and getting plenty of rest. And if you can’t seem to find relief, be sure to speak with your healthcare provider.

This can also be a good time to start thinking about the habits that will allow you to feel your best and promote a healthy pregnancy. Among other things, it can help to stay active with movement or exercise that you enjoy, eat nutritious foods that help you feel satiated and good, get enough rest, and start taking a prenatal vitamin with folic acid if you haven’t yet started doing so. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions or concerns about any of these things. The groundwork you lay now can go a long way toward helping you get the self-care you need throughout pregnancy and even postpartum — you deserve it.