Changes During Pregnancy - Week 5

Mother

Women with regular periods would have realized that they have missed their periods by now. There are a variety of options in the market for home pregnancy testing to confirm your pregnancy. Most of these are urine based testing kits that work by detecting the presence of hCG(hydro Chorionic Gonadotropin). They are sensitive enough to detect the presence of hCG within 14 days of conception. So, you should be able to use these test kits to confirm your pregnancy on the first day you miss your period. If you need to know earlier you can use a blood test. Blood tests can detect the presence of hCG within a week of conception.

Source: Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body

You may also be facing a wide range of pregnancy symptoms. Some common pregnancy symptoms during this time are - fatigue, sleepiness, nausea, heartburn, food cravings and aversions, constipation and frequent urination. You may feel that your breasts and nipples are getting bigger and the area around your nipples are getting darker. However, it will not be possible for an outsider to identify that you are pregnant.

Watch out for an ectopic pregnancy. In an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilised egg implants itself outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube. Most symptoms in this case are the same as that of normal pregnancy. If you have intense pain in the lower abdomen or continuous bleeding even after the pregnancy test showed positive, consult your doctor immediately. The doctor will identify an ectopic pregnancy by measuring the HCG levels in the blood or by having an ultrasound done. It is easy to mistake an ectopic pregnancy for a regular period, so be alert to the possible symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy.

You must avoid certain foods such as unpasteurised eggs and cheese, raw eggs and raw or uncooked meat. Also avoid cleaning cat litter if you have a pet cat. This may cause toxoplasmosis, a disease which can affect your baby.

Baby

The embryo is growing at a rapid rate. A primitive placenta can be seen by the end of this week. Umbilical cord development is in its early stages. Fetal blood vessels are in place. The development of the brain, heart, spinal cord and gastrointestinal tracts are in progress.