Pregnancy Week 6 - Pregnancy Week by Week

Welcome to Pregnancy Week 6.

Changes to Mother During Pregnancy Week 6

Hormonal changes in your body occur rapidly. You may suffer from increased bouts of morning sickness and sore breasts. Your vagina appears bluish in colour because the blood supply in this area increases. The cervical mucous thickens like a plug in the your womb. You may also have darker areolae and may feel some mild abdominal cramping. You may also see an increase in a white vaginal discharge during this time. This is referred to as leukorrhea and is normal during pregnancy. Infact the discharge progressively increases during the course of pregnancy. You are also likely to have mood swings.

You must start taking extra care of yourself. You can continue your work outs if you have been going to a gym. However, you will need to be flexible on the exercises you do depending on how your pregnancy is progressing. Discuss with your doctor on a suitable exercise plan for you.

Sometimes you may experience a slight weight loss instead of the usual weight gain due to morning sickness. If the morning sickness is acute it can cause dehydration and electrolyte deficiencies. Your doctor may prescribe supplements to ensure that the baby gets the right amount of nutrients.

If you are working, this is a good time to start planning your finances. You may consider saving a little extra money every month to manage financially when you are on maternity leave. You can also start inquiring about various maternity or paternity benefits.

6 Weeks Pregnant (4 Weeks after Fertilisation)

Changes to Baby During Pregnancy Week 6

Your baby is about the size of a plum. Your doctor will measure the distance from the top of your baby's head to his bottom with ultrasound in increments. This is called as crown-rump length.

The heart starts developing into the four chambered structure we are familiar with in adults. This change will be completed during Pregnancy Week 7 to Pregnancy Week 10. Arm and leg buds are visible as is the umbilical cord. A primitive brain can also be discerned now. The beginning of a face as well as eyes and ears can be seen. Spinal cord development continues. Dark spots are formed around the eyes which will turn to nostrils later on.