PREGNANCY WEEK 5 ~ HEALTH and FITNESS

5 WEEKS PREGNANT

You’ve just been initiated to the pregnancy club! Week 5 is a common time for moms-to-be to find out they’re pregnant. That’s because by now you’ve probably realized you’ve missed your period and then thought, Whoa… maybe I should take a test! Plus, at 5 weeks pregnant, heightened hormone levels may be giving you symptoms that are tough to ignore, like sore breasts, nausea, and fatigue. (Those same hormones are the ones your pregnancy test detected to give you a positive result.) Okay, so the “club” might not be so fun right now, but you’ll eventually be so glad you were a member. Just give it, oh, about eight more months.

How Big Is Baby at 5 Weeks Pregnant?

At 5 weeks pregnant, baby is the size of an apple seed. Yep, your embryo is now measurable—though at week five of pregnancy, it's a wee 0.13 inches from crown to rump (a.k.a. head to bum)—and baby's gearing up for much more growth. In fact, in the next week, he or she will almost double in size. Grow, baby, grow!

5 Weeks Pregnant Is How Many Months?

5 weeks pregnant is about one month pregnant. Yep, you just discovered you’re pregnant and you’ve already got one month in the books. That’s because most doctors start counting pregnancy from the first day of your last period. Only eight months to go!

5 WEEKS PREGNANT SYMPTOMS

The pregnancy symptoms you feel at five weeks are just the beginning of the slew of changes your body is about to go through. No need to dread the entire pregnancy based on what’s happening right now: many moms-to-be say the first trimester is the toughest, so think of it as getting the rough stuff out of the way early. In the meantime, take care of yourself and get plenty of rest, eat right, and figure out ways to help yourself feel better. If you’re wondering what to expect at 5 weeks pregnant, here’s what’s most common:

Sore breasts. Morning sickness gets all the attention, but aching boobs may actually be the most common symptom at 5 weeks pregnant.
Morning sickness. This bad boy is so inaccurately named. Nausea in early pregnancy can happen at any time of the day, not just morning. And unfortunately, some pregnant moms feel queasy pretty much all day. In fact, if you’re 5 weeks pregnant with twins, you may be more likely to have severe morning sickness. Experiment with different strategies to find what helps you deal with the queasies best. Eating small, frequent meals is one good one. You might also try Vitamin B6, ginger capsules, special nausea-reducing lozenges or lollipops, and acupressure wristbands.
Fatigue. At 5 weeks pregnant, it’s normal to want to nap in the middle of a board meeting, a dinner date, a… well, pretty much any time. You’re zapped from making a baby and there’s not much you can do about it except get some extra rest, do some light exercise, and eat every few hours so your blood sugar doesn’t drop so much that you lose even more of your (already scarce) energy.
Frequent urination. You might notice yourself having the urge to pee more often early in pregnancy. This symptom at 5 weeks pregnant is because your kidneys are actually expanding. (Whoa!)
Cramps. Around 4 or 5 weeks, cramping could be a sign the embryo has implanted nicely into the lining of your uterus. Or it could be a sign your uterus is expanding and stretching your ligaments. If you’re feeling cramping at 5 weeks pregnant that’s severe or painful, call your doctor and get checked out to make sure it’s not a sign of a problem.
Spotting. When you’re 5 weeks pregnant spotting can seem scary, but a little blood on your underwear could also be a sign of implantation. You might also spot a bit after sex, since your cervix is more sensitive now that you’re pregnant. This is totally normal, but if you’re having something that’s less like spotting and more like bleeding at 5 weeks pregnant—or really, if you’re concerned at all—call the doctor.

Some moms-to-be who are 5 weeks pregnant feel no symptoms at all. Or it might feel like, at 5 weeks pregnant, symptoms come and go. And all of that is totally okay! Just because you’re not feeling sick or sore doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with the pregnancy. It just means you’re lucky!

5 WEEKS PREGNANT BELLY

At 5 weeks pregnant, your belly may look unchanged—or you may be a bit bloated or feel like you’ve already gained a pound. Heck, you might feel so sick that you can’t eat and worry you could have lost a pound. All those scenarios are considered perfectly normal and totally okay! All pregnant women are different and how their bodies change throughout pregnancy varies widely.

You’re probably starting to wonder a bit about overall pregnancy weight gain. The short answer is: You don’t need to worry too much about it yet. Doctors only recommend gaining a few pounds (1 to 5 to be exact) during the first trimester (which ends after week 13), and that will probably happen without you thinking too much about it.

The long answer is that you will need to gain weight.

Your doctor will discuss personalized weight gain recommendations with you—know that they vary based on body type. Here’s what the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends:

If you’re underweight (BMI under 18.5):

Your recommended total pregnancy weight gain is 28 to 40 pounds.
In the second and third trimesters, aim to gain about a pound (1 to 1.3 pounds to be exact) per week.

If you’re of average weight (BMI of 18.5 to 24.9):

Your recommended total pregnancy weight gain is 25 to 35 pounds.
In the second and third trimesters, aim to gain about a pound or a little less (0.8 to 1 pound to be exact) per week.

If you’re overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9):

Your recommended total pregnancy weight gain is 15 to 25 pounds.
In the second and third trimesters, aim to gain a little over a half pound (0.5 to 0.7 pound to be exact) per week.

If you’re obese (BMI of 30 and above):

Your recommended total pregnancy weight gain is 11 to 20 pounds.
In the second and third trimesters, aim to gain about a half pound (0.4 to 0.6 pound to be exact) per week.

If you’re 5 weeks pregnant with twins:

Your recommended total pregnancy weight gain is 37 to 54 pounds.
In the first half of pregnancy, aim to gain about a pound per week. In the second half, gain a little over a pound per week.

Wondering if you could be 5 weeks pregnant with twins? If you were, you probably wouldn’t know it yet, though as we mentioned above, some twin moms swear they had worse morning sickness. They also may gain weight more rapidly and “start to show” earlier than women having one baby would.

5 weeks pregnant is a good time ask your partner for a massage. You might not have a big bump, but at five weeks pregnant, your body is working fast and furiously to grow baby, so you deserve a little TLC, right?

5 WEEKS PREGNANT ULTRASOUND

Your week-5 embryo doesn't look like much more than a tadpole right now, but he or she's already starting to form major organs—heart, stomach, liver, and kidneys—and systems—digestive, circulatory, and nervous).

If you don’t have a medical history that puts you at higher risk for pregnancy complications, you won’t likely have a 5 weeks pregnant ultrasound. Instead, your OB will probably have you make an appointment for your first prenatal visit around week 8 or 9. And you’ll just have to wait impatiently. We feel your pain—sorry!

When you do have your first ultrasound, the doctor or technician will measure baby from crown to rump and could adjust your due date based on baby’s size (which would change which week of pregnancy you’re in). You’ll have a slew of blood tests and urine tests to be sure you and baby are both doing fine.

So while you’re totally amped up to see baby’s tiny fluttering heartbeat on the ultrasound screen, remind yourself that you can wait a few weeks for the blood draws and peeing in a cup. Welcome to the club!