Week by week pregnancy guide: Week 6 of your pregnancy

Though your baby still appears to be tiny on the screen during your ultrasound, but is growing at a phenomenal rate.

In case of a planned pregnancy you know by now that you have embarked on the journey of motherhood. But for many women the sixth week of pregnancy stands to be the time when they discover about the good news. This week stands to be an important week of your pregnancy. Imagine you are already halfway through your first trimester.

Changes that happen to your body

Apart from the common pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness, nausea, back pain, tender breast, heart burn or constipation that has been bugging you now, a significant symptom that you would experience now is weight gain. But this can significantly vary from person to person. Many women face weight loss during the early weeks of pregnancy due to nausea and vomiting. So if you haven't gained enough by now don't panic. Instead find ways to deal with your pregnancy niggles. Remember every woman is different and so is her progression towards pregnancy. Read to know how to tackle morning sickness during pregnancy.

As the fetus grows your body now makes more of the hCG or human Chorionic Gonadotropin hormone. This hormonal gush increases blood flow to the pelvic area and also makes the kidneys work efficiently to expel all the toxins out of the body. Now that your uterus is growing it would start to exert a pressure on your bladder. This pressure along with the efficient waste management of your kidneys can see you going to the rest room a little too often now.

Also because of the hCG overdrive some of your pregnancy symptoms that had gone worse during your fifth week might continue to be so. You may be more averse to certain fragrances and tastes which could trigger morning sickness or nausea. Heartburn and back ache can also be the unwanted visitors. Your breasts might continue to be tender as they start gearing up for the post delivery breastfeeding sessions. Read how to deal with heart burn during pregnancy.

Remember apart from hCG, progesterone levels are also high in your body and that can cause constipation. So eat a fiber rich diet and you eight glasses of water. Also read how to deal with constipation during pregnancy.

Development of your baby

Your ultrasound will still show just a small spot on the monitor and your baby might be measuring just a quarter of an inch or approximately 8mm in length now.

But some phenomenal growth is happening now in the fetus. Your baby's heart has started to beat and an ultrasound can now measure the beats per minute. The lungs, intestine, pancreas, kidneys and liver have also started to develop and form.

The major development of the week is that the eyes, ears, mouth, nose starts to take shape and are seen as black dots on the ultrasound. Also your baby's limbs starts to protrude out of the body. Your baby can now move within you, but it is too early for you to experience the wonders of baby-kicks.

What you should be doing

• By the sixth week you would be visiting your gynecologist for your first antenatal check-up if you haven't done it yet. Talk to your doctor about your concerns early so that you get to plan a smooth pregnancy ahead. If you wish you should start to draft your birth plan by now. Wondering what's a birth plan? Read to know how to draft one and why it is important.
• Eat right and keep yourself hydrated enough. This will help you to deal with morning sickness, heartburn and constipation problems too. If food isn't what you want to have and feel queasy, try liquids and take healthy sips often. Know about the healthy drinks you can have during pregnancy. But it's not a good idea to cut food off your diet plan. So keep your meals spaced out and include lots of greens, fruits and nuts.
• Control your vices like smoking or drinking and stay away from foods that can harm your baby. Know about the pregnancy unfriendly foods that you should avoid.
• Listen to your body and take rest as needed. Also avoid stress and anxiety during your pregnancy. Read to know how to control stress during pregnancy.
• You might be advised to go for your first ultrasound. This could be an exciting as well as a depressing one for you as it might have to be a transvaginal ultrasound, which could be a little uncomfortable. This ultrasound can give you an idea of your EDD and might also pick up the heartbeat of your baby. However, it can at times take up to 12 weeks to pick up an heartbeat. Know more about scans that needs to be done during your pregnancy.
• Take your antenatal vitamins, folic acid, calcium and iron pills on time. Deficiency of these nutrients can lead to adverse consequences in the baby.

If you wished to know what happened to your body while you reached here. Read about the first four weeks of your pregnancy. Also read about the crucial developments of week 5 of your pregnancy.

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You may also like to read:

• How to plan for a birth without violence
• How to write a good birth plan
• A new mums guide to bond better with the baby
• Tips to deal with swollen feet or edema during pregnancy
• 10 important facts about induced labour

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