- You would have cravings and, at the same time, aversions to certain food items. However, it would differ from one person to another as each person is unique. Even then, there are some general cravings and aversions that occur due to hormonal fluctuations. For instance, most women crave for chocolates, pickles, cakes, fruits, and vegetables. Some food items you might dislike include onions, dairy products, seafood, especially cooked and raw fish. It happens due to the smell and texture of these food items and can lead to morning sickness.
- You might feel tired as your body would be utilizing most of its energy for building the placenta. It is common among most women, but the intensity of tiredness would differ from person to person.
- Some food items and their smell would make you nauseous. They would make you feel like vomiting. However, bringing in changes to your diet might be helpful for you.
- There is an increase in the production of saliva, which occurs due to hormonal changes. It happens to protect your mouth from the sickness you might have in your stomach. You can reduce it by sucking lemon slices or by using minty mouthwashes.
week
5
5 Weeks Pregnant
In your fifth week of pregnancy, you have completed the first month and stepped in the second month of your pregnancy. Your baby is developing with every passing day. Even though you might not have got your baby belly, several changes occur in your body. During this time, your baby would be as tiny as a tadpole with a tail. Yes, there is a tail, which would transform into your little one's body with time.
As of now, you would have missed your period and got a positive pregnancy test, confirming your pregnancy. Although you might be waiting for your 12-week milestone, you would still be having thousands of questions and doubts.
Believe us! It is natural. You would have concerns regarding the lifestyle changes you need to make after your baby is born. You might even be wondering about when to baby-proof your apartment.
Don't worry! You would have enough and more time to think about this in the coming months. Now, why not have a look at the things that happen during your fifth month of pregnancy?
What Happens During the Fifth Week of Pregnancy?
While you are in the fifth week of your pregnancy, several changes are taking place within you. Since you are creating another human, it is highly understandable. There would be bodily and hormonal changes happening. Here are some of the most common transformations occurring in you and your little one.
Hormonal Changes
You would be facing numerous hormonal changes while you are in your fifth month. HCG would be increasing, which leads to a rise in progesterone and estrogen levels. Progesterone would enhance the functioning of the placenta. It plays a crucial role in the development of breast tissues.
Progesterone also prevents the smooth muscle contractions in your uterus. These hormonal changes would result in several pregnancy symptoms, ranging from cravings to nausea. Let's have a look at them in detail.
Apart from these hormonal changes, you might even feel the tenderness of your breast, dizziness, mood swings, etc. However, the hormonal impacts depend on different factors, ranging from your health to your lifestyle.
Bodily Changes
During this time of your pregnancy, you might not notice any specific changes to your belly. Due to morning sickness, you might lose some weight. Sometimes, you might feel bloated as well. As we discussed, hormonal changes would play a crucial role during the fifth week of pregnancy. These changes would also result in breast stimulation, which is a factor that would help in breastfeeding your child after delivery.
Here, you would gain a pregnancy glow on your face and would even obtain flawless skin. Besides that, your hair might become thicker and healthy. But, it might change once you deliver your baby.
When you are in your fifth month of pregnancy, mucus plug formation happens. It would act as a barrier at the cervical opening. These are some changes happening in your body as you step into the second month of pregnancy.
Fetal Development
Now, your baby is as tiny as a tadpole or an orange seed. It is about 2 mm in size and would be safe with the protection offered by the gestational and yolk sac. These components would provide your little one with the required amount of nutrition for your baby.
Your baby has three embryonic layers as in the fourth week of pregnancy. Here, the ectoderm has the nervous system, eyes, and ears. The second layer is the mesoderm containing the bones and the cardiovascular system, including the heart. In the third layer, which is the endoderm, the formation of the lungs and heart occur.
During this time, the heart would be beating and pumping blood to different parts of the body. It would help form the nervous system as blood flow plays a crucial role in this process. Here, two tubes are performing the task, and the heartbeat won't have any rhythm. For the heartbeats to be rhythmic, the neural tube developments have to be complete. The neural tubes include the brain and the spinal cord.
The digestive system would also be forming with the assistance of a tube-like structure. It would gradually change into the intestine and pancreas.
Another crucial transformation is happening with the embryo changing into a fetus. The placenta formation is also taking place, and it would be attached to the uterine wall. The placenta helps in transferring nutrients and oxygen as the child grows. It plays yet another role, which is to prevent the entry of harmful substances to your baby.
Since your baby might have a different blood type, your body might try to reject it, considering it as a threat. However, the placenta would reduce these chances and help in the development of your baby.
Tips for the Fifth Week of Pregnancy
From kickstarting a healthy diet to taking care of your mental health, there is a lot that can help your baby. Here are a few tips that can help you during your fifth week of pregnancy.
Having a Healthy Diet
As part of your pregnancy, you have to include nutrient-rich healthy food items in your diet. Here, you can have low mercury fish, leafy greens, grains, cereals, fruits, and vegetables. You can enhance your protein intake by having smoothies, soups, granola bars, and yogurt. Other than these food items, soya products, cottage cheese, quinoa, and beans can also offer you proteins. You can receive beta-carotene by having carrots, yams, apricots, etc.,
Apart from these food items, you need to have 400 mcg of folic acid. It plays a crucial role in reducing the risk factor associated with neural tube disorders. You can ask your medical practitioner if you need to have Vitamin B6 supplements. They are helpful if you have morning sickness-related issues. You can reduce them by having ginger soups, capsules, candies, etc.
Gas and bloating are other problems you might have, which you can reduce by substituting some of your food items. For instance, having strawberries in the place of cabbage can be beneficial. Avoiding food items that can offer you nitrates or nitrites can be helpful for you while you are pregnant. You have to reduce the consumption of unpasteurized dairy, undercooked meat, high-mercury fish, etc. By doing so, you can decrease the chances of food-borne diseases. Ensure that you are cutting back on alcohol, caffeine intake, and smoking as well.
Taking Care of Yourself
You have to take extra care of yourself while you are pregnant. It includes taking part in physical activities for 150 minutes per week. If you are someone who doesn't exercise, you can start with brisk walking.
Ensure that you are keeping yourself hydrated, and if you have snacks, do have those that make you feel comfortable. It helps in reducing the chances of feeling nauseous. Always listen to your body and take a rest while you feel tired. Since your body is working on a herculean task, it might be challenging. You can seek help as it would help you reduce the chances of feeling burnt out.
Similarly, you have to take care of your mental health. For that purpose, you can take part in mindful practices and adopt relaxation techniques. Including meditation and breathing exercises can help you in different ways.
Consulting a Medical Practitioner
You can book an appointment with your OB GYN or midwife if you haven't already. Visiting your doctor would provide you with clarity on how to go about your pregnancy. Here, your doctor would suggest a screening test for infectious diseases and look into conditions like Down's Syndrome. Your doctor would also provide you with the dates for your scanning, which would be between your eighth and fourteenth week of pregnancy.
Besides that, if you are on any medication, you need to inform your doctor about the same. You will have to offer details related to any other medical conditions you might have. It would help your doctor to gain clarity on your health.
In most cases, your medical practitioner would suggest you join an antenatal class. Nowadays, you can attend these classes online too.
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