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Pregnancy Week By Week
Week 5 and Week 6
What's Happening Inside You?
 Your baby's facial features continue to develop. Each ear begins as a little fold of skin at the side of the head. Tiny buds that eventually grow into arms and legs are forming. Fingers, toes and eyes are also forming.
The neural tube (brain, spinal cord and other neural tissue of the central nervous system) is well formed. The digestive tract and sensory organs begin to develop. Bone starts to replace cartilage.
By the end of the second month, your baby, now a fetus, is about 1 inch long, weighs about 1/3 ounce, and is virtually all head (1/3 of its body is head).
Week 5
Baby: Your embryo still hasn't grown much. It's about 0.05 inches long. Heart, brain, spinal cord, muscle and bones are beginning to develop. The placenta, which will nourish your baby, and the amniotic sac, which provides a warm and safe environment where the baby can move easily, are still forming, too.
Mother: Still no big changes to notice in yourself, although you might suspect by now that you're pregnant. Some early pregnancy symptoms include nausea (called "morning sickness," although it can happen at any time of day), a tingling or soreness in your breasts and darkening of the areola, the need to urinate more frequently and feeling more tired than usual.
Dad: Early in pregnancy, it's difficult to actually believe she's pregnant--nothing drastic is happening. Her belly is the same size. Her body is functioning as it always has (for the most part.) But you won't have to wait long; changes are a comin'!
Do's and Don'ts: Do take a pass on that glass of wine with dinner. While some experts say the occasional drink won't likely cause a problem, why take a chance? If you're concerned about having indulged recently, you're probably in the clear. Although fetal development is crucial in the first trimester, there's no need to worry if you had a few drinks in the first few days of pregnancy, especially before the embryo was implanted in the womb.
Exercise: If you weren't in shape before you conceived but want to start exercising, first get the green light from your doctor or midwife. Exercise boosts your flagging energy levels, a plus during the first trimester when, like many women, you may tire easily. It also strengthens your body to meet the physical demands of pregnancy. Begin slowly with short walks or sign up for a prenatal exercise class, where an instructor can guide you down the road to fitness.
Tips for this week:You'll want to schedule a visit to your OB-Gyn as soon as you suspect you're pregnant. Good prenatal care is one of the best assurances of a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.
Week 6
Baby: The embryo is starting to look like a tadpole. It's about 0.08 inches to 0.16 inches -- the size of a BB pellet -- from the top of the head to buttocks. (This crown-to-rump length is used more often than crown-to-heel length because the baby's legs are most often bent and hard to measure). The eyes and limb buds also are forming. A heartbeat can sometimes be detected by an ultrasound around now. This is also an extremely important time in the development of your baby, since between 17 and 56 days the embryo is most susceptible to factors that can interfere with its normal growth.
Mother: You may have gained a few pounds by now, but if you're experiencing morning sickness you may have lost weight, which is also normal. You're starting to notice some changes in your body: clothes getting a little tighter around the waist, weight gain in your legs and breasts. With a pelvic exam, your practitioner will be able to notice a change in the size of your uterus.
Dad: Is she complaining more than usual? Has she made some nasty comments about the way your feet smell?
If she has, don't take it personally. With hormones wildly fluctuating and her body busy making another body, it's no wonder she seems so irritable. Why not help out the cause by treating her extra special? Bring her a morning snack. Rub her feet. Special order cupcakes for her. After all, she's your special cupcake.
Do's and Don'ts: Do check in with your obstetrician early and regularly to learn how best to take care of yourself during pregnancy. Women who receive early and consistent prenatal care are statistically more likely to give birth to bigger, healthier babies.
Exercise: If your health care provider has given you the green light to exercise, take advantage of it. Staying active will help you weather the physical changes pregnancy brings, fight fatigue more effectively, and motivate you to eat more nutritiously. It'll also help regulate your roller-coaster emotions, thanks to the feel-good proteins, called endorphins, produced by the pituitary gland.
Tips for this week:Make sure you're following good prenatal habits, like eating right and taking your prenatal vitamins. Since the neural tube (which is the beginning of the central nervous system) has formed by now, taking folic acid to prevent spinal cord defects such as spina bifida, has been crucial. If you haven't already, stop smoking and drinking.
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