Week Five Of Pregnancy
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Week 5 Of Your Baby’s Development!
Your baby is the size of a sesame seed
By week 5, your baby (referred to as an embryo at this stage of development) has started to grow at a very fast pace and is almost the same size as a tiny tadpole or a sesame seed. The embryo now consists of three distinct layers. These are:
- The Ectoderm
- The Mesoderm
- The Endoderm
All three layers end up forming the organs and tissues of the baby as it continues to grow.
From week 5 onwards, the vital organs of the baby, i.e. the central nervous system, heart, muscles and bones start developing rapidly. The skeleton of the baby also starts taking shape.
During week 5, the neural tube begins to develop the topmost layer, termed as the ectoderm. This is the place from where the baby’s brain, nerves, backbone and spinal cord will originate. The ectoderm also gives birth to the hair, skin, nails, sweat glands, mammary glands as well as the tooth enamel of the baby.
The tiny heart of the baby starts getting divided into chambers. It also begins beating and pumping blood. While still not looking quite ‘human’ yet, your baby is starting to take shape by the end of week 5!
Week 5 Of Your Health, Mind & Body Changes!
By week 5, you will most likely be experiencing some symptoms of pregnancy. Your blood tests will confirm pregnancy by indicating high levels of HCF in the body. You might feel a bit out of control as far as your feelings and emotions are concerned since hormone levels also rise up by week 5.
Most women are not ‘showing’ as early as week 5 (especially if it’s your first pregnancy) but they do feel bloated. In your first pregnancy, it’s usually only after 14 weeks have passed that your abdomen starts to rise up. However, there is increased pressure and you may feel like using the bathroom more frequently now.
Why Your Diet Matters Right Now
By week 6/7 of your pregnancy, the neural tube is formed in your baby. This is big milestone in development and birth defects can occur during this phase if you’re deficient in folate. Food sources of folate are oranges, leafy greens and fortified grain products such as cereals, flour and bread. However, it takes time to build up your folate stores, so studies have shown an effective way to prevent these birth defects from occurring is through supplementation, even at prior to conception.
400mg folic acid (folate) supplementation has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Even the most clean eating fitness fanatic would find it hard to meet folic acid needs during pregnancy, so a pregnancy multivitamin is always a good idea. Start taking one now if you haven’t already.
Week 5 Of Your Next Steps!
- Continue to take your pregnancy multivitamin if already taking one. If not, chat to your doctor about starting on one immediately so you can obtain adequate folic acid which has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of neural tube defects in your developing baby.
- Purchase a book on pregnancy for some extra insight into what to expect
- A memory book or a journal is a great idea to record your symptoms, milestones as well as questions that you might like to ask your obstetrician or midwife over the coming nine months.
- Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
- Keep up to date with our email notifications to give you timely and easy to digest information on where you are at and what’s coming up
- This one is both fun and helpful: join a ‘due-date club’ or a pregnancy support group.
- Chat with your insurance firm and identify local clinics, doctors and hospitals that are covered under your plan.
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