Pregnancy Facts - Week 5
What's happening in week 5 of pregnancy
It's now been about a month since the start of your last period. A lack of a period may not be indicative of pregnancy if late periods are a thing for you. But if you are pregnant, then there will be pregnancy hormones coursing through your blood that will start triggering pregnancy symptoms like:
- Sore boobs - they're growing like it's puberty again
- Tiredness - your body's using all its energy to prep for the changes to come
- Need to pee - this could very well become your new pastime, not by choice
- Nausea - guess what? Morning sickness isn't just for mornings!
If having any of these symptoms and the lack of a period isn't suspect, then it's time to grab some pee sticks and start peeing. We'll wait.
Home pregnancy tests
Wutthichai Charoenburi /Wikimedia Some home pregnancy tests may be able to detect the hCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) in your urine as early as week 4 of pregnancy. Just keep in mind two things:
- An expensive test doesn't mean the results will be more accurate.
- An expensive test doesn't mean it will detect pregnancy earlier.
If you're looking to save money or the type to confirm your pregnancy many, many times, stock up on the cheapest tests you can find in bulk. Pregnancy tests can have varying sensitivity to hCG and aren't always reflected in the price. The more sensitive the test, the more likely it is to detect hCG in the early days of pregnancy. It doesn't have to be the pee-on-a-stick variety, urine test strips work too. You can pee to your bladder's content without pissing your money away. You can always follow up a positive test with another brand to confirm.
So... pregnant?
Just to be doubly sure, it would be a good idea to check in with a medical professional. They can do a blood test to confirm the presence of hCG which is much more accurate than an off the shelf pregnancy test.
Your baby's development in week 5 of pregnancy
Week 5 is the start of what is known as the "embryonic period". This is the time when the stem cells in the embryo get their instructions to start growing your baby and its different organs and bodily systems.
Picture the stem cells at a morning team huddle, getting their jobs handed out to them by their supervisor.
"Yes! I'm going to be a heart! I gotta call my wife!"
"Hmm, kidneys. It ain't heart, but it's not so bad."
"Alright, brain cell duties!"
"Please be toenail, please be toenail... aww, taste bud..."
"Shit. Anus."
- Neural tubes have started forming, which is the the foundation for what will soon become your baby's brain and nervous system.
- The most rudementry of hearts has begun to develop and it has even started to fill with blood cells.
- The intestines have begun to form to eventually be used for absorbing nutrients from digested food.
- Two kidneys have begun forming to prepare for the processing of dirty blood.
- Two small flaps of tissue have grown on the side of your baby's head — what will later become ears.
- Four tiny nubs have budded out of the side of the embryo — what will later become arms and legs.
How big is your baby in week 5 of pregnancy
Your baby is now about 0.09 inches (0.23 centimeters) in length and weighs 0.007 ounces (0.11 grams).
