6 weeks pregnant

Week 6 of pregnancy is a period of major growth for your baby, which is entering its fourth week of development and is now called an embryo. If you haven’t already, you are likely to start feeling pregnant this week with symptoms such as fatigue and morning sickness. Your baby is beginning to grow all its major internal organs this week and also begins to resemble a more human-like shape. The previously flat disc curves and distinct head and tail regions are visible by the end of this week. Other features like the beginnings of eyes, ears, arms and legs also become visible. It’s important to see a doctor if you have not already attended your first antenatal appointment. This week is also an important time to ensure you’re eating all the right foods and avoiding dangerous substances, which can interfere with the development of your baby’s organs.

If you are 6 weeks pregnant, you’ve almost certainly noticed your missed period and are probably starting to feel the effects of pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness, fatigue and tender breasts. Pregnancy hormone hCG is working hard to keep you pregnant.

Find out more about the changes in week six of pregnancy.

Embryo development begins this week and continues until you are 10 weeks pregnant. This is the time in which your baby takes on a distinctly human form and starts growing all its internal organs. Baby’s shape changes from a flat disc to a foetus-like curve with a head and tail. Many of the internal organs also start to grow in the sixth week of pregnancy, as do baby’s eyes and ears and arms and legs. Find out more about how your baby changes in the sixth week of pregnancy.

Antenatal care is an important part of pregnancy health; your doctor can check that your body is healthy and your pregnancy is progressing smoothly without pregnancy complications. If you have not yet visited the doctor for a pregnancy ultrasound and appointment, week 6 of pregnancy is the right time to have a health check. As embryo development occurs rapidly and your baby’s vital organs are developing this week, it’s also an important time to make sure you are avoiding substances which might harm your baby during pregnancy. Find out more about staying healthy in pregnancy week 6.

Week 6 of pregnancy is a time of rapid embryo development when optimal pregnancy health is vital. Plenty of changes are occurring for both mum and baby and the pregnancy can be confirmed using a hCG (pregnancy hormone) test or a pregnancy ultrasound.

Find out about other key changes which occur in the sixth week of pregnancy.

References

1. Moore KL, Persaud TVN, Torchia MG. The Developing Human: Clinically oriented embryology (9th edition). Philadelphia: Saunders-Elsevier; 2011. (Book)
2. Mayo Clinic. Guide to a healthy Pregnancy. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 2011. Pp 17-32, 83-94. (Book)
3. Government of Western Australia, Department of Health. Antenatal Shared Care Guidelines. 4th Ed. [cited 13 June 2010]. Available from: URL Link
4. American Pregnancy Association. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG): The Pregnancy Hormone. 2007. (cited 20 December 2012). Available from: URL Link