At the beginning of the 5th week, you would have taken a pregnancy test or a blood test to confirm whether you are pregnant or not. The embryo called a blastocyst has already embedded itself deep in the uterine wall. It has two sections. One part close to the uterine wall is developing to become the placenta and umbilical cord whereas the outer part is going to continue its embryonic development. At this point the embryo is still very small.
In this week growth and development of the embryo is going to be very fast. From now the heart and central nervous system will form very rapidly, and so will the muscles and bones. It's the heart that differentiates from the middle layer or mesoderm, first into the chambers and at five weeks starts the pumping of blood which can be seen in the ultra-sound. Other organs that develop from the mesoderm are the muscles and bone. It'll also start forming the skeletal system. However this is just an estimate of what is happening with the little one. Different babies grow differently, so do not fret if your baby may be slower or faster. Everything happens in good time.
During this week, the placenta and umbilical cord are also developing. From the ectoderm, develops the neural tube, and folic acid is very important for the healthy development of the neural tube. It's found in lentils, so drinking lentil soup daily and other preparation of lentils is encouraged. The skin, hair and nails of your little one will also develop from this outer ectodermic layer. From the innermost layer that is called the endoderm; the thyroid, pancreas, intestines and lungs will begin to develop.
Nobody can tell whether you are pregnant or not. How can they when the embryo is hardly bigger than a pea? But you may begin to feel some symptoms of pregnancy. You may feel a bit bloated, especially if this is not your first pregnancy. If you are not looking to be pregnant, and have not tested for pregnancy, you may mistake the bloating for the onset of your period. If you've not taken a test you can do so now.
You may also feel nausea, and the need to go to the toilet often to urinate. Breasts are also growing bigger and becoming tender. Some pregnant women can experience morning sickness throughout the rest of their pregnancy, however this is rare. Whatever medicine you want to consume, even if it is herbal, it's best to ask you gynecologist. You may also feel fatigued. Fatigue is more felt in the first few weeks, but some of you may feel it throughout your pregnancy. Exercise is great to overcome fatigue. Walking is good or do some simple household chores such as folding clothes by squatting on the floor. Squatting on the floor will help you in delivering your baby easily, when the time comes.
You now know whether you are pregnant. If you want, you can take a blood test to your pregnancy to confirm. Whether you want to announce it to the world or not just as yet is entirely up to you. I am sure you will want to shout it from the rooftops especially if it's your first pregnancy. Some of you may be worried about how the first trimester, which is from week one to 12, which is the period most crucial for the development of the baby, goes, and may prefer to wait. Whatever you decide is between you and your partner.
