In week six you can do an ultrasound and the gynecologist can measure your little one's length from the head to buttocks, called crown-to-rump length. The embryo has grown from last week and is now 1/17 of an inch long. It is taking shape and having some primitive form. Spots for the eyes and nostrils, an opening for the mouth and tiny pits for the ears can be seen. The developing arms and legs can be seen as tiny buds. It's no more a clump of cells, but has some structure to it now.
It's amazing to know that the heart is already beating at 100 to 140 beats each minute, and also the blood has started circulating in the tiny body. You can only see the heart beating using ultrasound. The central nervous system has developed enough to respond to touch, as it is now linked to the muscles in the limbs.
By the sixth week you may experience some overall weight gain. But if you are experiencing vomiting or morning sickness, you may not gain any weight. Some women may experience severe nausea and vomiting where they lose a lot of fluid and may need to be hospitalized to replace electrolytes lost through losing fluids. If you are losing weight as well the doctor may set up a drip for you to receive nutrients.
It is better to supply adequate nutrients like iron and calcium for the development of the baby. When you return home take enough nutrients not only for the baby but for yourself too, as if there is a lack, say in calcium, your body may even leach calcium from your bones and supply it for the growth of your baby. So make sure you drink adequate dairy products such as yoghurt. For the whole trimester you may only gain about five pounds. You will slowly find your clothes becoming tighter as your waist gets bigger, but at six weeks you still do not need maternity clothes.
So, nourishing your baby and yourself are important. Eat a healthy diet for your pregnancy and avoid tea, coffee and alcohol. Eat lots of raw vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seeds nuts and yoghurt. These will supply a lot of the important nutrients for your baby to grow and develop healthily. As constipation is a common symptom of pregnancy, take food rich in fiber, like fruits such as banana and papaya and whole grains such as brown rice and oats, so that your digestive system isn't sluggish. Some of you may have peculiar cravings for food. Also drink lots of pure water.
Other than avoiding tea and coffee do not take any drugs unless especially prescribed by your doctor. Do not go for any hair treatments because the whole atmosphere will be filled with the chemical they use for the various hair treatment and it could affect your baby. Yes, you've to sacrifice some things, but you are going to get a healthy bouncy baby at the end of your pregnancy. Isn't that worth all you've to go through?
