Your Guide to Being 6 Weeks Pregnant:
How your baby is growing
Your baby has grown distinct hands and feet now. They look like tiny paddles at the end of the four nodules which are your baby’s arms and legs. This is a crucial time in your baby’s development, particularly for eyes and ears, which start forming in detail.
Your baby becomes more vulnerable to infection and disease, as blood from you and your baby comes into contact for the first time. The tadpole-like tail thickens, so your baby looks more like a cashew nut. The heart is beating at around 150 beats a minute – twice as fast as yours. The amniotic sac forms a seal around your baby.
What’s happening to you:
You could be feeling rather queasy because this is commonly the time for morning sickness to kick in. It can happen at any time of day, not just the morning. However, an empty stomach can make symptoms worse, so nausea may be particularly common upon wakening. The cause is thought to be those hormones (what else!) and it should disappear after the first 12 weeks, when the massive hormone hit calms down. Pregnancy hormones also encourage the production of more saliva (a condition known as ptyalism). And you may have some odd food cravings.
Normal niggle: Nausea/sickness – caused by hormones. Try ginger, peppermint, sea bands (acupuncture bands worn on your wrist), dry crackers and eating little and often.
When to check it out:
If you can’t keep anything down. It could be a sign of hyperemesis gravidaum (excessive vomiting during pregnancy), which can lead to malnutrition and dehydration. It can harm both you and your baby, so needs medical treatment.
‘To do’ this week:
Make sure you stick to a well-balanced, healthy diet. Giving your body the right nutrients will help fuel the growth and development of your baby at this critical stage. And it will also help ease many of the symptoms of early pregnancy, such as nausea, tiredness and mood swings.
