Week 5

Development of 5 weeks fetus

How does 5 week fetus develop?

The mother at 5 weeks old is about the size of a sesame seed and looks more like a tadpole than a baby.

Until now, the embryo had contained a fairly large cell mass. At this point, the neural tubes will form the spinal cord that runs along the embryo and the brain, the bulging part of the center of the embryo, develops into the baby's heart. At this time, the placenta and placenta shaped like fingers are also beginning to develop. Nutrition from the mother will cross the placenta and the placenta to nourish the baby.

Maternal body changes at 5 weeks of pregnancy

How does the mother's body change?

Could it be that the mother felt overjoyed for a moment and then felt extremely stressed? It is the unusual mood swings during a 5-week pregnancy. Mom may feel elated, depressed, angry, happy, and then feel extremely insecure. Sometimes all of these feelings can happen within an hour. Maternal hormones are now significantly increased, so it is very normal for the mother's emotions to constantly change. More specifically, the mother is pregnant, this is a huge turning point in life. So, it is inevitable that a mother's mood cannot stabilize.

Moodiness is most intense in the second month, and sometimes returns in the last months of pregnancy. In addition, you may be surprised to learn that about 10–12% of women will experience depression during pregnancy - almost as much as women with postpartum depression . If at any point during  fetal development the mother feels depressed for more than two weeks, see a doctor for prompt advice and treatment.

5 weeks pregnant, mothers need to pay attention to?

Exercise will help mothers strengthen their health to withstand the additional weight of the fetus in the future. In addition, exercise can also help prevent aches and pains in pregnancy, reduce stress and prepare you for good condition before birth.

Doctor's advice about 5 week pregnancy

What should mom discuss with the doctor?

You do not have to wait until the fetus is 5 weeks old or more but pregnant mothers need to go to prenatal check-up early and try to check on schedule. Good prenatal care is essential to ensure the health of mother and baby. At the first visit (usually when the baby is about 8 weeks old), the mother will do some tests to identify and prevent possible complications of pregnancy . The top priority for mothers now is to choose a date and to make an appointment with the doctor.

Consult with your doctor about the medicines you are taking. Many drugs, including some that seem very safe and without a prescription, are not safe for pregnancy. If you are taking medicine to treat a chronic illness, you should not stop taking it immediately. See your doctor to find out what medicines are safe, what are not, including supplements and herbs you are taking.

What tests do you need to know?

5 weeks pregnant, when going to the doctor, pregnant mother will be physically examined by the doctor. This includes checking your weight, height, blood pressure as well as a checkup of the mother's health. Gynecological examination is also an important part of the 5-week pregnancy screening process. When examining the vagina, a device called a speculum clamp is used. This device helps the doctor clearly see the cervix and uterine opening, determine their changes and thereby determine the time when the mother is pregnant.

Maternal and fetal health at 5 weeks

What do you need to know to ensure safety during pregnancy?

1. Immunization

Mom will be extremely worried about getting vaccinated during pregnancy, especially in the 5th week of pregnancy. Rest assured! The risks that mothers can face will depend on the vaccines they need. The only vaccines mothers need to worry about when getting vaccinated are vaccines that contain live viruses, such as the measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox vaccines. Do not worry if you have not been vaccinated yourself because there is a very low chance that a vaccine virus will spread from your baby to the mother. In case the mother is infected with the virus, even if it is very mild, this is still very dangerous for the baby. However, the above situation is very rare.

2. Food can harm a 5-week-old fetus

Even in the absence of nausea, mothers need to stay away from certain potentially harmful foods during pregnancy. Foodborne illnesses caused by bacterial or parasitic infections, such as listeria and toxoplasmosis, can cause birth defects in an unborn baby or even cause a miscarriage. Here are some of the foods mothers should avoid:

Unpasteurized soft cheeses (often marketed as “fresh” cheeses) such as goat milk cheese and blue cheese

Unpasteurized milk, juice and cider

Raw eggs or foods containing raw eggs, including mousse cakes and tiramisu cakes

Raw unprocessed raw meat, fish and shellfish

Processed meats, such as hot dogs and ham

Fish high in mercury include shark, swordfish or anchovies.

Toxoplasmosis

If the mother has cats, be careful! Toxoplasmosis - a disease caused by parasites and with flu-like symptoms - can be spread from unclean kittens. So, please clean the dirt in the cat nest to ensure safety during pregnancy, not just the 5th week!