Week 6

You
You may be feeling very tired at this early stage of your pregnancy. Gentle, regular exercise such as
swimming or walking will help you to feel less tired and more able to cope with the demands your
pregnancy is making on your body.

Your baby
By the end of this week, your baby (called an embryo) has a heartbeat. Blood is pumping around the
baby and out along the umbilical cord to the placenta. The placenta is an organ that acts as a filter. It
allows oxygen and nutrients to pass to the embryo, and carbon dioxide and waste products to be
eliminated. The placenta is also called the afterbirth.
Your baby's head and body are now defined and tiny buds appear where their arms and legs will develop.
Your baby is now about 6 mm long—about the length of a grain of rice.