6 Weeks Pregnant

At 6 weeks pregnant you are two weeks past the time your menstruation should have begun and if there was any question as to if you are pregnant or not, it has passed because just about every pregnant women will end up with a positive pregnancy test at this point.

MOM

Fatigue and/or nausea have probably kicked in. Some think the nausea prevents you from ingesting foods and drinks that may be harmful to the baby and the fatigue prevents you from doing anything too dangerous to put you and your baby at risk.

Follow your body’s cues and take it easy. The nausea hasn’t hit its peak so don’t worry about adding a few pounds and eating well. Later when it is even harder to eat or to keep anything down, the weight will be a cushion so you don’t end up at a dangerously low weight. 5-8 pounds is a good weight gain at this point. If morning sickness is severe, you may not gain anything or even loose weight.

Your uterus is the size of a plum and still inside the pelvic area. Pants may feel tighter due to normal and healthy bloating. Your nipples and areolas will darken and it could begin as early as 6 weeks pregnant. You may see large 'goose bumps’ forming around the areola (called Montgomery's tubercules) and your nipples may become larger. Some think the darkening is to make it easier for the baby to see where to nurse.

BABY

Your “sweet pea” growing within you is about half the size of a pea or about 6 mm long and is beginning to develop a human shape. 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.

There are little pits where ears will develop, dark spots where the eyes and nostrils will be, and tiny arm and leg buds. The toes and fingers will have some webbing that connects them as they develop. Your baby will just begin to respond to sensory stimulation and begin moving on its own. It will be a few weeks before the baby will be big enough for you to feel the movements.

The heart is beating at about 100 to 140 beats per minute and circulating blood throughout your baby's body. The beating of the heartbeat may be visible using ultrasound, though it may still be a few weeks before the heartbeat is detectable via a Doppler device. The central nervous system is already developing and linking the muscles in the body with the baby’s limbs.

LIFE

This is a good time to look further into pregnancy nutrition and to start a pregnancy journal and/or calendar.

Even if it is a walk every day or using the stairs a few times instead of the elevator, exercise will help you with fatigue and fitness. Towards the end of the first trimester when fatigue and morning sickness have subsided or passed, you will be ready for a little more exercise.

As you begin your journey as a pregnant woman, remind yourself, your body is designed for this very purpose.

7 Weeks Pregnant

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