5 weeks pregnant

You at 5 weeks pregnant

‘Hmmm, no period’, you think. ‘Could I be pregnant?’

Now could be a good time to do a home pregnancy test if you’ve missed a period and you’ve been sexually active. Pregnancy tests measure the amount of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). Different kits show results in different ways, so read and follow the instructions carefully.

pregnancy illustration, week 5

A positive pregnancy test
For many women, pregnancy is something to celebrate. For some women, it might come as a complete surprise or shock. Even if you’ve been planning to have a baby, finding out that you’re pregnant can bring some mixed emotions or uncertainty about what lies ahead.

Your pregnancy experience can be affected by other things going on in your life, like:

whether your pregnancy was planned
whether you have a partner
how much help you expect to have with raising your child
how long it took you to get pregnant
whether you’ve had any pregnancy losses in the past, like miscarriage or stillbirth
whether you’ve had medical assistance, like IVF
whether you’re in a stable relationship
whether you’ve felt pressure from your partner or family to get pregnant.

Signs of early pregnancy
This week you might be experiencing some signs of early pregnancy, including:

feeling more tired than usual
wanting to go to the toilet more often – especially at night
feeling nauseous or even vomiting
feeling some tenderness in your breasts.

Every woman is different when it comes to morning sickness. Some women don’t get it at all, and some get it all day. A few (about 1%) get it so severely they can’t keep any food or fluids down. This is called hyperemesis gravidarum. If you’re having very severe symptoms, see your GP.

Your baby when you’re 5 weeks pregnant

From now, your baby is called an embryo. Inside the amniotic sac, from head to tail, it’s about 2.5 mm long at the end of this week. Its brain, heart and spinal column have started to form.