Pregnancy Symptoms Week 5: Your Baby's Major Organs Are Forming

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By now, pregnancy symptoms at Week 5 will include a missed period (if you're on a regular 28-day cycle). But, take note that stress and anxiety can also be a reason for the delay of your menstruation, so don't jump to conclusions just yet. If you are indeed pregnant, this is the week you will likely find out the good news! 

Pregnancy signs Week 5

Your body is laying the foundations for your pregnancy at week 5. The placenta is yet to be completed, and the neural tube (what will become the spinal cord and brain) is being formed. The hCG hormone in your system is now enough for a home pregnancy test to detect.  

Pregnancy symptoms on Week 5

The first trimester is when a lot of bodily changes will begin to happen. It might be common to experience a few (or all) of the following as early as now, continuing into the first few months: 

Fatigue

All of a sudden, you'll feel like you'll want to take naps more often. Expect your energy to be zapped during this time since your body is putting most of its resources to accommodate a baby.  

Morning sickness

Some will only retch up in the morning, some in the evening, and others just have that feeling all through the day. Don't fret though — there's actually a study that says morning sickness indicates a healthy pregnancy! Still, others are fortunate enough not to experience this at all.

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Aversion to food/scents

Perhaps due to your morning sicknesss (which could last all day), you may also take a dislike for specific odor or tastes — in particular, the smell of sauteed garlic, according to some expectant women. This quirk isn't limited to just food since some also report not being able to stand the scent of perfume they used to like.    

Food cravings

Paglilihi may be real or imagined (some pregnant women don't have cravings at all), but for some, pregnancy makes them want to eat certain types of food, although there's no guarantee they'll actually eat them. 

Painful breasts

Heaviness and tenderness of the breasts are actually one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy, even more than morning sickness.

Cramps

The pain you feel in your lower abdomen may be caused by stretched ligaments as they expand. See your doctor at once if the pain feels unbearable.

Frequent urination

There's so much happening within your body right now due to pregnancy, including expanding kidneys, which are responsible for your more frequent trips to the bathroom.

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Your baby's development at Week 5

Your baby at this points is still too tiny, but this stage is crucial to his development as he begins to form the major organs such as the heart, kidneys, liver, and stomach. 

It's also possible to see your baby's heart beating through an ultrasound at this point.

Your to-do list on Week 5 of pregnancy

Find an obstetrics-gynecologist

If you don't have one already, that is. Ask friends and family for referrals, then schedule an initial consultation so you can meet with the doctors and see which one would be perfect for you. Don't worry, this meeting does not automatically commit you to them, and you can freely go with any doctor to your liking. (Click here for tips on finding the right ob-gyn for you). 

Be mindful of what you eat

Raw food, unpasteurized milk, and undercooked eggs and meat are a no-no now that you are nourishing a life inside you, since these may cause food-borne diseases that could harm your baby. 

Start a pregnancy journal

For posterity, you may want to jot down details of your pregnancy to document your journey. This could also double as a medical record that you could use for future pregnancies. 

Start saving up

With the prospect of motherhood ahead, it wouldn't hurt to start getting your finances in order to save up for your child's future. To give you an idea, this is how much it would cost to raise a baby from birth up to two years.

More on your week-by-week pregnancy:
Pregnancy Symptoms Week 4: Your Period Is Delayed

Pregnancy Symptoms Week 6: Your Baby's Heart Starts Beating!

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