Week 5

Your baby

The fifth week of pregnancy is the time of the first missed period, when most women are only just beginning to think they may be pregnant. Yet already the baby's nervous system is developing, and the foundations for its major organs are in place. At this stage the embryo is around 2mm long.

As the ectoderm develops, a groove forms and the layer of cells folds to form a hollow tube called the neural tube. This will become the baby's brain and spinal cord. Defects in the "tail end" of the neural tube lead to spina bifida, while defects in the "head end" lead to anencephaly (when the bones of the skull do not form properly).

At the same time, the heart is forming as a simple tube-like structure. The baby already has some of its own blood vessels and blood begins to circulate. A string of these blood vessels connects the baby and mother and will become the umbilical cord.

You

Conception usually takes place about two weeks after your last period, around the time that you ovulate (release an egg). In the first four weeks of pregnancy you probably won’t notice any symptoms. The first thing most women notice is that their period doesn't arrive. Find out about the signs and symptoms of pregnancy.

By the time you are eight weeks pregnant, you will probably have missed your second period. However, some women experience a little bleeding during the early weeks of pregnancy. Always mention any bleeding in pregnancy to your midwife or GP, particularly if it continues and you get stomach pain.

Your womb has grown to the size of a lemon by the time you are around seven or eight weeks pregnant. You're probably feeling tired. Your breasts might feel sore and enlarged, and you are probably needing to pass urine more often than usual.

Some pregnant women start to feel sick or tired, or have other minor physical problems for a few weeks around this time. Most women stop having morning sickness and start to feel better by the time they are around 14 weeks pregnant.