5th week of embryo development. Embryo development by day and week

In the fifth week of pregnancy, the embryo gradually turns into an embryo and changes its shape from flat and round to cylindrical. The size of the embryo at week 5 is 1.5-2.5 mm. but, with such microscopic dimensions, the rudiments of his eyes are already beginning to form, the neural tube along the spine, it is beginning to become clear where he will have arms and legs. On each side of the body, transparent lines are visible, running from the place of the future shoulders to the place of the future hips.

But the most significant event of weeks 5-6 is that the embryo’s heart begins to contract for the first time. An important event is the closure of the neural tube. This helps, which is highly advisable to take additionally in the first trimester of pregnancy.

The embryo at week 5 has the shape of the letter C. The rudiments of organs such as the liver, pancreas, and respiratory organs continue to develop. Now the embryo is protected by a double membrane resembling a bubble. It's called the yolk sac, and it produces blood cells for the embryo.

All the surrounding membranes, the sac, the fluid and the fetus itself now together have a size of about 1 cm. And the child in all this composition takes up only about 2 mm. Naturally, the woman does not yet have any belly or even hints of it at this stage.

Woman's feelings

At this stage, a woman may experience new sensations - drowsiness, decreased appetite, increased urination, nausea. There is a high probability that you will be drawn to salty foods. This suggests that your body is undergoing a major hormonal change - hence toxicosis and a craving for certain taste sensations.

Of course, not all women experience all these changes. Some continue to live quietly and do not suspect that they are pregnant. Of course, a delay in menstruation makes itself felt, but if they were irregular before, they are unlikely to attract attention this time. But there is no way to fool a pregnancy test - at this stage it will unmistakably indicate your “interesting situation”.

And to make sure that the pregnancy is proceeding normally and the embryo has attached in the right place (in other words, to rule it out), we advise you to undergo an ultrasound at 5 weeks.

Nutrition of a woman at 5 weeks of pregnancy

It’s high time for you to forget about alcohol, smoking and other bad habits. Refrain from fried, smoked, spicy foods. It is better to eat boiled or steamed dishes. Do not forget that your diet should be balanced, that is, contain all the necessary vitamins and microelements.

Protein is important at this stage - it is found in meat, eggs, fish, nuts, legumes, carrots, apricots and mangoes. An equally important microelement is iron. It is present in beef, pomegranates, apples, and buckwheat.

For drinks, give preference to kefir, yogurt, herbal teas, and natural juices. And to additionally provide the body with vitamins, take multivitamins prescribed by your doctor - they are necessary in the first trimester for the normal formation of the baby’s systems and organs.

The mood of the expectant mother

Pay attention to what mood you are in. A lot depends on this, and not so much for you, but for your future baby. It has been proven that even at such a short time, the child feels how his mother reacted to the news of her pregnancy and whether he is a desired child.

Be cheerful, walk more, enjoy your new position, dream, talk mentally with your baby. If you are tired and nervous at work, take a vacation. Now you and your child are much more important than fulfilling the plan and writing a quarterly report. A positive attitude and support from loved ones is all you need at this stage.

In the article we discuss the 5th week of pregnancy. We will look at the signs and symptoms of this period of waiting for your baby. You will find out what happens to the fetus and what a woman feels at 5 weeks of pregnancy. We will tell you why at this time there are discharge, bleeding, abdominal and lower back pain, toxicosis, frozen pregnancy and miscarriage.

5th week of pregnancy - signs and symptoms

At the 5th week of pregnancy, symptoms already appear, sensations in the body change

At the fifth week of pregnancy, the expectant mother can reliably find out that she is expecting a baby. If the pregnancy is unplanned, then just during this period a woman may be alarmed by a delay in the menstrual cycle and other symptoms of the situation.

The 5th obstetric week of pregnancy means the period from the first day of the last menstruation. Only 3 weeks have passed since conception during this period.

Many women are interested in the question: is it possible to determine pregnancy at 5 weeks? At home, special tests are used for this purpose to determine the period. They measure the level of hormones in a woman’s body and, interacting with reagents, produce a result.

A hormonal test for the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) can confirm the presence of pregnancy.. It is carried out every 2-3 days and the dynamics of indicators are monitored. The hCG norm at the 5th week of pregnancy is from 1000 to 3100 mIU/ml. If the hCG level doubles every 2-3, this indicates that the result is positive.

To independently determine pregnancy at 5 weeks, a woman needs to pay attention to the following signs and symptoms:

• delay of menstruation;
• general weakness;
• nagging pain in the lower abdomen;
• change of tastes and increased sensitivity to foreign odors;
• morning sickness;
• increased salivation;
• increased breast sensitivity and a slight increase in size.

The listed characteristics are not mandatory. Some women do not notice any unusual sensations during the 5th week of pregnancy.

Changes in the mother's body at 5 weeks of pregnancy

A sharp increase in hormone levels leads to noticeable changes in the body of the expectant mother. At 5 weeks, she may feel swelling and hardening of the mammary glands. This is how the body begins to prepare for feeding the baby.

Many expectant mothers are interested in the issue of weight gain in the early stages of pregnancy. In the first month, weight gain is insignificant - up to 500 grams.

Some women, on the contrary, lose weight during the first weeks of pregnancy. This is associated with symptoms of toxicosis: severe nausea, vomiting, weakness and loss of appetite. A slight weight loss in the first weeks of pregnancy is not a pathology, but it is better to consult a doctor so that he can advise how to make the symptoms of toxicosis less pronounced.

Visually, the belly of the expectant mother remains the same. The size of the uterus at 5 weeks of pregnancy is comparable to a chicken egg. During this period, the fertilized egg occupies almost the entire uterine cavity, and over the next weeks it doubles in size every 7 days. The size of the ovum at the 5th week of pregnancy is from 18 to 40 mm.

During this period, the load on the nervous system of the expectant mother increases. Due to the increased amount of hormones, sudden mood swings appear. Expectant mothers do not control the functioning of hormones, so they may not even notice changes in their own behavior.

Feelings in the fifth week of pregnancy

At the 5th week of pregnancy, a woman begins to feel discomfort in her chest. At this time, the restructuring of the mammary glands begins for subsequent successful feeding of the child.

If at 5 weeks of pregnancy your breasts stop hurting, although you had discomfort before, don’t worry. This is not a reason to panic, but an indicator of smoother functioning of hormones and normal formation of the mammary glands. Each woman’s body is individual, so some feel pain in the breasts up to 16-20 weeks, while others do not notice anything at all.

The same applies to toxicosis - some women strictly monitor their diet and diet so as not to provoke an attack of nausea, others do not notice any changes and do not experience discomfort. Therefore, to the question - can you feel sick at 5 weeks of pregnancy, we answer in the affirmative. Moreover, toxicosis can also occur in late pregnancy.

What happens to the embryo at 5 weeks of pregnancy

During this period of waiting for the baby, important changes occur not only in the mother’s body, but also in the fetus.. The child’s limbs and vital organs begin to form: liver, pancreas and thyroid glands, lungs. Gonoplasts are produced, which will form the baby’s sex hormones.

The size of the embryo at the 5th week of pregnancy is from 4 to 7 mm, weight - about 4 grams. Visually, the head, rudiments of arms and legs are visible on it. Look at the photo what the fetus looks like at 5 weeks of pregnancy.

At this time, the primary placenta begins to function. Now the baby receives nutrition through it, and not from nearby tissues. It provides a barrier and protects the fetus from external factors. One of them is ultrasound examination of the fetus. Let us tell you whether it is possible to do an ultrasound at 5 weeks of pregnancy.

Ultrasound of the fetus at 5 weeks of pregnancy

Ultrasound at 5 weeks of pregnancy is performed extremely rarely. Strictly for medical reasons, or if the expectant mother herself insists on the procedure. Most often, the first screening test is prescribed at 12-14 weeks, when the fetus is more mature and protected from the harmful effects of the device.

Ultrasound of the fetus at 5 weeks of pregnancy

During an ultrasound in the 5th week of pregnancy, the doctor determines the exact location of the embryo, size, number (in case of multiple pregnancy). Modern technologies make it possible to identify developmental pathologies even at such an early stage. Look at the ultrasound photo of the size of the fetus at 5 weeks of pregnancy.

In addition, using an ultrasound examination, you can listen to the heartbeat at 5 weeks of pregnancy. Normal heart rates during this period are from 90 to 110 beats.

What you need to know about the fifth week of pregnancy

This period is optimal for the first visit to the doctor. The specialist will conduct an examination, prescribe initial tests and answer all questions. The doctor will tell you what you can do during pregnancy and what you should avoid, and will select vitamins at 5 weeks of pregnancy to strengthen the mother’s immunity and the development of the fetus.

Lifestyle in the fifth week of pregnancy

During the period of bearing a baby, the expectant mother should be more attentive to her health, not get too cold, and spend more time in the fresh air. Moderate exercise will benefit both mother and baby. If you did not exercise before pregnancy, you should consult a specialist to exclude possible contraindications. In any case, the expectant mother needs physical activity, the main thing is not to overexert herself.

At this time, it is also important to protect yourself from the harmful effects of harmful substances, including tobacco smoke. Neither smoking nor a pregnant woman staying in a smoky room will benefit the child.

If the expectant mother works in hazardous working conditions, then she should contact the antenatal clinic as soon as possible and register in order to obtain a certificate for the employer. By law, a pregnant woman must be provided with safe working conditions.

Nutrition at 5 weeks of pregnancy

Eat more fruits and vegetables

Throughout the entire period of bearing a baby, and not just in the 5th week of pregnancy, the expectant mother needs to monitor her diet, focusing on the most healthy foods. It is necessary to exclude fatty and fried foods, giving preference to boiled, stewed or baked foods.

Often during pregnancy, women develop unusual taste preferences in food. There may be a desire to combine incompatible things. You shouldn’t try to overcome this desire, otherwise it could lead to a nervous breakdown, but it won’t hurt to limit it.

From the 5th week of pregnancy, the expectant mother should slightly adjust her diet towards plant foods. Excessive consumption of protein foods significantly increases the load on the body. Food products must contain a sufficient amount of folic acid necessary for the full development of the baby. As we said above, you can take vitamin complexes.

The expectant mother needs to drink enough liquid. It is better to give preference to mineral water, freshly squeezed juices, and herbal teas. Lemonades and any drinks with a high content of coloring substances should be excluded from the diet. Lovers of coffee and strong tea should also reduce the consumption of these drinks, which can negatively affect the baby's health.

What can go wrong at 5 weeks pregnant?

During pregnancy, the expectant mother may face a number of difficulties and ailments. Some of them are harmless and are a variant of the norm, others can pose a threat at 5 weeks of pregnancy. Let's look at the most common of them.

Discharge at 5 weeks of pregnancy

Discharge at 5 weeks of pregnancy is normal, but only if it is clear, watery and odorless. If greenish or cheesy discharge appears, you should consult a doctor. This symptom is a sign of an infectious disease that needs to be treated as early as possible so as not to harm the child.

Brown discharge streaked with blood at 5 weeks of pregnancy may indicate a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, so do not delay visiting your doctor. Minor brown discharge may appear due to cervical erosion, polyps, or late implantation of the embryo.

Bleeding at 5 weeks of pregnancy

In rare cases, spotting may occur during the 5th week of pregnancy. Menstrual bleeding during the first months of bearing a baby is normal, but specialist supervision is also strictly necessary.

Heavy bleeding at 5 weeks of pregnancy may occur as a result of late attachment of the embryo to the wall of the uterus. As a result, the woman’s body does not have time to quickly adapt and rejects the fetus. This may lead to miscarriage.

Pulls the stomach and lower back

The expectant mother may be worried that her stomach is tight at 5 weeks of pregnancy, and the pain radiates to the lower back. There may be several reasons. A woman may feel the first discomfort when the embryo attaches to the mucous membrane.

If the left ovary hurts at 5 weeks of pregnancy, this may signal an enlargement of the uterus, which begins to put pressure on the internal organs. Discomfort can occur in both the left and right ovaries.

The cause of pain may be an inflammatory process. Therefore, it is extremely important to consult a doctor in time to start treatment on time.

If your lower back hurts at 5 weeks of pregnancy, this may indicate a gradual stretching of the ligaments in the pelvic organs. If the discomfort intensifies, do not delay your visit to the doctor.

Ectopic pregnancy at 5 weeks

If there is a strong pulling in the lower abdomen at 5 weeks of pregnancy, as before menstruation, this may be a symptom of some pathology, for example, an ectopic pregnancy. It occurs due to the attachment of the embryo outside the uterine cavity.

When your stomach hurts severely in the 5th week of pregnancy, you feel a general weakness of the body, a rapid pulse, you need to urgently call an ambulance and go to the doctor. A late-diagnosed ectopic pregnancy can lead to fallopian tube rupture.

Frozen pregnancy at 5 weeks

When the fertilized egg stops developing and growing, and the embryo dies, a frozen pregnancy occurs. In this case, the fetus continues to be in the uterine cavity, and the symptoms of pregnancy persist. It is not easy to determine this pathology in the early stages (from 3 to 5 weeks).

What are the symptoms of a frozen pregnancy in the early stages of 5 weeks:

• regular decrease in basal temperature;
• profuse discharge of brown or greenish-brown color with an odor;
• dull, nagging pain in the lower abdomen and lower back;
• disappearance of toxicosis symptoms.

Miscarriage at 5 weeks of pregnancy

Miscarriage at 5 weeks of pregnancy is a spontaneous early termination of gestation. The causes of this pathology may be genetic disorders, infectious processes in the body of the expectant mother, and hormonal imbalance.

Symptoms of miscarriage at 5 weeks of pregnancy:

• acute spasmodic pain in the ovarian area;
• girdle pain in the lower back;
• pulling, cutting, stabbing pain in the lower abdomen;
• profuse bleeding;
• increased body temperature;
• weakness;
• dizziness;
• fainting;
• reduction in pregnancy symptoms.

If you notice one of the above symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. The consequences of a miscarriage can be inflammatory diseases, hormonal disorders, infertility, and menstrual irregularities.

Toxicosis at 5 weeks of pregnancy

Toxicosis at 5 weeks of pregnancy is a common occurrence. It indicates that the expectant mother’s body is trying to get used to the new state. Toxicosis is often accompanied by the following symptoms:

• nausea;
• vomit;
• dizziness;
• weakness.

To make the symptoms of toxicosis less noticeable, you need to pay special attention to nutrition and daily routine. It is advisable to take food in small portions. Try not to get out of bed on an empty stomach. The first light snack can be taken in bed - eat a piece of fruit or drink a glass of sweet tea.

Herbal remedies, such as tea with mint, lemon or ginger, can cope with the symptoms of toxicosis. Before use, you should consult a specialist.

Cold at 5 weeks of pregnancy

During the period of bearing a baby, a woman’s body’s defenses weaken, and at this time one can easily catch a cold. You should not take this seemingly minor disease lightly, as it can lead to adverse consequences for both mother and baby: complications during childbirth, infectious diseases of the genital tract, and developmental disorders of the fetus.

It is necessary to start treating colds at 5 weeks of pregnancy as early as possible. Only safe drugs are suitable for this. Often, traditional medicine is used in the treatment of pregnant women: herbal teas, honey, raspberry jam, gargling with saline solution or chamomile.

If the other symptoms of a cold are accompanied by a temperature of 37 at the 5th week of pregnancy, you can use rubbing with vinegar water. Compresses effectively reduce fever and eliminate cough.

Is it possible to have sex at 5 weeks pregnant?

Many women are reasonably interested in the question: is it possible to have sex at 5 weeks of pregnancy? Obstetricians and gynecologists agree that if pregnancy proceeds without pathologies, then intimate intimacy will only be beneficial.

Another point is that each woman undergoes hormonal changes differently. And if one expectant mother only thinks about sex, then another may completely forget about it. The influence of hormones on a woman’s libido is individual in each case.

Is it possible to drink alcohol at 5 weeks pregnant?

If you have not completely eliminated alcohol from your diet, then at 5 weeks of pregnancy is the time to do it. Now the embryo already has a connection with the mother’s body through blood vessels and begins to receive nutrition directly through the mother’s body. That is, everything that a woman eats and drinks certainly ends up in the child. That is why you should completely avoid alcohol consumption for the entire period of pregnancy, so as not to harm the baby.

For more information about the 5th week of pregnancy, watch the video:

What to remember

1. At week 5, the first obvious signs of pregnancy appear: toxicosis, engorgement of the mammary glands, changes in appetite and taste preferences.
2. If you notice any signs of deviation from the normal course of pregnancy, contact your doctor immediately.
3. Blood at 5 weeks of pregnancy may appear as a result of late attachment of the embryo to the wall of the uterus or in connection with menstrual flow. In both cases, an examination by a specialist is necessary.
4. From the 5th week of pregnancy, it is necessary to completely eliminate alcohol from the diet of the expectant mother.

The fifth obstetric week of pregnancy is special. It is during this period that most women learn that they will soon become mothers. That is why this week will be remembered for many years. We will talk about what is happening with the baby and the expectant mother in this material.

How many months is this?

The 5th obstetric week of pregnancy is the first 6 days of delay of the next menstruation. 3 weeks from conception. Many women get confused because of the difference in numbers. It's actually simple. In medicine, it is customary to calculate the gestational age in obstetric weeks; they are counted from the first day of the last period before pregnancy.

Thus, obstetric pregnancy began approximately two weeks before conception took place.

Approximately in the middle of the menstrual cycle, at the time of ovulation or a day after it, the egg and sperm meet. This day is the beginning of the embryonic period. Since the time of ovulation may vary, it is more convenient to calculate the gestational age from the first day of the last menstrual period. If it is 4-5 obstetric weeks, this means that the time has come to reliably make sure that there is a pregnancy.

Enter the first day of your last menstrual period

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How does an embryo develop?

Until recently, the baby was just a few cells that were constantly dividing, but by now they have turned into a spherical blastocyst, which, on the 8th day after conception, descended into the uterine cavity and settled there. Now, almost two weeks after the implantation took place, the baby looks like a cylinder about 1.5-2 mm long. It is in the fifth obstetric week that it is officially called an embryo, since the embryonic period of development begins.

Before this, the baby went through the germinal stage of development, then was in the implantation stage for 40 hours. All this time, the embryo could not be called an embryo, since in essence it was not yet one. The stage that starts for him this week is the most responsible and important for the entire pregnancy.

Up to the 9th week, when the embryonic period ends and the fetal period begins, internal organs and systems will be actively formed, and the first impulses of the nervous system will be adjusted. Any harmful effect of teratogenic properties can cause mutations, gross anomalies and malformations, and fetal death.

This week the baby's airway begins to develop. The trachea will begin to develop first, the lungs and bronchi will begin to form only after a couple of weeks. At 5 weeks after conception, the formation of the neural tube continues. How the baby’s brain and spinal cord will be formed and how his central nervous system will work depends on how correctly this process proceeds. This week the neural tube closes and closes.

At 5 obstetric weeks, that is, in the very next few days, the baby will have sexual identification - gonoblasts will begin to form in the yolk sac - primary germ cells, which a little later will become either sperm, if a boy is conceived, or eggs, if “settled” in the womb " girl. At the cellular level, these days the formation of the digestive organs and genitourinary system occurs.

There is nothing humanoid in the image of the embryo yet. It looks like a tadpole with an oval head bud, a protrusion where arms will soon appear. However, already at such an early stage the embryo develops a tiny heart. While it has only two atria, it will divide into 4 chambers a little later. At the end of this embryonic week, the heart will begin to beat and soon it can be seen as a small flicker, and a little later it can be heard on a sensitive ultrasound machine.

To better imagine the size of the crumbs, you need to remember what a small grain of rice looks like. By the end of the 5th obstetric week, the growth of the embryo will approach 4 mm. This baby already demands respect for himself and it is in the fifth week that he begins to “achieve” a certain freedom and independence, self-expression.

It is separated from the embryonic structures (chorion, amnion and yolk sac). Now a young placenta will begin to form, to which the embryonic structures, by the end of the first trimester, will completely transfer their responsibilities for the production of hormones, protection, and nutrition of the fetus.

The development of a tiny embryo proceeds at a very fast pace: both externally and internally the baby changes every day. Never again in a person's life are development and growth as rapid and intense as in the embryonic period of its development.

Ultrasound

It is not always possible to see the embryo on an ultrasound during the fifth week. The baby is still too small, not every scanner is able to detect it. But at the end of the week, at exactly 5 obstetric weeks, the chances that the baby will be visualized significantly increase.

You should not assume that an ultrasound scan will allow you to examine the baby itself. At this stage, pregnancy, at best, is defined as an echo-negative liquid formation, which represents a fertilized egg. Its average internal diameter is now about 4-5 mm. If ovulation was late, the gestational sac will have a lower SVD and may not be visible at all on this week's ultrasound.

In addition to the size, the doctor must pay attention to the contours and outlines of the fertilized egg. Normally, they should be smooth and clear. If the embryo is not yet visible, it is too early to sound the alarm.

The woman is scheduled for a repeat ultrasound in about a week.

Pregnancy is indicated by thickening of the endometrium and changes in the ovarian area. The normal size of the corpus luteum is from 19 to 29 mm, the size of the yolk sac at this stage is less than 5 mm. The yolk sac may also not be detected in the fifth week due to its small size, but after 7 days it is definitely visualized if the pregnancy is progressing normally.

An ultrasound examination this week is considered premature, since the risk of obtaining a false negative result is very high: the pregnancy will not be seen, although it is there. To save their nerves, women who definitely want to receive documentary confirmation of the fact of their pregnancy should wait about another week; at 5-6 obstetric weeks, diagnosis using ultrasound no longer causes difficulties.

If a woman has no history of miscarriages and the pregnancy occurred naturally and not through IVF, there is no need for an ultrasound. And although the harm from ultrasound exposure to the fetus has not been proven, no one has yet been able to prove its harmlessness.

How does the expectant mother feel?

Some women don't feel anything unusual right now. But the majority note that their well-being has changed - fatigue has appeared, they want to sleep and eat. There are also women who at such an early stage begin to feel toxicosis - they feel sick in the morning, sick from the previously pleasant smell of their husband’s cologne. Feelings on a physical level may resemble premenstrual syndrome - slightly pulling in the lower back, stomach, as before menstruation.

Since the processes inside the female body are very intense and require a lot of energy, most pregnant women at 5 weeks note that they want to sleep more and move less. The “fads” can start now. As a rule, they concern changes in taste preferences - you want pickles, chocolate, herring with jam, tomatoes with sugar, etc.

Medicine cannot thoroughly explain why such strange addictions arise, but there is a version that all these are signals from the body about the lack of certain substances necessary to ensure the growth of the embryo and changes in the body of the woman herself.

Changes in a woman's body

An objective change at this time is a delay that has already lasted several days. Externally, pregnancy does not yet manifest itself in any way. But inside a woman there are numerous and very complex processes that must prepare her body for long-term gestation and childbirth. For some women, nipple halos begin to darken already at this stage.

The breasts themselves increase slightly in size, there is a feeling of “fullness”, fullness of the mammary glands, touching the nipples can cause pain, and their sensitivity increases. The release of colostrum at the 5th obstetric week is more typical for multiparous women. Those who become pregnant with their first child may not experience such symptoms.

All other changes in the female body occur due to changes in hormonal levels. From the first minutes after conception, the hormone progesterone begins to be produced in large quantities, which is necessary so that the muscles of the uterus do not tense, are relaxed, and also so that the maternal immune system does not destroy the embryo: the hormone reduces the ability of the immune system, female protection weakens, but the baby's chances of survival increase.

The production of progesterone is promoted by the hormone hCG. It is produced by chorionic membranes and enters the blood and urine of the expectant mother, increasing every two days. By week 5, according to obstetric calculations, the hCG level becomes sufficient to diagnose pregnancy using rapid tests. These two most important hormones for pregnancy are also supported by estrogens - female sex hormones.

Against the background of such a massive hormonal attack, the mood and psychological state of the expectant mother are usually the first to change. Already now a woman can notice that she has become more anxious, tearful, sensitive, and sentimental.

Under the influence of the hormone progesterone, digestion may be disrupted: heartburn will appear or diarrhea will begin. Some women emphasize that their sleep is disturbed, they have difficulty falling asleep, and feel overwhelmed.

Progesterone increases appetite. The uterus begins to round; before conception it was more pear-shaped. This week there is a slight increase in the volume of the female reproductive organ. This may cause slight nagging pain in the lower back. The amount of vaginal discharge may also increase.

Progesterone retains water in the tissues, which causes increased secretion. Many women experience increased salivation, for example, during sleep.

The same property of progesterone causes the appearance of physiological rhinitis in pregnant women - many people have a runny nose at 5 weeks without any other symptoms of a cold or ARVI. A hormonal “storm” in the female body often causes an increase in body temperature in the evenings. The woman feels a slight chill, the temperature rises to 37.0 degrees or slightly higher. Many people begin to worry whether they are getting sick. Such symptoms have nothing to do with the disease. Usually in the morning there is no fever.

But the basal temperature, which some women continue to change in the fifth obstetric week, confidently remains at low-grade levels - progesterone, while its level is sufficient to maintain pregnancy, does not allow it to drop.

Possible problems

The very beginning of pregnancy is not only the joy that “everything has finally worked out,” but also the likelihood of various problems that a woman should be aware of. Here are just a few of them.

Biochemical pregnancy

Medicine claims that about 70% of women have experienced a pregnancy at least once in their lives that they did not even suspect about, the so-called biochemical pregnancy. Any woman can theoretically encounter it in this fifth week, according to obstetric calculations. If on the first or second day of the delay, a particularly impatient expectant mother takes a test or a blood test, then they confirm the pregnancy. The test shows a distinct second line; the level of hCG in the blood corresponding to the due date is determined.

But within a day or two of the same week your period may begin. This phenomenon is called biochemical pregnancy. Essentially, the following happens: the egg is fertilized, implantation has taken place, but for some reason, almost immediately after implantation, rejection, detachment of the embryo, and its death occur.

The hCG hormone manages to be produced in certain quantities, and it is this concentration that is displayed during a blood test. And after another week, the embryo comes out, and it looks like a normal period, only a little delayed and a little more abundant than usual.

There are many reasons why a baby may stop developing after implantation. Often the root of the problem lies in immune processes, sometimes in chromosomal abnormalities that arose during the fusion of the sperm with the egg. Often, biochemical pregnancy occurs in women with inflammatory diseases of the reproductive system, as well as endocrine disorders. But the true reasons for this phenomenon have not been studied.

Biochemical pregnancy is not considered a miscarriage; it does not affect subsequent pregnancies and childbearing. Often the fact of such a pregnancy goes unnoticed, and the woman thinks that her period simply came with a slight delay. There are usually no symptoms and signs characteristic of a normal pregnancy.

The only way to establish BCP (short name for biochemical pregnancy) is a blood test for hCG.

Anembryony

This term refers to a pregnancy pathology in which there is no embryo inside the fertilized egg. The egg itself usually grows, and the dynamics of its growth can be clearly monitored by ultrasound. At such a short period of time, anembryonia is often diagnosed incorrectly, and the reason lies in late ovulation. According to obstetric calculations, the woman is in her fifth week, but due to late ovulation and implantation, the fertilized egg is still small and the embryo is tiny.

True anembryonia can be a consequence of adverse effects on the fetus - radiation, medications, poisons, unhealthy genetics. Usually the cause cannot be determined. The fifth week is too short a period for such a diagnosis. If the ultrasound doctor now makes such an assumption, you should calm down, wait 7-10 days and visit the ultrasound diagnostic room again.

During this week, you can do a blood test for hCG 2 times. As pregnancy progresses, hormone levels will increase rapidly.

At 6-7 weeks of pregnancy, the embryo should be clearly visible on ultrasound, regardless of the timing of ovulation. If anembryonia is confirmed, the woman will be shown curettage of the uterine cavity or medical abortion.

Frozen pregnancy

Pregnancy in the embryonic period can stop developing and stop progressing at any time, and there are many reasons for this. These include inflammatory and infectious diseases in a woman, her bad habits, stress, anxiety, and excessive physical activity. However, not everything depends only on the pregnant woman herself. If the embryo has anomalies caused by chromosomal abnormalities, then in many cases its further development becomes simply impossible.

Sometimes the reason for freezing lies in the paternal spermatozoa - if the morphology of male germ cells is disrupted (teratozoospermia), conception, although difficult, is possible, but the risk of forming a fetus that is incorrect from the point of view of the genetic makeup is higher.

At 5 weeks, it is difficult to recognize such a non-developing pregnancy, but it is possible. If a woman suddenly loses the signs of toxicosis that were already present, if her chest suddenly stops hurting, her general condition has changed and nothing indicates a possible pregnancy, we can say with a great deal of truth that fetal death is possible. A blood test for hCG will be more informative. After intrauterine death of the embryo, the level of the hormone begins to decrease.

And two tests over a week will be enough for the doctor to suspect something is wrong and refer the woman for an ultrasound.

After about 2-3 weeks, the dead embryo, if a miscarriage did not occur earlier, may begin to gradually be rejected by the mother’s body. Brown spotting appears, causing pain in the lower abdomen and lower back. When the diagnosis is confirmed, a woman undergoes surgical curettage and is necessarily prescribed anti-inflammatory therapy with antibiotics or undergoes a medical abortion.

It is advisable to examine samples of embryonic tissue in a genetic laboratory to try to establish whether certain chromosomal abnormalities and gene mutations have caused the arrest in its development. This information is necessary for further planning of the next pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancy

As the name suggests, such a pregnancy is associated with the consolidation of the fetus not in the uterus, but outside its cavity, for example, in the fallopian tube or in the cervix. The reasons for this phenomenon may also lie in a variety of pathologies of the female reproductive system, hormonal disorders, and infectious diseases. At 5 weeks, it is not always possible to establish an ectopic pregnancy.

The main sign of intrauterine pregnancy is the presence of a fertilized egg in the uterine cavity. As we have found out, it is not always possible to see it at week 5, and this does not necessarily indicate the presence of pathology.

The only way to suspect such an abnormal pregnancy at such a short period is a blood test for hCG. The level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the body during ectopic implantation of the embryo is always significantly lower than normal; a test strip from a pharmacy may generally show a negative result or a weak, unmarked second line even several days after the delay.

A diagnosis cannot be made based on a blood test, and doctors will prefer to wait another week to make sure that there is no fertilized egg in the uterine cavity. There may be no symptoms at week 5, but it is possible that pain in the lower abdomen, right or left, may already appear, which depends on which part of the fertilized egg is firmly attached. At week 5, pain may appear in women whose embryo has “settled” in the narrowest part of the fallopian tube.

If the fetus is located and develops in the wide part of the tube, then symptoms will not begin before 8 weeks, and if the embryo is implanted closer to the ovary or in the abdominal part, then the first unpleasant signs usually appear by the end of the 6th week of pregnancy. In addition to pain, brown discharge streaked with blood may appear.

Unfortunately, doctors cannot do anything. An ectopic pregnancy is doomed to be terminated. The doctors’ task is to do this as early as possible, to prevent rupture of the fallopian tube or cervix. After such a pregnancy, if the tubes and ovaries were preserved, a new pregnancy is quite possible after a course of treatment.

If pregnancy is detected in the cervix, then the prognosis is less optimistic. Typically, such a pathology (which, by the way, occurs quite rarely) requires surgeons to completely remove the uterus.

Early toxicosis

Early toxicosis is not such a rare occurrence. It all depends on how exactly it proceeds. Moderate nausea and even vomiting in the morning is a variant of the norm, but if the vomiting is exhausting, constant, repeated several times a day, and the woman cannot eat, then this condition is fraught with dehydration and the threat of miscarriage.

Severe early toxicosis requires medical attention. The woman is given vitamin preparations to compensate the growing embryo for the lack of useful substances and minerals in the maternal blood. Toxicosis usually subsides closer to 12-13 weeks.

The reasons why some women experience toxicosis, while others do not have any hint of nausea and dizziness, are not known for certain to medicine. Experts are inclined to believe that toxicosis is caused by the individual characteristics of a woman’s immune system, as well as by changed hormonal levels.

Diagnostics

The main symptom that cannot go unnoticed by a woman in the fifth obstetric week is the absence of the next menstruation on the appointed day. This means that it is now possible and necessary to find out the reasons for the delay. At this time, various methods can be used for diagnosis, with the exception of ultrasound., which, as a rule, cannot yet answer with certainty the question of whether there is a pregnancy.

The hCG hormone, which began to be produced immediately after implantation, this week increases in the blood by at least 60 times compared to its norm for non-pregnant women. A blood test from the very first day of the delay will leave no doubt that the woman is now pregnant. The hCG norm for this week is from 300 to 5000 IU/liter.

The concentration of chorionic hormone in urine also exceeded the sensitivity thresholds of rapid tests, which can be purchased without problems at any pharmacy. If the sensitivity threshold of the test averages from 20 to 30 units per milliliter, then already on the first day of the delay the test will show a second strip.

Which method to use to diagnose pregnancy at this stage is up to the woman herself to decide. A blood test has its advantages - it allows you not only to establish pregnancy, but also to make sure that it is developing normally if the hormone level corresponds to the term.

If the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin hormone is higher than normal, it can even be assumed that the woman has not one, but two embryos in the womb.

A decrease in the amount of hCG in the blood may indicate a threat of early miscarriage. A home rapid test, even the most expensive one, such as an electronic one, will not provide so much useful information. It will only show the fact of pregnancy without details. But it is easier to carry out and does not require special training. Any woman can easily cope with the task.

To be fair, we note that the accuracy of a home test is lower than the accuracy of a laboratory blood test. Test strips are more likely to be defective and give false positive and false negative results.

If it is the first week from the start of the delay (this is the 5th obstetric week), and the test is negative, then you should definitely donate blood for hCG and visit a doctor with this result.

Analyzes and examinations

On the pages of women's forums there are serious debates about when to contact the antenatal clinic to register. There can be only one answer - the sooner the better. Early registration will make it possible to identify possible pathologies at an earlier stage, for example, to detect an ectopic pregnancy at a stage when it is easy to perform laparoscopic surgery and preserve women’s reproductive health, and not when the growing fetus tears the fallopian tube into shreds and to save the woman’s life you will have to remove it completely.

No one, of course, forces a woman to go to the doctor immediately after taking a home test that showed two coveted stripes. But you shouldn’t wait until the pregnancy “passes” 8-10 weeks. If you wish, you can close this issue for yourself once and for all by visiting a gynecologist at the end of the 5th obstetric week of pregnancy.

It is advisable to have the results of a blood test for hCG with you so that the specialist has no doubt about the fact of pregnancy, because manual examination at this stage does not always show a significant increase in the size of the uterus.

If such a decision is made, the woman should know that she will have excellent time to prepare for the first prenatal screening, which takes place from 10-11 to 13 weeks of pregnancy inclusive. Preparation will consist of slowly passing all the tests required during registration, as well as visiting doctors of other specialties, which is recommended in the first trimester.

When you first contact a doctor, a pregnant and postpartum card is filled out, a small copy of it is issued - an exchange card, which is given to the woman. Now this is her main document, which she always needs to carry with her, especially to her next consultation appointment. The results of all tests and ultrasound will be entered into the exchange card. It is with this card that the woman will be admitted to the maternity hospital when her due date arrives.

The tests that will be prescribed at the first stage are numerous. These include general blood and urine tests, a vaginal smear for microflora, and detailed biochemical blood tests. You will definitely have to donate blood for HIV and syphilis, hepatitis, and for TORCH infections (rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes, toxoplasmosis). A woman must confirm her blood type and Rh factor.

If she is Rh negative, her partner will also have to come to the consultation to also donate blood for the group and Rh.

At the very beginning of pregnancy, blood tests for hormone levels can be prescribed based on individual indicators, as well as an ultrasound of the pelvic organs if there is a threat of miscarriage.

Despite the fact that you just found out about pregnancy, your lifestyle should definitely be adjusted to take into account the upcoming rapid changes. There won’t be a child, he already exists, and right now the baby especially needs maternal protection and optimal conditions for his development. Simple recommendations will help the embryo develop correctly.

Vitamins

Already now, the embryo and the maternal body are beginning to experience a need for certain substances. This week, given that the fetal nervous system is actively developing, you should definitely start taking folic acid. It is optimal to take it before conception, but if this did not happen or pregnancy was not initially part of the couple’s immediate plans, then now is the time to start supplying yourself and the baby with this useful substance.

Sex

You can have sex during the 5th obstetric week. The intimate life of the parents will not harm the child in any way if the woman has no obvious contraindications. If sexual activity is not yet desirable, the doctor will definitely inform the woman about this, taking into account her obstetric history. Contraindications include habitual early miscarriages, atypical discharge for this period, or pain in the abdomen.

You should be especially careful after IVF, including in matters of active sexual life, because the uterus at the moment of orgasm comes into tone, which can provoke detachment of the ovum.

If there are no contraindications, then having sex will only benefit the woman. They improve her mood, make its changes less noticeable, instill a sense of her own need and importance for a given man, improve the microclimate in the family and relationships between partners.

Nowadays, normal relationships are more important than ever before, because stress caused by conflicts in the family, according to statistics, ranks high among the causes of spontaneous abortion in the early stages.

Nutrition

As soon as the test shows two lines, a woman should think about proper nutrition. Despite the persistent demands of the body, which wants herring with jam or honey with lard, it is worth taking the issue seriously and reconsidering your diet.

Proper nutrition will help keep weekly weight gain under control, which has already begun, and will not allow a woman to gain extra pounds, which can significantly complicate the last months of pregnancy and the upcoming birth.

Balanced fractional meals will reduce the effects of progesterone on digestion– will reduce gas formation, bloating, prevent heartburn, constipation and diarrhea. Properly selected products will supply the female body and the rapidly growing body of the baby with everything necessary.

First of all, you should avoid fried, fatty, overly salty and sweet foods. It is important to eat fresh vegetables and fruits, lean meat, fish, and dairy products.

You need to eat at least 5-6 times a day, the last meal is 3 hours before going to bed. You should drink at least one and a half liters of fluids - now the embryo has a need not only for nutrients and vitamins, but also for water. For a pregnant woman, even in the very early stages, carbonated drinks, store-bought juices in packs, baked goods, condensed milk, and chocolate are contraindicated. The amount of salt should be reduced to 5 grams per day so as not to create preconditions for the appearance of edema and the development of gestosis, which is dangerous for the mother and fetus.

Medicines

Quite often, in the first weeks of pregnancy, a woman’s chronic diseases worsen, because the load on all organs increases tenfold. Reduced immunity in the early stages can cause a viral or other infection. Doctors say that illnesses at the beginning of gestation are not as dangerous as uncontrolled use of medications that are not approved by the doctor.

Many drugs have a teratogenic effect and are dangerous to the developing embryo. The most dangerous are antibiotics, immunostimulants, antidepressants, antiepileptic drugs, and many painkillers.

Therefore, if you have a cough, if you have a toothache, headache, stomach or kidney pain, you should not take medications that have always helped in these situations, no matter how great the temptation. Pills that a woman took before pregnancy can cause serious harm in the early stages.

The best solution is to consult a doctor about pain. He will be able to select medications that can be taken by pregnant women, and if there are none, he will suggest a couple of recipes from the field of alternative medicine that will help the woman alleviate her condition. The fewer tablets and capsules a mother eats before the 12th week of pregnancy, and the fewer injections given, the better for the fetus.

Working conditions

The fifth week should be a turning point in a woman’s work routine. If her work involves shift work at night, then now is the time to get a certificate from the antenatal clinic and show it to her superiors so that the work schedule can be changed exclusively to daytime.

Night sleep is important for any person, since it is at night that some hormones, protein compounds, and enzymes important for health are synthesized. For a pregnant woman, night's sleep is doubly important.

The Labor Code of the Russian Federation allows expectant mothers, upon request, to receive a time-limited and strictly limited working day, safe and harmless working conditions, and a lunch break. Many are afraid to ask their management about this because they fear being fired. It is illegal to fire a pregnant woman, so there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

Women in the early stages are contraindicated from working in paint shops, in workshops with strong noise and vibration, and in industries associated with electromagnetic or radiation exposure. A woman has the right to refuse long business trips and overtime work. For early registration, a small amount of up to 600 rubles is added to maternity payments.

Lifestyle

Two lines on the test is not at all a reason to sit on the sofa and sit there for the whole 9 months. At this time, a woman should continue to lead her usual lifestyle. If she was involved in sports, then she should slightly reduce physical activity, but there is no need to refuse them at all, of course, if the doctor allows it.

If a woman has not been involved in sports before, it’s time to start doing light exercises in the morning, and in the evenings go to the pool, swim, do water aerobics, and take evening walks before bed in the fresh air. This lifestyle will not be associated with excessive stress, but will not allow you to lead a sedentary lifestyle, which is fraught with excess weight, difficult childbirth, and a long postpartum recovery period.

Alcohol and nicotine

Many women are interested in how alcohol and nicotine, which the woman may have taken before she found out that she was pregnant, will affect the child. If alcohol does not imply chronic alcoholism or systematic intake of strong alcoholic beverages in large quantities, then there is no harm to the embryo. The main thing is now to abstain and avoid drinking strong drinks.

With nicotine, things are a little more complicated. If we are talking about a chronic smoker who has had this bad habit for 10 years or more, then you should consult a doctor - in some cases, completely quitting cigarettes provokes a miscarriage, as it leads to withdrawal syndrome associated with changes in blood pressure, changes in hormonal levels .

Such pregnant women are sometimes offered, as an exception, cigarettes with a lower nicotine content and a reduction in the number of cigarettes smoked to 1-2 per day.

If everything is not so neglected, then A woman is advised to quit smoking immediately after detecting two lines on a rapid test. Nicotine is very dangerous during the period when the nervous system, as well as the baby’s heart and blood vessels, are being formed.