What Fruit Size Is My Baby in Pregnancy at Week 6?
I’m pretty sure this is what all the updates and reading we do boil down to. Pregnancy week 6 you have a baby the size of a lentil. A quarter of an inch long. It’s kind of amazing if you think about it (like there is much else you have been thinking about.)
What Does Baby Look Like?
Your baby is working on developing the nose, mouth, and ears this week. Important. As someone always used to tell me you have one mouth and two ears, so you have to talk twice as much to make up for it… Wait, nope I think I got it backwards again.
The embryo is looking a little top heavy at the moment. The head is a bit oversized and there are some darks spots where the eyes and nose holes will be.
The ears that we talked about earlier are small dents in the sides of his or her head.
The arms and legs are small little buds right now.
What Else Is Happening To Baby This Week?
The baby’s heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute. When you compare it to an adult that is about twice as fast. The blood is starting to be pumped through his body at this point.
Intestines are beginning to form (which should come in handy.) Also buds that will become lungs have appeared.
In the brain the pituitary gland is forming, so is the rest of his or her brain. Additional formations beginning are the muscles and bones. The word of the this week is “Forming.” Things have to start somewhere and this is the week for it.
What Is Going On With Mom?
Oh no! You are a moody mess lately – It’s what we’ve all been talking about… Don’t worry it’s pretty common to feel joyful one moment and ragey the next. Fluctuating hormones are responsible for this. Well the hormones and the fact that you are going to have a baby. A BABY!
Occasionally you will notice some spotting in your undies or one the tissue after wiping. That is relatively common in early pregnancy. Go on – google it. I know you won’t believe me for yourself. This can happen to up to a quarter of women. It can happen in a normal pregnancy, but it can be a sign of miscarriage of ectopic pregnancy. The safest bet is to call your provider to get a feel for what they think is normal and how to proceed.
Twinning – Double Your Fun
Any woman can become pregnant with twins. There are circumstances that make it more likely. Here are some odds for you in case you are feeling nervous about the possibility:
Overall 1 in 31 births will be twins. You have 31 friends that had babies and they were singles? Guess what… I joke.
With no medical assistance the chances are more like 1 in 89.
Odds of triplets or higher numbers are 1 in 565.
Some other interesting facts about twins:
Identical twins happen by chance. They are only in about 1 in 250.
Fraternal twins chances can be increased by Fertility treatments. Also once you’ve had one set of fraternal twins, you are more likely to have another. That’s kind of a funny joke mother nature plays, huh?
Fraternal twins fun in families on the mothers side. The fathers side doesn’t affect this, as fraternal twins have to do with the eggs released.
The older you are the greater the chance for fraternal twins. Our eggs get released a little wonky as they start to run out.
Fraternal twins are more common in African Americans and less common in Hispanics and Asians.
The more times your are pregnant the greater the chance for twins.
Large, tall women are more likely to have twins then small women.
If you were pregnant with twins you would find out during an ultrasound. Often in the first trimester. Your uterus will usually measure larger and the doctor will want to have a looksy at that time to see what is going on there. Ultrasound after 6 to 8 weeks is almost foolproof at seeing twins, but we all know that sister of the coworkers uncle who found out at birth. That is not common. Now if you have more than twins they get a little jumbled and could be easier to miss.
Prenatal Visits – Mentally Prepare
Usually if this is a first pregnancy with no cause for concern your first visit will occur in the next few weeks.
You are bound to have a million questions. Take the time to write down questions in order to remember them to ask your doctor at the visits. Think of these visits as a chance to ease your mind and hash out what’s to come. Also a chance to get to know your doctor and vice versa.
Bring a list of medications to the appointment and discuss if any are unsafe. This includes any supplements too.
Know the first day of your last period (by heart.) You are going to be asked this, and also this is the way to figure out your due date.
Family medical history may come up during your visit too. If not in the first appointment some time in the future.
Prenatal Visits – Physically Prepare
Weight will be taken at pretty much every visit, along with blood pressure and urine. Glamorous. You will probably have your abdomen measured to see if you are on target, position of baby is checked as things progress, and you can listen to the baby’s heart beat. Different appointments may require different exams and tests.
Activity To Try
If you are having trouble getting your prenatal vitamins down, see if you can find some fruit flavored chewable vitamins. Sometimes they go down better for some.
For more information on this week in pregnancy please visit babycenter.com
Featured photo credit: SvenjaBehnisch on pixabay via pixabay.com
