At 5 weeks pregnant, baby is about the size of a Pop Rocks crystal. The process of implantation—where the fertilized egg burrows into the uterine lining of your uterus—has occurred, and you’re only a week or so past your missed period. You’re at the beginning of the journey, and you’ll be experiencing symptoms like tender breasts, cramps and fatigue soon. Here’s what else you can expect at week 5 of pregnancy.

How Many Months is 5 Weeks Pregnant?

5 weeks pregnant in months is one month pregnant, which is part of the first trimester of pregnancy.

Your Baby at 5 Weeks

If you were to have a 5 week ultrasound, your baby wouldn’t look very recognizable to the human eye. By week 5 of pregnancy, the embryo is about the size of rice seed, and looks more like a tiny tadpole than a human, says Dr. Kim Langdon, an ob-gyn with Medzino. But development is starting to ramp up. Here’s what else is going on with baby at week 5 of pregnancy.

Organ development: It might seem early, but your baby is starting to develop major organs like the heart, stomach, liver and kidneys (though these are not yet discernible in an ultrasound). The brain and the spine also begin to form.
Simple beginnings: Right now, your baby consists of three germ layers, which is a weird but technical term for the group of cells that make up the tiny embryo. The ectoderm will become your baby’s brain, spinal cord, skin and nails. The mesoderm will be the heart and circulatory system, and the endoderm will be the lungs, intestines and other major organs. “One of the first noticeable organs to work is the heart,” says Dr. Langdon. Human development is amazing!

How Big is Your Baby at 5 Weeks?

Your baby is about 0.09 inches long this week. That’s roughly the size of a Pop Rocks crystal.

5 Weeks Baby Movement

You probably won’t feel the baby kick until a few weeks into the second trimester. Stay tuned!

How to Count Your Pregnancy Weeks

When you found out you were pregnant, you might have been surprised to learn that you were already four or five weeks along.

So how did you skip the first month? It’s hard to know exactly when a baby is conceived, but due dates are essential for understanding and studying pregnancy. Health professionals need a standard, so pregnancy is dated back to the first day of your last period, a.k.a. LMP (last menstrual period), even though your baby isn’t conceived until about two weeks after your LMP (around ovulation).

The basic formula is LMP + 280 days to find your due date. Of course, it’s a little more complicated than that. In 2014, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists updated their guidelines to include an early ultrasound measurement. In other words, the due date could change could change depending on what your healthcare provider sees on the ultrasound screen.

Here’s a helpful story on how to count your pregnancy weeks, and if you don’t want to do the math yourself, we have due date calculator right here.

At 5 weeks pregnant, it’s still too early for an ultrasound, but if you did have one this is what you’d see.

Top Tip for 5 Weeks Pregnant

Are you excited about being pregnant but worried you shouldn’t share the news because of the old “12-week rule”? Go with your gut—you’re allowed to share your pregnancy news whenever you feel it’s right. More and more people are opting to tell a few close friends as soon as they find out they’re pregnant. It’s your news—if you’re excited, share it when and how you want.

Your Body at 5 Weeks of Pregnancy

How’d you first know you were pregnant? Some people realize they’re dead tired at 7 pm. Others weep openly while watching a TV commercial. The most common first signs of pregnancy people reported were missing their period, nausea and a change in their breasts (either soreness or darker areolas).

“Morning sickness, fatigue and breast tenderness are among the most common symptoms of early pregnancy,” says Dr. Langdon. So, if you’re experiencing any of those, you’re definitely not alone.

5 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms

During week 5 of pregnancy, things are starting to ramp up and you’re probably starting to feel like something is up. Here are a few symptoms you might be feeling at 5 weeks pregnant.

Rising hCG levels

If you took a pregnancy test and got a positive result but are not quite sure if you believe it because it’s early, take heart: at-home pregnancy tests are reliable after the first day of your missed period. They measure the level of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which is doubling every 48-72 hours at this point in your pregnancy.

Sore boobs

Those pregnancy hormones are kicking into high gear to get your uterus started on making a baby; those same hormones can cause you to have really tender breasts. Try wearing a wire-free bra to sleep a little more comfortably at night.

Mood swings

Emotional ups and downs tend to be most intense during the first trimester and postpartum, as hormone levels undergo big changes. Be gentle on yourself—eating right and getting enough rest can help—and remember that this pregnancy symptom (like all of them) eventually will pass.

No symptoms

If you’re 5 weeks pregnant with no symptoms and you didn’t have any implantation symptoms, there’s still a chance nausea and fatigue will hit over the next few weeks. But there are also some parents-to-be who never get morning sickness at all. It all depends on your body; some people have no real symptoms beyond a growing belly during the entire pregnancy.

Pregnancy Symptoms Coming Up In Week 6:

In week 6 of pregnancy, you may be experiencing spotting, food cravings or still have no symptoms.

Fun Fact

Before pregnancy, your uterus is about the size of your fist. By the end? We’re talking watermelon!

✅ 5 Weeks Pregnant Checklist

Start practicing your kegels. These little movements have big benefits as your pregnant body grows.
Find out how your health insurance covers pregnancy and birth.
Lay low and rewatch your favorite movie. You probably could use some rest right now. And don’t feel guilty about it—your body is hard at work.

Commonly Asked Questions at 5 Weeks

Now that you’re pregnant, you may be thinking about all the lifestyle shifts you’ll need to make for the next nine months or so. Here are some questions people who are five weeks pregnant frequently ask:

Can I drink coffee while pregnant?

The good news is you don’t need to cut out caffeinated beverages completely when you’re pregnant. “Most data suggest that low to moderate caffeine intake in pregnancy is not associated with any adverse outcomes to the baby or pregnancy,” says Dr. Nathan Fox, an ob-gyn and creator of the Healthful Woman podcast. So how much is “low to moderate”? It’s typically defined as 200-300 mg of caffeine per day. A typical 8-ounce cup of coffee has 70-140 mg of caffeine, but if you also drink tea or eat chocolate as well, it may be a good idea to keep track of your intake from different sources (we have a few of the most common caffeine sources and their levels).

What foods should I avoid now that I’m pregnant?

The TL;DR: It’s best to avoid certain foods when you’re pregnant, like raw and undercooked foods, including fish, shellfish, meat and eggs. Try to minimize fish high in mercury, such as tuna and shark. Also on the list of foods to avoid are unpasteurized cheeses, milk or juices, cold deli meats and lox. Some caffeine is okay (see above), but you should probably avoid drinking alcohol while pregnant—it’s known to be harmful to baby’s development, and no amount’s known to be safe (but here’s a list of non-alcoholic drinks you can indulge in). But don’t panic: If you drank, smoked or did other things before you knew you were pregnant, chances are it’s okay.

Is cramping normal?

Light cramps are not uncommon, either as a sign of implantation or stretching of the uterus. More severe cramps, like you’d get during your period or worse, aren’t, so let your doc know if you’re feeling any abdominal pain.

Sources

Dr. Kim Langdon, MD, OBGYN
Dr. Nathan Fox, OBGYN and creator of the Healthful Woman podcast.

5 Weeks Pregnant

At 5 weeks pregnant, your baby is the size of a Pop Rocks crystal, & you may be feeling nauseated, sore breasts and fatigue.

By Babylist Staff