Pregnant: What happens in week 6

The baby's development in the 6th week of pregnancy

The little heart is beating: In the 6th week of pregnancy your child's heart makes its first beat. If it is initially somewhat sluggish, it will soon beat a healthy 100 to 120 times per minute. That makes it about twice as fast as your hearts.

Head, mouth opening and neck visible: In comparison to Weeks 1-5 of pregnancy, in which the embryo rather resembled an elongated tadpole, it now takes on a slightly curved shape like a little worm an – now the first body parts can already be seen. Thus, in week 6 of pregnancy the baby's head, although disproportionately large compared to the rest of the body, is clearly visible. Also the rudiments for eyes, ears and the brain can be discerned. The neck is identifiable as an extension of the head and merges into the rounded dorsal cord, from which the baby's spine later develops. As the 6th week progresses, the mouth opening, lower jaw and vocal cords now form.

First buds for arms and legs: On ultrasound in week 6 you can at most see small, lumpy buds on parts of the embryo's body, where the arms and legs will later grow. The rudiments for them are already present, as is the cartilage structure, which later turns into solid bone.

Evidence of evolution: In the sixth week of pregnancy the embryo appears to have a 'tail' on the ultrasound image. The dorsal cord extends beyond the rudiments for the legs, a clear indication of the evolutionary development of humans. In the following weeks this extension, however, completely regresses. Nerve pathways, the inner ear, the intestine, the lungs, liver and thyroid also begin to form. The stomach and kidneys are already functioning and produce gastric juice and urine. The umbilical cord now leads directly from the embryo's abdomen to the chorion tissue, from which the placenta has already been developing since the 4th week of pregnancy. Until birth, the now fully developed placenta and the umbilical cord take over the baby's nourishment.

This is what the ultrasound image shows

In the 6th week of pregnancy the baby is now clearly visible. The size of the embryo is now a respectable two to four millimeters – that corresponds to the size of a pomegranate seed. You can see a small, slightly curved little worm, where the arm and leg buds can be made out. With a bit of luck you may even see your baby's beating heart. It usually only becomes clearly visible in two to three weeks. If you don't yet notice the changes mentioned during the ultrasound, there is no reason to worry: the little miracle is often well hidden.

Week 6: Physical changes in the mother

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Right at the beginning of your pregnancy it is normal that the the woman's hormones go haywire. From the hormonal adjustment to the resulting pregnancy symptoms – now it really gets going and the physical signs and changes are becoming noticeable.

Hormonal changes:The entire hormonal balance adjusts to protect mother and baby: The "pregnancy hormone" hCG prevents another ovulation, Relaxin already makes the tissue of the pelvic floor and cervix softer and more elastic, and progesterone ensures the development of the embryo. At the same time the estrogen level to prepare milk production. As a result the breasts are even more sensitive and the areolas are usually darker.

Progesterone increase causes constipation:The belly is bloated and hard – many women already feel quite pregnant at week 6. The reason for this is constipation, which is very common at this early stage of pregnancy. The cause is the rising progesterone level in the woman's body: the corpus luteum hormone causes the entire metabolism to slow down, so more energy is available for the protection and development of the embryo. The result is extreme fatigue and constipation, often until the end of the third month of pregnancy.

Inevitable pregnancy symptoms: The accompanying symptoms of pregnancy vary from person to person – some women feel throughout the entire pregnancy neither nausea nor food cravings, others feel tired and unwell well beyond the first trimester. Some expectant mothers even get the impression that their tongue and oral mucosa are swollen. This is not necessarily a sign of illness, but should also be classified as a pregnancy symptom — as is a bitter taste in the mouth.

What helps with pregnancy symptoms?

Unfortunately the classic pregnancy symptoms cannot be avoided. But there are many ways to alleviate them: whether with homeopathy, proven home remedies or in severe cases also with stronger medications – make sure to discuss taking them with your gynecologist.

For symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and fatigue, the following have proven particularly helpful the following tips to relieve the accompanying symptoms have proven helpful, but should not be understood as a cure-all:

Take the first meal of the day while lying in bed (for example rusk and peppermint tea). Maybe it helps if you prepare the food the evening before. Otherwise it is helpful if your partner, the expectant dad, takes care of the breakfast preparations.
Eat preferably several smaller portions throughout the day. This way you make sure you get enough nourishment and still don't overwhelm yourself with a large portion or have to force it down.
Season your food lightly. You can always add more seasoning later. Your taste buds will benefit from not being surprised by a flavor explosion right away — your body will react with less nausea.
Avoid carbonated drinks, sour juices and raw onions.
Eat Ginger or drink it in your tea. It soothes your stomach.
Allow yourselves, especially at the beginning of pregnancy, sufficient and mindful rest breaks.
For circulation problems, it helps if you drink plenty of fluids and move around enough and do so slowly.

Why is the maternity record so important?

As soon as your doctor confirms the pregnancy, he or she issues you a maternity record. This serves on the one hand for the Documentation of the entire pregnancy up to the birth, on the other hand it provides all important Information about possible illnesses or risks during pregnancy. In this way any midwife or any treating doctor can see at a glance what to watch for in the pregnant woman.

In addition to the physical development of the baby and the mother, all Data on the woman's general health collected, including:

Blood type
Antibody tests, e.g. for HIV, rubella and toxoplasmosis
Chlamydia test
Medical history (anamnesis)
Information on pregnancy counseling

The most important information about the birth (date, length and weight of the child, spontaneous birth or cesarean section, any complications, etc.) are also recorded in the maternity record - as are all subsequent pregnancies.

Don't forget: What you should consider in the 6th week of pregnancy

Inform your employer: As a woman in permanent employment, you should already inform your employer about the pregnancy so that maternity protection and the subsequent parental leave can be taken into account in future planning.
For the self-employed: Check your entitlement to sickness benefit! Self-employed women can also apply for maternity pay for the six weeks before and eight weeks after the birth. The prerequisite is that you are insured with a statutory health insurance and entitled to the statutory sickness benefit. If you are pregnant and self-employed, you should check your entitlement to sickness benefit as soon as possible and, if necessary, take out additional coverage to receive the maternity pay.

For the 7th week of pregnancy