In the first trimester of pregnancy, a lot of interesting changes take place with mom and baby. This time is very important: at 5-6 weeks of pregnancy, the baby begins to actively grow in her mother's tummy.
How many months is it?
6 obstetric week of pregnancy is the time when the embryo has been developing for a whole month. This period corresponds to 4 weeks from the date of conception.
This different calculation is due to the fact that obstetricians-gynecologists use a different system to determine the age of the fetus. They use the term "obstetric month", the calendar counting from the moment of conception is somewhat different.
Features in the mother
At the beginning of pregnancy, the expectant mother practically does not feel a strong connection with the baby. The embryo is still too small. The woman is more concerned about her own feelings. There can be a lot of them in the first trimester of pregnancy.
At the 6th week of pregnancy, changes gradually begin to occur in the body of the expectant mother. Their development is preceded by a changing hormonal background: hormone levels change daily. This is necessary for the baby to fully grow and develop.
The altered level of female sex hormones also leads to the fact that the expectant mother has characteristic changes in the mammary glands: they begin to increase and swell.
In the first weeks of pregnancy, their strong increase does not occur, however, swelling and changes in density are already well defined. Some women who experienced severe soreness in the mammary glands in the very first days after conception note that their breasts practically stopped hurting by the 6th week of pregnancy.
Feel
In the first weeks of pregnancy, the expectant mother may experience various symptoms. The woman had never encountered many of them before. Their severity is different for each expectant mother.
They can also develop in different ways: each pregnancy is unique. So, the sensations that arise during the first pregnancy will never be identical with the subsequent ones.
Emotional perception and sleep
Changes in the hormonal background lead to the fact that a pregnant woman may experience mood swings. Emotional swings tend to occur very quickly. For example, an expectant mother may experience strong joy and fun, and after a couple of hours she may suffer and cry.
Many women note that it is difficult for them to control such emotional outbursts and strong mood swings during pregnancy. Some women do not experience specific emotional changes. This is due not only to the altered hormonal background, but also to the individual characteristics of the psyche.
Intense mental stress and stress can make a woman feel like she has a severe headache. This occurs as a result of a temporary spasm of the blood vessels in the brain, which can occur during exposure to a strong stress factor. In some cases, a pregnant woman may experience dizziness.
An increase in hormonal substances in the blood leads to the fact that the expectant mother may have difficulty sleeping. Usually, at this stage of pregnancy, these manifestations are not very pronounced. Some women may have trouble falling asleep. Daytime sleepiness, as a rule, is not typical for a given gestational age.
The expectant mother may experience a feeling of severe fatigue, which develops after performing moderate-intensity loads. The ability to perform vigorous exercise gradually begins to decline with each successive day of pregnancy.
Already starting from the early terms of bearing the baby, the expectant mother should carefully monitor her well-being and try not to overstrain. If any burden for a woman is too heavy, she should reconsider her behavior.
The rhythm of life during pregnancy should be more calm and measured. This is necessary for the full intrauterine development of the baby in the mother's tummy.
Changes in the gastrointestinal tract
One of the most common signs of pregnancy, which, unfortunately, almost every mother is familiar with, is the occurrence of vomiting. Most often, such urges bother a woman in the morning - this unfavorable symptom is a sign of toxicosis in the first half of pregnancy.
Feelings in some women also worsen the feeling of nausea. In some cases, it can be unbearable. In order to cope with severe nausea, women are forced to resort to various tricks and change their eating behavior.
For the development of this unfavorable symptom, progesterone is largely "guilty". In the early stages of pregnancy, its concentration in the blood increases greatly. Such changes contribute to the fact that the expectant mother is nauseated. Frequent bouts of vomiting can lead to a stomach ache in a woman.
In the early stages, expectant mothers may experience various violations of the regularity of stools, manifested by diarrhea or constipation. The development of these conditions is caused by a change in the motor function of the intestine, as well as hormonal disorders.
To normalize the stool, a woman should definitely monitor her diet. Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables should be present on the daily menu. The growth of beneficial intestinal microflora will be helped by lacto- and bifidobacteria contained in fermented milk products.
If a woman at this stage of pregnancy has multiple loose stools, a stomach ache and a fever, then she should immediately seek medical help. Self-medication is not worth it.
These symptoms can be a sign of food poisoning or a toxic infection. In such a situation, intensive treatment is required to improve well-being and prevent dangerous conditions for the fetus.
Back pain
At this time, a woman may develop soreness in various parts of the spine. Most often, a woman begins to feel that her lower back is pulling. This symptom may bother the expectant mother even if she does not play sports or does not perform active physical exercises.
And with ordinary household loads, a woman may feel that her lower back or back hurts. Such symptoms begin during pregnancy, as a rule, quite early, in the future they can intensify.
Women with osteoarthritis of the spine may experience more intense symptoms, in which case it is imperative that you consult your doctor. The doctor will determine the need for wearing special orthopedic products.
In most cases, lifestyle changes with limited intense physical activity and adequate rest are sufficient.
What may be troubling?
Even with a healthy pregnancy, the expectant mother may have certain symptoms that will bring her discomfort. The physiology of the female body changes during the carrying of a baby, which is necessary for the full development and growth of the baby during its life in the mother's womb.
Prone to colds
The functioning of the immune system during pregnancy undergoes a number of specific changes. So, female immunity during the period of bearing a child is somewhat reduced. This is necessary so that the mother's body does not reject the baby as an "alien" biological object.
This feature also contributes to the fact that the woman's susceptibility to many infections increases. The risk of colds also increases significantly. ARVI and respiratory diseases are very often recorded in expectant mothers at this time.
A cold can be accompanied by fever, nasal congestion, sore throat, and coughing. The inflammatory process, which began in the oropharynx, leads to the fact that the woman has a sore throat and soreness appears when swallowing.
Adverse symptoms vary in severity. This largely depends on the initial state of the woman. The presence of chronic pathologies of the ENT organs, as a rule, significantly worsens the course of the respiratory disease.
In most cases, common hypothermia leads to the development of a cold. According to statistics, there are much more cases of colds in the cold season than in the warm season.
After the previous hypothermia, the woman feels that her neck and upper shoulder girdle muscles ache. Catarrhal symptoms usually appear within a few hours or by the end of the first day after the expectant mother has a cold.
If the onset of a cold occurred on the 6th week of pregnancy, the expectant mother should definitely seek help from a doctor: you should not treat the disease yourself. It is especially important to remember that antibiotics should not be taken immediately for treatment, since many of them have a dangerous effect on the fetus.
Antibiotics are prescribed during pregnancy only for strict medical reasons for the treatment of pathologies caused by the bacterial flora. Only a doctor should prescribe such medications.
In most cases, symptomatic therapy is sufficient to eliminate adverse symptoms. For this, antiseptic agents are prescribed, mainly of local action.
To normalize the temperature, a warm, abundant drink and bed rest are prescribed. During pregnancy, especially at such an early stage, doctors prescribe medications only for medical reasons. In this case, drugs are selected that do not have an adverse effect on the actively developing fetus.
Herpetic infection
A decrease in the intensity of the immune system can also lead to the exacerbation of herpes in the expectant mother. This disease, unfortunately, is now quite often recorded in the female population.
The most common clinical variant of herpes infection is labial. In this case, bubbles filled with liquid appear near the red border of the lips. In most cases, the process is one-way. However, there may be variants with bilateral inflammation.
Itching appears at the site of the herpes blisters. It can be of different intensity. If inflammation develops intensely, it can lead to an increase in body temperature. Usually, adverse symptoms of herpes appear after hypothermia or against the background of a cold.
In addition to the labial variant of herpes infection, there are other clinical forms. One of these is genital herpes.
In this case, herpetic eruptions are localized in the genital tract. They can also cause some discomfort to a pregnant woman. Herpetic eruptions can burst with fluid leakage. If microbes enter the wound area, inflammation may begin in it, which will lead to secondary infection.
Discharge from the genital tract
At this stage of pregnancy, the expectant mother may be alerted by the appearance of discharge from the vagina, which may be due to various reasons, including physiological ones.
Light discharge or mucus looks like a light liquid - a woman notices their appearance on a panty liner or on underwear. The consistency can be different: as a rule, it is a liquid discharge of medium density, its smell is neutral or slightly sour.
Specific changes occurring in the reproductive female organs under the influence of pregnancy hormones lead to the appearance of characteristic secretions at this time of bearing a baby. So, the accumulation of glycogen in the cell lining of the genital tract leads to the appearance of light secretions. This substance promotes the growth of lactic acid microorganisms.
This reaction is physiological and is necessary in order to maintain the natural microflora of the vagina in order and protect the female body from dangerous infections.
If this process is disrupted, then the expectant mother may show various pathologies. One of the most commonly reported is thrush, which is caused by the active growth of the yeast-like fungus Candida. Their active growth and reproduction leads to the appearance of unfavorable symptoms in a woman.
So, the expectant mother has characteristic white discharge. In appearance, they resemble curd flakes. Itching accompanies such unpleasant discharge. In some cases, it can be so intense and unbearable that it leads to significant discomfort for the woman.
The appearance of unfavorable symptoms of genital tract candidiasis is an important reason for seeking medical attention. In this case, the doctor must choose the correct therapy regimen. Topical preparations are the mainstay of treatment for pregnant women in the first trimester of pregnancy. They help to normalize vaginal pH and have an antiseptic effect to help manage the adverse symptoms of candidiasis.
Some women may have vaginal smears. Allocations can be of different colors, but more often they have a brown color. As a rule, this symptom is not accompanied by the appearance of pain.
This symptom manifests itself due to changes in hormonal levels. If, against the background of the appearance of discharge from the genital tract, a woman feels some unpleasant sensations in the lower abdomen or a deterioration in well-being, then she should immediately contact her doctor.
The appearance of bloody discharge is an alarming sign. Often it is accompanied by increasing soreness in the lower abdomen, as well as severe general weakness.
The appearance of drops of blood can be a sign of bleeding that has begun, so the presence of red or raspberry discharge of any size is a reason to urgently seek medical help.
Bleeding from the genital tract of a woman may be the result of a spontaneous miscarriage that has begun. In this case, the timeliness of medical care is very important.
The massiveness of blood loss cannot be predicted only by indirect signs. To assess the condition of the baby and the woman herself, the doctor must conduct a clinical study and examination. Particularly attentive should be those women whose previous pregnancies had already ended unsuccessfully, had miscarriages.
Feeling in the lower abdomen
The state of health of the expectant mother during this period of bearing the child does not change much. Many women even note that at this time the severity of adverse symptoms was insignificant. Some mothers note that they did not even feel any changes in their bodies at all.
At this stage of pregnancy, the main female organ, the uterus, gradually increases in size. This is due to the fact that the baby is growing. The uterus takes on the size of a large apple, its walls gradually thicken. This is a kind of "shield" that protects a small embryo from external factors.
To assess the condition of the uterus, doctors necessarily use several criteria.One of them is tone: it determines how functional the uterine walls are.
The normal property of the myometrium (the muscle layer of the uterus) is the ability to contract. It is formed by smooth muscle fibers, as well as connective tissue. The structural feature of this layer of the uterine walls is very interesting. The muscle fibers are located in different directions. This leads to the fact that the uterine walls can contract quite actively.
If the tone of the uterus is too great, it can lead to the development of a condition dangerous to the fetus, which doctors call hypertonicity. It can be a significant threat of spontaneous miscarriage.
Excessive tone of the uterine walls leads to the fact that the pressure inside the uterus becomes high. Scientists note that each individual uterine muscle fiber can lengthen more than 10 times. It can also thicken. This feature is very important and allows the uterus to grow in size throughout the pregnancy.
The optimal state during the carrying of a baby is normotonus: in this case, the intrauterine pressure is normal. This contributes to the fact that the baby grows and develops well.
Some women may feel discomfort in the lower abdomen due to the fact that the ovary "pulls" or tingles. This symptom can manifest itself on one or both sides, which is often the case in women with cysts or neoplasms in the ovaries.
Such symptoms worsen a woman's well-being. Soreness in the lower abdomen contributes to the fact that a pregnant woman will try to take a more advantageous position in which she will not feel pain and discomfort.
To do this, she often sits on the sofa and leans toward its back. This forced position helps to relieve the lumbar spine, helping to reduce pain.
How are surveys carried out?
In the early stages of bearing a baby, a woman must definitely choose a doctor who will further monitor her condition and the intrauterine development of the fetus. It is very important that there is trust and understanding between the doctor and the expectant mother. In this case, the woman will remain calmer throughout the entire period of pregnancy.
Reviews of many women who have already become mothers indicate that they most often turn to the same specialist who led their first pregnancy during their second pregnancy. This is largely due to the fact that they know the doctor and trust him. Of course, situations are possible when, with each subsequent pregnancy, a woman turns to a new doctor.
In the early stages of pregnancy, it is very important to register with an antenatal clinic... After that, the doctor will definitely prescribe a complex of examinations and tests to the expectant mother. This is necessary in order to determine which pathologies exist in a particular patient.
If necessary, the doctor will definitely refer the expectant mother for consultations to specialists of other specialties. It is also necessary to identify all chronic diseases that a pregnant woman suffers from.
The doctor necessarily collects an anamnesis - he clarifies with the woman what diseases she had before pregnancy, and also whether she is registered with doctors. The collection of such information is a very important condition for a medical consultation. It is not necessary to conceal any diseases: only knowing everything about the state of health of the expectant mother will the doctor be able to correctly assess the potential risk of possible pathologies in the fetus.
If the expectant mother has close relatives in the family who have genetic or chromosomal diseases, then she should also warn the doctor about this. In this case, genetic screening will be necessary.
In the sixth week, doctors often recommend that the expectant mother undergo an ultrasound scan, which can be done in different ways. As a rule, at this stage of pregnancy, doctors prefer the transvaginal method.
However, it is important to remember that there are contraindications to this type of examination. If they are present in the expectant mother, then in this case, an ultrasound scan will be performed on her in a transabdominal way (through the abdominal wall).
Of course, ultrasound examination is a very exciting procedure for every woman. However, there is no need to worry about this. From the very first weeks of pregnancy, the expectant mother must understand that all her experiences and worries will indirectly affect the baby... Calmness and balance are important qualities that a woman needs throughout her pregnancy.
What analyzes are performed?
To assess the state of the body of the expectant mother and the development of the baby, doctors prescribe her to undergo various laboratory tests. This allows doctors to track the progress of the pregnancy. Throughout the entire period of bearing a child, a woman will take many different tests.
The main one is the test for the determination of chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The level of this hormone increases significantly after conception. In the early stages, its concentration will increase.
There are normal limits for each week of pregnancy. They are used by obstetricians-gynecologists to assess the course of pregnancy. At the sixth week of gestation, the rate of hCG in the blood is 2560-82300 mIU / ml.
It is important to remember that this clinical indicator is an average. It is influenced by a huge variety of factors. So, with multiple pregnancies, the blood level of this hormone may be different. In each case, an individual assessment of the obtained values is carried out.
If a pregnant woman registers with an antenatal clinic for pregnancy, then she will also be assigned additional tests. She will also have to donate blood for general and biochemical tests, determination of RW, hepatitis B, HIV, blood type and Rh factor, as well as sugar.
What can’t be done?
Pregnancy is a special time for every woman. During this period, the expectant mother begins to worry not only about her own health, but also about the development of her baby.
The lifestyle of a pregnant woman will certainly be different. This is simply necessary for the full development of the baby. It is especially important to monitor their health for expectant mothers in the early stages of pregnancy.
So, all women in a "position" you can not drink alcohol. This recommendation is necessarily voiced to all expectant mothers without exception when they appear in the antenatal clinic when registering for pregnancy. However, unfortunately, not all women do it.
It is extremely important to remember that the baby will be directly connected with the mother for all nine months of his intrauterine life. He will receive all the nutrients through the bloodstream shared with the mother.
Ethyl alcohol, which is found in all alcoholic beverages, is absorbed into the bloodstream. This means that it also reaches the baby's body.
The dangers of alcohol exposure to the developing child are enormous. This can lead to the development of dangerous pathologies of intrauterine development in the baby and the formation of congenital defects. It is most dangerous if a woman drinks alcoholic beverages regularly.
Smoking is another addiction that should be avoided throughout pregnancy. Of course, every adult decides for himself whether to smoke or not. Pregnancy is another matter. In this situation, the child does not make a conscious choice, the mother literally decides everything for him.
Cigarettes contain not only tobacco, but also other equally dangerous components. So, they also contain resins, aromatic additives and other aggressive chemicals.
Smoking leads to a change in the tone of the blood vessels. Such violations in the early stages can contribute to the formation of various defects and defects of intrauterine development in the baby. Of course, the risk of developing such pathologies is not one hundred percent. However, it cannot be completely ruled out. There is only one doctor's recommendation on this issue - smoking is prohibited during pregnancy.
During the carrying of a baby, the number of possible examination methods is also limited - all of them should not have an adverse effect on the baby.
So, no x-rays are taken during pregnancy. It is especially unfavorable to carry out such a study in the early stages. Scientists have proven that X-rays have excellent penetrating power. It is this property that determines the high prevalence of this examination method in daily medical practice.
In addition, high radiation exposure can have a damaging effect on cells that are in the stage of active growth and division. According to some scientific data, X-rays also have a damaging effect on the DNA of actively dividing cells in the body.
These features have influenced the fact that they try not to use X-ray examination methods during pregnancy, and there are strict medical indications for their conduct. If for some reason a pregnant woman undergoes such a procedure on her own, she must definitely notify the doctor about her pregnancy.
Many women in a special “position” have a question about whether they can fly on an airplane. Unambiguous recommendations cannot be found. Some of the doctors allow their patients to fly, while others are against such strong loads on the female body during pregnancy.
Flying on an airplane is stressful enough for the body, and the expectant mother should always remember this. If possible, you should not abuse flights.
Is it ok to have sex?
This question is perhaps one of the most frequently asked by patients to their doctors. Some couples who know that they will soon become parents knowingly exclude sex. They are afraid of hurting the baby.
This belief is wrong. Absolutely all couples do not need to restrict their sexual activity, but they should choose more gentle and comfortable positions that are comfortable for the woman.
If the course of pregnancy in the expectant mother is complicated, recommendations for the possibility of having sex are made individually. In this situation, the decision is made by the attending physician, who monitors the development of this pregnancy. In any case, only a doctor who knows the peculiarities of his patient's health condition can dispel doubts about the possibility of having a sex life.
Features of the development of the embryo
At this stage of embryonic development, the baby is still very, very small. The main process that occurs at this time is called organogenesis, it is characterized by the formation of internal organs.
This is a gradual process. At 6 weeks of gestation, the main vital organs continue to be laid. Their final development will take several more weeks, and for some, even months.
Physiology
A thin layer of skin covers the outside of the embryo. In this case, the embryo is completely in a liquid medium. Such a feature is necessary for the child to fully grow and develop.
One of the important anatomical elements during pregnancy is the corpus luteum. It remains in the female body throughout the entire period of elevated hCG. In some cases, it can persist until the prenatal period.
At this time, the basic elements of the nervous system begin to form in the baby. Structural elements of the brain and spinal column begin to form. The final development of the organs will take place somewhat later.
The baby also begins to form cartilage tissue. The foundations are gradually laid for the formation of cartilage, bones and tendons. In the future, the spinal column will continue to form and assume the correct functional position.
Also, at this stage of pregnancy, analyzers begin to be laid: gradually, eyes and ears begin to form in the embryo. At 6 weeks, the main organs of the gastrointestinal tract and the respiratory system begin to form. So, the laying of the liver, lungs, stomach, pancreas begins.
In a six-week-old embryo, the rudiments of the genitals begin to form. At this time, the first elements of handles and legs also appear. The first rudiments of the limbs appear on the sides of the baby's heart area. In appearance, they resemble small bumps.
In embryos of this prenatal age, the tail and gill slits disappear. One of the important features of such babies is the beginning of the laying of the organs of the immune system, the thymus gland begins to form.
The umbilical cord is an important anatomical element. Through it, the baby receives all the necessary nutrients required for his growth. There are blood vessels inside the umbilical cord. During pregnancy, the baby receives all the necessary components through the general blood flow system from his mother.
In a six-week-old embryo, the umbilical cord, which is attached to the ponytail, moves to the tummy. By this time, the placenta, which is also called "baby's place", gradually begins to attach to the uterine walls.
At this stage of pregnancy, the heart begins to function, the size of which is about 5 mm... At the 6th week of pregnancy, as a rule, the baby's heartbeat is already heard. You can determine the work of the heart of the embryo using ultrasound.
During the study, the doctor will also be able to count the number of heart beats in one minute. An increase in heart rate is called tachycardia. A decrease in this indicator is defined as bradycardia. It is optimal that the number of heart beats remains within the normal range.
When conducting an ultrasound examination, the doctor assesses the main parameters of the embryo, as well as the condition of the woman's reproductive organs. To assess the intensity of the intrauterine development of the baby, certain clinical parameters are used.
One of them is the coccygeal-parietal size (CTE). At this time, the rate of this indicator is about 4 mm. The dimensions of the ovum are about 2.2 cm.
In the first days of the sixth week of pregnancy, the embryo living in the mother's womb resembles the letter "C". The general view of the baby at this time on ultrasound resembles a bean.
Possible pathologies
The first weeks of pregnancy are very important. During this time, the risk of spontaneous miscarriage is quite high, especially in women who are at increased risk. These include expectant mothers with a burdened gynecological history.
The presence of previous miscarriages in the woman herself or in her close relatives increases the risk of developing dangerous pathologies. In this case, it is very important for her to monitor her well-being from the very first days after conceiving a baby.
The most dangerous consequences develop if a woman has lost all signs of pregnancy. As a rule, this condition is accompanied by the fact that the fetus does not have a heartbeat, and it is impossible to save the pregnancy.
The health of a woman's reproductive organs is very important. So, hemorrhages in the uterine wall can lead to the development of various hematomas.
One of the dangerous pathologies is placental abruption. In this case, the nutrition of the embryo is disturbed.In such a situation, it is very important to seek medical help for emergency measures.
To prevent dangerous conditions for the fetus, the doctor will definitely recommend the expectant mother to follow the recommendations for a more gentle daily regimen. A pregnant woman should carefully monitor her diet.
It is important that a variety of protein products, healthy fats and "slow" carbohydrates are necessarily present in her daily diet. Also, do not forget about seasonal fruits and berries, rich in useful vitamins and minerals.
Early pregnancy it is very important to eliminate stress. Intensive physical activity for expectant mothers who are at risk of spontaneous miscarriage are prohibited.
At this time, it is very important that the woman does not overwork and rest more. Such measures will help improve her well-being and reduce the severity of adverse symptoms that arise.
About what happens to the fetus and the expectant mother at the 6th week of pregnancy, see the next video.
