Women’s Services
This week, your baby is as big as a grain of rice.
The following information was reviewed by Dr. Cheng Ka Ning, Katherine
In the 5th week, some pregnancy symptoms may present themselves. However, not everyone has regular periods, or experiences these symptoms so a home pregnancy test may be the best way to find out if you are expecting. For those that feel the symptoms, they may experience breast tenderness, darkening of the areola, fatigue, frequent urination, and abdominal distension.
If your period is late but you got a negative pregnancy test, don’t worry it could be that you have taken the test a little early. Generally, the pregnancy test results are more accurate when the period is 1 to 2 weeks late.
Finding out that you are pregnant may make you extremely excited for the expansion of your family. There will undoubtedly be some unknowns which will inevitably make you feel anxious and worried too. This combined with hormone changes can put your emotions in flux. Ensure you talk to your doctor about your worries and see how they can help.
The baby currently looks like a small tadpole, including the tail. This tail develops into the rest of the body by week 11 of pregnancy.
At week 5, your baby's major organs (heart, stomach, liver, and kidneys) and systems (digestion, circulation, and nerves) are starting to take shape, which is really exciting! Their little heart is already working hard and you will soon be able to hear the beat on an ultrasound scan.
At this stage, your baby's head is much larger than the rest of the body because the brain and face are developing very rapidly.
From one tiny fertilised egg, your baby is now 125,000 cells and has blood vessels of his own! Your baby's heart is forming a simple tube-like structure through which blood circulates throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the surroundings. One of these blood vessels connects you to your baby and eventually becomes the umbilical cord.
Missed period, nausea and vomiting are all signs of early pregnancy. Many pregnant women find out they are pregnant at this stage.
From 1 to 2 weeks after conception, your body will undergo a series of changes, such as the darkening or enlargement of the areola, and breast tenderness.
From the first few weeks of pregnancy, the growing uterus puts pressure on the bladder, causing frequent urination.
In weeks 4 to 8 of pregnancy, it's time to make your first prenatal appointment with an obstetrician or midwife. It is best to make an appointment for antenatal check-up as soon as possible after confirming pregnancy. Effective monitoring of your pregnancy will maximise chances of viability.
You can choose from our public and private hospital maternity programs. If you have any questions about follow-up pregnancy or OT&P delivery plan, you can contact our obstetrics team or make an appointment for a free "Just Pregnant" workshop.
Want to keep your pregnancy test as a souvenir? Just dab some clear nail polish on the resultant area to preserve the joy of your first pregnancy discovery.
Whether you’re planning for an addition to your family or are already pregnant, OT&P’s Maternity Team is here to help.