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By the end of this week you may be able to get a positive pregnancy test. Pregnancy tests work by detecting the presence of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. Most home pregnancy tests claim to be accurate on the day you miss your period, but even then, the amount of hCG in urine at this time can vary a great deal from one woman to another. If you test too soon, you may get a false negative pregnancy test or an unclear result like a faint line. If this happens, test again in a few days.
Your developing baby has travelled down the fallopian tube and is starting to implant itself in the lining of your uterus. At this time, 15 to 25 percent of women experience implantation bleeding, which is a light bleeding that happens about six to 12 days after conception. You may feel implantation cramps as well.
Most women don't feel anything until they've missed a period, but you may notice bloating, cramping, or spotting this week. Your breasts may also be more tender than usual and you may have a heightened sense of smell, one of the earliest pregnancy symptoms. So if your partner, your house, or your dog suddenly smells different to you, thank your surging hormones.
You're in your first month!
Your developing baby is a tiny ball (called a blastocyst) of several hundred cells that are multiplying and burrowing into the lining of your uterus. The cells in the middle will become the embryo. The cells on the outside will become the placenta, the pancake-shaped organ that delivers oxygen and nutrients to your baby and carries away waste.
Your little blastocyst is receiving oxygen and nutrients (and discarding waste) through a primitive circulation system made up of microscopic tunnels that connect your developing baby to the blood vessels in your uterine wall. The placenta will eventually take over this task around the end of the first trimester.
It’s too soon to know. But it’s still fun to see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week. You can also learn about your likelihood of having twins or more.
The cells that will become the placenta are pumping out the pregnancy hormone hCG. It tells your ovaries to stop releasing eggs and keep producing progesterone, which prevents your uterus from shedding its lining – and its tiny passenger. Once there's enough hCG in your urine, you'll get a positive pregnancy test result.
Amniotic fluid is beginning to collect within the amniotic sac. This fluid will cushion your baby in the weeks and months ahead, and it’s what may come gushing out of you if your water breaks before or during labor.
Some women feel pregnant even before the test is positive, but most don't notice anything yet. If you have symptoms this week, some of them may feel like PMS. Don't worry if you don't feel anything yet. Even at 5 weeks pregnant, only half of women feel pregnancy symptoms.
The hormone progesterone relaxes muscles throughout your body, including in your digestive tract. These relaxed muscles slow down digestion, which can lead to gas and bloating and create uncomfortable sensations in your gut. About half of pregnant women experience constipation at some point during their pregnancy. To keep things moving, stay hydrated and eat high-fiber foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Many women say that the tenderness they feel is an exaggerated version of how their breasts feel before a period. Some women also notice their nipples getting darker during pregnancy.
One in four or five women notice a small amount of spotting this week. This is known as implantation bleeding because it happens around the time the fertilized egg implants in the uterus. (If you have pain along with bleeding, call your healthcare provider immediately because this can be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy.)
If you're charting your temperature, it should stay elevated this week. To keep track, use a basal body thermometer and take your temperature after you wake up in the morning, before you get out of bed.
When you're waiting to learn whether you're pregnant or not, or just finding out, it's normal to be more anxious than usual. If you're feeling stressed or worried, talk to your partner or a trusted friend. Or, try writing down everything that's bothering you. Journaling can improve your emotional well-being, mental clarity, and even physical health.
Hot baths are okay during pregnancy as long as they aren't too hot. But avoid steam baths, hot tubs, and saunas. Elevated body temperature, especially early in pregnancy, has been associated with an increased risk of neural tube defects in babies.
Eat foods that support conception and pregnancy such as fruits and vegetables, low-mercury fish, and whole grains. Choose foods containing vitamin C (like strawberries, citrus fruits, bell peppers, and tomatoes), iron (like beef, poultry, soy products, and spinach), and calcium (like Greek yogurt, fortified cereal, and pasteurized cheese). For snack ideas, check out 10 of our favorite healthy snacks for expecting moms.
While you're trying to conceive and once you get pregnant, experts recommend limiting your intake of caffeine to about one cup of coffee a day. It's important to watch your consumption of coffee and caffeine overall because excessive caffeine can affect your pregnancy and your baby. See how much caffeine is in different foods and drinks.
If you need help quitting smoking, drinking, or taking drugs, talk to your healthcare provider and ask for a referral to a program or counselor.
Rest while you can so that when pregnancy-related sleep disturbances hit in a few months, you'll be ready for them. Form better habits around sleep and work on good sleep practices like establishing a regular bedtime routine and making your bedroom a sleep sanctuary.
