Pregnancy week 5: a tiny heart starts beating

The first organ reports for duty

Of all the body's organs, the first to start work is the heart — and that is this week's story. It isn't a four-chambered heart yet, just a tiny tube. But the tube begins to contract — irregularly at first, then in rhythm.

On your side, this is the week the pregnancy is known and the body stops hiding it. hCG is doubling every couple of days, and with it comes the trio — nausea, exhaustion, and a strange new superpower of smell.

Things that were fine yesterday — the tadka's aroma, the steam off the chai — can suddenly be unbearable. That isn't fussiness; it's hormones. And this phase passes.

Your baby this week

The embryo is rice-grain sized — about two millimetres — shaped like a tiny tadpole. The three layers are turning into organs at speed.

A tube from the middle layer starts beating this week — about a hundred times a minute, faster than your own heart. It won't show on a scan yet; that takes another week or two.

Meanwhile the neural tube is closing — folic acid's real exam is in these final days, which is why that one tablet must not be missed.

Changes in your body

Nausea comes in the morning for some, evening for others, all day for the unlucky — 'morning sickness' was always a bad name. More than half of pregnant women get it. It worsens on an empty stomach, so small frequent meals are the home remedy.

The tiredness of these weeks is like nothing before — by afternoon the eyes close on their own. The body is building an entire organ (the placenta); the exhaustion is that invoice. Sleep when you can — it isn't laziness.

Breasts grow heavier, urination more frequent, and the mood swings without notice. All of it is hCG and progesterone. Women who get none of it are carrying pregnancies just as healthy.

What to do this week

The first antenatal visit should be booked by now — a first scan is often advised between weeks six and eight. Going the public route, get the registration and MCP card done this week; the ASHA worker exists to make exactly that happen.

For nausea: two biscuits or a handful of murmura before rising, something light every two-three hours, ginger tea or lemon water. If vomiting passes three-four times a day and water won't stay down, that's beyond home remedies — tell the doctor.

Watch the protein from this week — dal, curd, eggs, paneer, peanuts. In nausea weeks, eat whatever stays down; if vegetables won't, dal will do. These are compromise weeks.

If you work, plan the day around the nausea — put the heaviest task in your best hours. Telling the office isn't necessary yet, but one trusted colleague in the know is useful.

Week 5 at a glance

The week's essentials in one place. Your doctor may adjust these for your situation.

When to see a doctor at once

Vomiting that keeps even water down, dark scanty urine, a dry mouth, dizziness — that is not ordinary morning sickness but possible hyperemesis. Same-day visit; a drip and safe medicines fix what toughing-it-out at home worsens.

Worsening one-sided pain, shoulder-tip pain, or bleeding with dizziness — ectopic signs; straight to hospital (108 if needed). Period-like bleeding is also a same-day call.

This article is general information only and no substitute for personal medical advice. The person who can advise you knowing your health, your medicines and your previous pregnancies is your obstetrician, or the doctor at your nearest health centre.

Work out your due date

Enter the first day of your last period and your cycle length — your estimated due date, this week's count and the anomaly scan window all appear right here.

It is only an estimate — most babies aren't born on the exact date. A first-trimester scan dates a pregnancy more accurately; in the end, your doctor's date is the one that counts.

Frequently asked questions

Q: The week-5 scan showed nothing — why? — Because it's too early. A sac may show, but the heartbeat typically appears from weeks six-seven. Panicking at an early empty scan is the commonest and most needless fear of all.

Q: I have no nausea at all — bad sign? — No. One in five or six pregnant women never gets it. Symptoms don't correlate with the pregnancy's health.

Q: I vomit up the folic acid too — what now? — Take it at your best hour, often bedtime. If it comes straight back up, tell the doctor; timing or form can change.

Q: Tell the family now, or wait? — Entirely your call. The three-month custom exists because early miscarriage risk is higher. But your husband plus one trusted person — that much telling is wisdom, now.