Week 5
of pregnancy

Even though it’s still early in your pregnancy, a lot happens at 5 weeks, both for you and your baby. The placenta and the beginnings of the umbilical cord are developing, and you might feel a pregnancy symptom or two. Keep reading to learn more about what happens at 5 weeks pregnant, what symptoms to anticipate, and what changes to make to support a healthy pregnancy.

Highlights at 5 Weeks Pregnant

Check out what's going on and what to do during your fifth week of pregnancy:

• This week, the neural tube continues developing, on its way to becoming your little one's spine and brain. The placenta and umbilical cord are also progressing in order to channel oxygen and nutrients to your baby.

• Despite all the action going on, your little one is still very tiny, just the size of

  a small orange seed or a grain of rice.

• You may have no pregnancy symptoms at 5 weeks pregnant, but it’s also likely that you may experience fatigue, spotting, breast tenderness, and even morning sickness at this stage.

• You might consider adopting some lifestyle changes at this point in your pregnancy, such as eating a healthy diet, avoiding certain foods, and reducing stress.

Confirming Your Pregnancy at 5 Weeks

Can you be 5 weeks pregnant and test negative? This is a common question, as confirming your pregnancy is likely something you’ll want to do as soon as possible! Home pregnancy tests work by detecting levels of the pregnancy hormone hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, in your urine, which could be high enough at 5 weeks pregnant. If hCG levels are not yet high enough, you could receive a false negative. Wait a few days and test again before confirming with your healthcare provider.

“If I'm 5 weeks pregnant, what is my due date?” After confirming your pregnancy, this is likely the next question you’ll ask yourself! Again, your healthcare provider is your point person during your pregnancy and can help you determine your due date. In the meantime, try our Due Date Calculator.

How Many Months Is 5 Weeks Pregnant?

Your healthcare provider will refer to your pregnancy in weeks, but it’s common to think in months, too. It gets a little tricky, but at 5 weeks pregnant, you’re usually considered to be in your second month of pregnancy, which typically includes weeks 5 through 8.

5 Weeks Pregnant: Your Baby's Development

When you’re 5 weeks pregnant, important changes are taking place to support your baby’s development. Here's what's happening during your fifth week of pregnancy:

• The placenta and the beginnings of the umbilical cord are forming. These channel essential nutrients (like calcium, folic acid, and other vitamins) and oxygen from your body to the embryo, playing a vital role in healthy development.

• The neural tube continues to develop. It will eventually become the spinal column and the brain. At this point, taking at least 400 micrograms of folic acid every day is a great way to support your baby’s healthy growth and development and reduce the risk of neural tube disorders.

• Your baby's heart will develop from what is now just a bulge in the middle of the embryo, and the heartbeat itself may be detected as early as the sixth week of pregnancy.

How Big Is a Baby at 5 Weeks Pregnant?

At five weeks pregnant, the embryo is still very small but growing quickly! Picture a small orange seed or a grain of rice. At this stage, your little one could be between about 1/16 of an inch long, with a shape like that of a tiny tadpole.

Your Baby: What Does 5 Weeks Pregnant Look Like?

Look at this visual of your uterus and the gestational sac at 5 weeks for an idea of how your body is creating a comfortable home for your baby during your pregnancy.

5 Weeks Pregnant: Your Symptoms

It’s possible to have a range of common symptoms at 5 weeks pregnant, or symptoms that come and go, or even no symptoms at all! Every pregnancy is different, but early signs that you’re pregnant could include both physical symptoms and emotional changes.

Physical and Emotional Symptoms

These are some of the physical and emotional symptoms you might experience at 5 weeks pregnant:

• Morning sickness. It’s possible to experience morning sickness at 5 weeks pregnant. This unpleasant nausea and vomiting can happen in the morning, evening, or all day long. To help ease these symptoms, drink enough fluids to prevent dehydration and avoid any greasy, spicy, or fatty foods that may trigger your bouts of nausea. You also might want to eat small meals and snacks throughout the day rather than bigger meals.

• Light bleeding or spotting. It’s not unusual to see some light bleeding or spotting at 5 weeks pregnant. If you see a lot of blood, if the spotting lasts longer than two days, or you have any concerns, consult your healthcare provider right away.

• Breast tenderness. Around five weeks pregnant, a surge of hormones might cause your breasts to ache as they continue to stretch and grow in preparation for breastfeeding. If your breasts are not sore anymore at 5 weeks pregnant, that’s also normal, as symptoms can occur earlier or come and go.

• Frequent urination. The constant and urgent need to pee can strike any time, especially as your kidneys are starting to have extra fluid to process, thanks to the increasing volume of blood in your body. Although this symptom can be annoying, if you need to pee a lot at 5 weeks pregnant, know it’s totally normal.

• Acne. Hormonal changes may be to blame for any pregnancy-related acne you’re experiencing. Though there are ways to combat pregnancy acne, remember that it’s just one of those pesky symptoms that should clear once your baby is born.

• Bloating and cramping. At 5 weeks pregnant, bloating, cramping, and feeling gassy or experiencing slight gas pains (which could occur at the same time as implantation bleeding) are quite normal. However, if you’re experiencing a lot of pain or severe cramping, bloating, or bleeding, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

• Fatigue. Don’t be surprised if you feel completely wiped out. At 5 weeks pregnant, your body is dealing with an increase in levels of progesterone, which can leave you feeling more tired than usual. Some things that may help include avoiding caffeine and vigorous activity before bed, keeping a consistent daily schedule, and taking time to rest or nap when you need it. You'll be doing yourself and your little one a big favor by getting as much rest as you can now!

• Mood swings. Happy one moment, crying the next? Mood swings are common when you're pregnant and could feel like PMS at its worst. It may help to find some ways to distract yourself when an unpleasant mood interferes with your normal routine. Try going for a walk or listening to music, for example.

• Mild or no symptoms. What if, at 5 weeks pregnant, you experience no symptoms? It’s not unusual to feel and look completely normal at this stage, or for certain symptoms to come and go. Be sure to consult your healthcare provider if you have questions about the changes that are taking place, or if the lack of any symptoms has you feeling uneasy.

Symptoms Not to Ignore

The above signs and symptoms are common at 5 weeks pregnant, but nothing you experience should be particularly painful. If you’re feeling pain or observing changes that aren’t normal for you, contact your healthcare provider.

• At 5 weeks pregnant, symptoms not to ignore include pain in your body (such as in your buttocks, upper abdomen, lower back, middle back, or shoulder), abnormal diarrhea or constipation, pelvic pressure, or passing blood clots.

• Experiencing pain at your c-section scar (if you had one in the past), night sweats, shortness of breath, or feeling like it hurts to sneeze at 5 weeks pregnant are also symptoms not to ignore.

• Basically, if anything is painful or abnormal, consult your healthcare provider right away. Keep in mind that symptoms of a second (or subsequent) pregnancy could be different from those of your first pregnancy.

How Big Is a Pregnant Belly at 5 Weeks?

Are you keeping an eye on your belly, wondering if it has gotten bigger? At 5 weeks pregnant, you probably won’t have a baby bump just yet, nor will you notice a darker line, called the linea nigra, on your stomach. Everyone is different, but you might see a bulging belly at around 12 to 16 weeks and the linea nigra closer to 20 weeks.

What Does 5 Weeks Pregnant Look Like?

To help you get a better sense of what your belly might look like at 5 weeks pregnant, check out the visual below:

5 Weeks Pregnant: Things to Consider

It’s still early in your pregnancy journey, but there are plenty of important things to consider, from sharing the news with someone close to focusing on a healthy diet. Check out our lists below.

Lifestyle Changes

Now that you're pregnant, you may need to make some adjustments to make sure you and your baby stay healthy and safe.

• Give some thought to what you're eating, making sure that you're consuming a variety of healthy foods. Avoid fish that could contain high levels of mercury—like shark, swordfish, and mackerel—and skip any food that’s undercooked or unpasteurized. Foods to avoid when pregnant also include things like sushi made with raw fish and oysters, as well as soft cheeses like Brie and feta. These items can cause food-borne illnesses that can affect you and your little one.

• Curious about other early signs and symptoms of pregnancy and how to cope? Try our Early Signs of Pregnancy quiz to learn more.

• Have a cat? Now is the time to get someone else to take care of the litter box so that you can stay clear of toxoplasmosis, an infection that can harm unborn babies.

Related Articles

Hyperemesis Gravidarum—Severe Nausea During Pregnancy

Sharing and Learning

Sharing the news with your partner and others is a fun part of being pregnant, and so is looking ahead and learning about pregnancy and parenting. Here are some ideas.

• If you haven’t yet told your partner you’re pregnant, and you’re looking for fun ways to surprise them, check out these cute and creative pregnancy announcements for partners.

  As for telling others, you may prefer to wait at least until the end of the first trimester when the risk of miscarriage drops significantly.

• Download our Pregnancy Guide to learn more about what to look forward to over the coming weeks and months. Our guide covers everything from nutrition and weight gain to all the questions you'll want to ask your healthcare provider.

• If this is your first pregnancy, you might want to read up on the trimesters of pregnancy so you know more about what to anticipate in the coming months.

• Start a journal. It’s normal to feel a range of different emotions as you adjust to pregnancy. Emotions can change from one day to the next and writing in a journal is one way to get your innermost thoughts and feelings out of your system. And as for those joyous moments, you may want to remember them!

• Although you won’t be showing just yet, you may want to start a month-by-month baby bump photo shoot. You can either save the photos as a private keepsake or share the images on social media (once you’re ready to share news of your pregnancy). In the years to come, you’ll love to look back on how your bump grew during your pregnancy, and your little one will also love to see their first “home.”

5 Weeks Pregnant: Questions for Your Healthcare Provider

Have you seen your healthcare provider yet? Your first appointment and your subsequent checkups are the perfect time to raise questions and bring up concerns, such as the following:

• Are there any possible risks for your pregnancy based on your health, age, or family history?

• What should you do if you notice slight bleeding at this stage of pregnancy?

• What is normal pregnancy discharge and should you be concerned if you see brown discharge at 5 weeks pregnant?

• How often should you see your healthcare provider during your pregnancy?

• How far along are you and when is your due date?

_{How We Wrote This Article The information in this article is based on expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.}