Pregnancy Week 6

Written by Lone Parenting Advisor

Pregnancy week 6 is still not detectable by your physical image as it is only 28 days after conception has taken place meaning that your usual menstrual period is now two weeks late.

Some women detect pregnancy at this stage as early indicators of pregnancy are now emerging in the forms of tender and swollen breasts, feeling of being bloated and in some cases some minor pelvic discomfort.

Foetal Development

The embryo has grown over the last week of pregnancy, but is still miniscule being about the size of an apple pip.

Rapid changes to the embryo are happening now that the process of head and facial features is progressing. The head of the embryo at this stage of pregnancy is somewhat larger than the forming body. On the left and right sides of the head there are bulging dark patches that will become eye sockets, nostrils are simply just openings and where the ears will form are only pits in the sides of the head. The mouth is quite wide as the lower jaw starts he formation before the upper jaw.

The tiny buds that will become the arms and leg limbs of the baby are more apparent, however the hands and feet are still forming and at this stage of pregnancy resemble webbed feet (like that of a frog).

The embryo has a fully functioning heart which has divided into left and right chambers and is beating at a rate double to your own, roughly 130 to 180 beats per minute. The internal organs are beginning to primarily form with the kidneys, stomach, oesophagus and bowel developing well, however at this stage of pregnancy the lungs are merely two buds awaiting development.

Growth of muscle fibres and the pituitary gland are now evident. The pituitary gland (also known as the hypophysis , pituitary body) is a very small oval shaped endocrine gland that is fixed to the base of the vertebrate brain. The contents are both an anterior and posterior lobe that secrete fluids and take control other endocrine glands in the body that are responsible for growth, metabolism and maturation.

Ultrasound

Detection of the pregnancy at week 6 is more exciting as the development has changed the visibility of the foetus and the beating heart of the baby now can be heard.

The crown to rump length of the foetus is about 3mm to 6mm at week 6 of pregnancy.