Six weeks is the first trimester of pregnancy.
Six weeks is the first trimester of pregnancy. You may or may not be yet aware that you are pregnant, but certain signs will be common. At 6 weeks of pregnancy, your belly will probably look just the same from the outside. However, the most incredible things are happening inside your womb. During this period, you may expect early pregnancy signs and symptoms, such as:
- Tiredness
- Mood swings
- A metallic taste in your mouth
- A heightened sense of smell
- Morning sickness
- Sore breasts
- Headaches
- Pica (weird new pregnancy cravings)
- Frequent urination
- Milky white fluids coming out of the vagina
- Cramping pain in the belly (sometimes)
- Chloasma (darkening of the skin, especially on your face around the nose)
- Bloating
- Light spotting that is typically normal (see your doctor if you get bleeding during pregnancy)
What does my baby look like inside the womb?
At 6 weeks of pregnancy, your baby is growing at a very fast pace, and organs such as the limbs, liver, brain, bones, and muscles are growing. Because your baby gets nourishment through your body, you will feel exhausted and tired.
At this stage, your baby will be around 6 mm long, which is about the size of a baked bean. It resembles a curved-shaped tadpole with its little tail.
The limb buds form into little arms and legs. The embryo has a bulge that grows as the head and brain. Your baby is covered with a very thin layer of transparent skin. A tiny dent or dimple will be soon formed into the ears, and another thick area will be formed where the eyes will grow further.
Another bump on this tiny embryo will further develop as the heart and will start beating at this stage. Even at this very early stage, heartbeats are audible on a vaginal ultrasound scan.
Many women may find it tough during this period due to morning sickness, tiredness, and other early pregnancy signs and symptoms.
How to get rid of morning sickness
One of the hardest things is to cope with morning sickness in the first 3 months of pregnancy (first trimester). Very few women may have extreme morning sickness symptoms. Although morning sickness in pregnancy may strike at any time of day, it usually gets worse when you first wake up.
- Keeping dry snacks by your bed may help relieve your cravings, for example, toast.
- If you find ginger helpful, try ginger tea, ginger ale, crystallized ginger, or ginger biscuits.
- Take six small meals a day and plenty of sleep along with a balanced healthy diet and lots of water.
- Sucking ice cubes or sparkling water may sometimes help reduce nausea and regurgitation.
- Even if you feel terrible, there is no reason to worry about it unless you have the worst vomiting and can’t keep anything at all down.
If you have worse nausea and vomiting and are unable to keep your food down, then you must consult your gynecologist. There are effective medications available to control morning sickness.