Week 5 Of Your Pregnancy

This is the week that your baby begins to develop a beating heart. The embryo is now an entity with three layers, an outer ectoderm which will incorporate itself later as the nervous system, the endoderm (inner layer) that will become the internal organs and the middle mesoderm which will eventually become the circulatory system, muscles, bones, kidneys and reproductive organs.

Changes To Your Body

Week 5 Of Your Pregnancy

It is around week 5 that women begin to experience tenderness in their breast tissue. It may feel a bit uncomfortable to wear a bra.

Other symptoms include fatigue, bloating, nausea, excess flatulence, burping and cravings for foods. Craving ice cream and pickles is more than just a cliche – many women actually do experience a strong desire for this food.

Also this week you may experience a more heightened sense of taste or smell and some odors may suddenly become inexplicably offensive to you. For instance, if you have always loved garlic, you may now find that the smell repulses you.

Lifestyle Considerations

If you own a cat then you are going to have to ask someone else to change the litter. Toxoplasmosis, a disease spread through the feces of infected cats, can cause birth defects if passed from you to your unborn child. If you must do the deed yourself, wear rubber gloves and scrub your hands with hot, soapy water immediately afterward.

Good Advice

Your hormones are fluctuating so you are bound to be moody. However, did you know about 10 percent of women experience depression during pregnancy – nearly as many as those who do postpartum? If you find yourself feeling abnormally sad, sleepless or helpless, be sure to tell your doctor as this is a hormonal problem that can be treated.