Congratulations on your pregnancy! You’re 5 weeks pregnant and that means, there’s a ton of tiny miracles happening inside your tummy right now. Each growing, dividing cell is something wonderful to be thankful for.
This week, your baby is the size of a sesame seed. His heart and circulatory system are developing and the hCG evils inside your body are now high enough to detect pregnancy with an at home test. The placenta is still forming and will be complete by the end o the first trimester. The job of the placenta is to connect your developing little miracle to your uterine wall, providing baby with nutrients and oxygen. Baby looks a little bit like a tiny tadpole right now and a heartbeat may be visible on an early ultrasound, but will become more pronounced in the next few weeks. He’s made up of three layers - the ectoderm, the mesoderm and the endoderm which will later form all of his organs and tissues. The circulatory system is the fist one to develop, and the heart is part of that system, pumping blood through the tiny being inside! Right now, the heart is only made up of two tiny channels called heart tubes, but will soon begin to develop the four chambers of a full-grown heart. Also developing this week are a few other organs including baby’s neural tube which will eventually develop into baby’s brain and spinal cord.
Are you feeling nauseous yet? Your hormones are in overdrive about now. Estrogen, progesterone and hCG are being mass produced as your body is changing physically to support your sweet baby. You may also need to pee often already. With all these bathroom visits, my number one tip is to invite in a great hand cream and moisturizing hand soap.
A few of my favorites hand lotions are:
Curel Ultra Healing Hand Cream
Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream
https://amzn.to/2AgMF1w
Your breasts may start to feel sore around now, also. Make sure you have a good fitting bra that gives you sufficient support. Some women prefer to switch to a sports bra for support during pregnancy. As your breasts grow, you may want to invest in a sleep bra, as well. I really like the tank tops with a built-in bra for use a little support while I sleep. You can get these tops as a nursing tank so that it does double duty once baby arrives.
Nursing tank: https://amzn.to/2uOiZ6W
Even though you may be exhausted and nauseous a lot of the time, you’ll want to figure out a good exercise or fitness routine, with doctor approval of course. It’s ok to take a week or two off from exercise if you don’t feel like you can get through it without puking, but be realistic with yourself about starting back up. Exercise will help you develop or maintain good endurance, and you're going to need that to help support your growing belly and manage extra weight you will put on.
Continuing a good regimen can help prevent some of the aches and pains during pregnancy, also. I've found some great prenatal yoga routines on YouTube and there are some great prenatal yoga DVDs. Also, check out the new Matriarc App in the iTunes App Store for great exercises and resources.
Don’t forget to take your prenatal vitamin! Especially if you are so nauseous that you aren’t eating a balanced meal, the vitamins can provide you with much needed nutrients. If you feel like the vitamins you have are making you sicker, try taking them in the evenings, before you go to bed. If that still doesn’t help, call your doctor or advice nurse to ask if there is an alternative to what you’re taking. During my first pregnancy, my doctor suggested I take a vitamin that was split between morning and nighttime, dividing the nutrients so it wasn’t so harsh on my stomach. During my current pregnancy, I tried those gummy, sugary vitamins but couldn’t take them because they made me so nauseous!
Here’s a link to the vitamins I settled on this time:
Remember if you have any bleeding, spotting, cramping or severe discomfort, call your doctor right away. Pregnancy loss at 5 weeks is a real danger. There are studies that show 1 in 6 to 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage. Often times the loss will happen before you even know you’re pregnant which is why it’s difficult to get a good statistic.
This week, I’m so pleased to announce our guest interview with Dr. Michelle Arietta from Connected Chiropractic in my hometown, Rocklin, CA. I’ve been seeing Dr. Michelle throughout my pregnancy and the care I’ve gotten has made a world of difference with my comfort level this time around.
Dr. Michelle started as a Chiropractic Assistant in 1994 where she learned all the ins and outs of running a practice. She decided to become a Chiropractor herself and in 2002 graduated from Life Chiropractic College West in Hayward, CA with a Doctorate of Chiropractic. Along with building several successful Chiropractic practices throughout Northern California, Dr. Michelle also does a lot of community service including volunteer work at her church an, offering adjustments at an emergency shelter, and even attending the Stand Down event for local veterans.
Dr. Michelle is a wealth of knowledge and a great resources for moms during pregnancy and postpartum. Make sure to listen to the whole interview so you can be sure to connect with her on social media.
www.myfavoritechiro.com