What Your Baby and Body Look Like at 6 Weeks Pregnant

Key Points

• Most key signs of pregnancy will appear around this point. Missed periods, morning sickness, and new cravings are all common symptoms.
• It's vital to schedule your first prenatal doctor's appointments around the 6-week mark.
• Basic human features will begin to form around this point but the embryo will only be the size of a grain of rice.

Around 6 six weeks is when most women find out they are pregnant. It is around the first missed period and around the time that home pregnancy tests are going start showing if you are pregnant or not. It is a very exciting and hopeful time for most. Here is what to generally expect in both your baby and your body.

Pregnancy Body Changes at 6 Weeks Pregnant

At 6 weeks pregnant, morning sickness may be rearing its ugly head. Nausea affects one-third to one-half of all pregnant women and usually subsides or even disappears by the start of the second trimester. It may be caused by a higher level of estrogen, as well as the rapid expansion of the uterus.

During week six of your pregnancy, your body is working hard to produce what will be your baby, which means that the symptoms of pregnancy can be more pronounced this week. Your nausea may get worse this week as your hormone levels rise. Remember it's called morning sickness, but it can strike at any point of the day. Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water. Your breasts may tingle, or feel heavy, and the areola (skin around the nipple) may become darker. Food cravings and food aversions may develop. You may feel the need to urinate more often.

If you have not already done so, schedule your first prenatal appointment with your healthcare provider. Begin eating healthy if you haven't been, and avoid smoke, drugs, and alcohol. If you are struggling to quit nicotine, caffeine, or alcohol speak with your doctor about quitting for both your baby's and your body's health.

Avoid changing cat litter for there is a risk of toxoplasmosis. Let someone else do this duty for a while. Toxoplasmosis rarely has symptoms and can be hard to catch early on. Toxoplasmosis can cause pregnancy problems and problems in the newborn such as — severe neurological alterations to retinal lesions prone to potential flare up and relapses lifelong. In simple terms, brain damage, blindness, and other vision problems for life.

Your Baby's Growth and Development at Week 6

By week 6, your baby's brain and nervous system are developing at a rapid pace. The larynx starts to form as does the inner ear. Optic vesicles, which later form the eyes, begin to develop this week on the side of the head, as do the passageways that will make up the inner ear. The head and tail of the embryo are formed, limb buds are present, and basic facial features begin to appear.

It is a commonly held belief that a ‘heartbeat' is seen around this time. However, this isn't exactly true. Yes, the beginnings of a heart are starting to form but the early muscles are only fluttering and not actually beating. According to Dr. Saima Aftab, medical director of the Fetal Care Center at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami,

“This flutter happens because the group of cells that will become the future “pacemaker” of the heart gain the capacity to fire electrical signals.”

– Dr. Saima Aftab via Live Science Magazine

Because their legs are curled up against the torso for much of the pregnancy, making a full-length measurement difficult, babies often are measured from the crown to the rump rather than from head to toe. In week 6 of pregnancy, your baby is 0.08 to 0.2 inches from crown to rump.

While 6 weeks might only be the beginning of the incredible experience that is pregnancy, you will surely notice the changes in your body. Thankfully, this early detection of your pregnancy will give you ample time to plan and prepare for the upcoming changes.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©iStock.com/SciePro.