Changes in a woman's body during the 5th week of pregnancy

At 5 weeks pregnant, you may notice some discomfort caused by the physiological changes in your body associated with carrying a baby. Many women report breast swelling, fatigue, and frequent urination. You may also experience nausea.

You should avoid drinking alcohol throughout your pregnancy, as it can be harmful to your baby's development. You will also want to continue to exercise to build strength and endurance. Exercise can help prevent some of the pain and help prepare you for labor. Staying active will also help you get back into shape after labor. Choose safe, moderately vigorous exercises. Walking and swimming are great options for pregnant women.

"As soon as I got pregnant, my boobs were really sensitive, so I started wearing my sports bra all the time. It really helped with the discomfort." - Jennifer

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HCG

The hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (abbreviated hCG) begins to be produced only in pregnant women. This hormone is produced by cells involved in the formation of the placenta, which nourishes the embryo and is attached to the wall of the uterus. hCG can be first detected in the blood 11 days after conception. The hormone appears in the urine approximately two weeks after fertilization. But a blood test is more accurate, since the hCG level in the blood is much higher. If the 5th week of pregnancy (the period when a woman usually first learns about her condition) proceeds without complications, the hCG level increases every 2-3 days. The maximum hCG level is observed in the first 8-11 weeks, then the level returns to normal and is more or less stable until the end of the pregnancy.

Progesterone

In the place of the ruptured follicle, the corpus luteum begins to form, which is a new endocrine gland necessary for the production of hormones necessary for pregnancy. The most significant hormones during this period are estrogen and progesterone. It is the influence of these hormones that causes a number of unpleasant "companions" of pregnancy. The 5th week of pregnancy is characterized by the increased activity of estrogen, which prepares the mammary glands for milk production. The woman's breasts swell slightly, and soreness appears in the nipple area (as the process of filling the ducts is activated). Together with estrogen, progesterone begins to work actively. Under the influence of these hormones, smooth muscles relax, and uterine tone is prevented. But not only the uterus is affected by the hormone - all internal organs experience the effect of progesterone: stomach contractions and intestinal tone decrease. As a result, the pregnant woman begins to suffer from constipation, heartburn, and nausea.

Basal temperature

An elevated basal temperature (above 37 degrees) is observed before and after ovulation. The temperature also remains relatively high from the day of conception until about 16 weeks of pregnancy. During pregnancy, measuring the basal temperature may be necessary to promptly identify the threat of miscarriage, since a decrease in the basal temperature of a pregnant woman can begin when the fetus is rejected by the woman's body. During a normal pregnancy, the temperature should be 37 degrees and above. From about four months of pregnancy, the temperature normalizes and there is no need to measure it. The 5th week of pregnancy is the most vulnerable, so at this time you need to be extremely careful and listen to your inner feelings when the basal temperature decreases. Pain in the lower abdomen, in the lower back, regular hardening, softening of the mammary glands - these symptoms should alert a pregnant woman, since this condition precedes a spontaneous miscarriage. In modern conditions, women almost never measure basal temperature, but this type of diagnosis can significantly help prevent pathological development of the embryo.

Stomach

The 5th week of pregnancy does not affect the size of the belly in most cases, since during this period the uterus has increased only slightly, but it is still better to give up your favorite tight jeans. At this time, it is better to wear loose clothes that do not put pressure on the belly. At this time, it is difficult for others to notice the changed position of the expectant mother.

If a woman at this stage feels a nagging pain in the lower abdomen (similar to premenstrual pain), this may be due to the tone of the uterus, which may cause a miscarriage. This condition is familiar to many women in the early stages. If you feel pain, you need to lie down more, not worry, not wear high heels, and not have sex. The pain may not be related to the uterus at all, but to the intestines. Pain caused by the intestines worsens after sitting for a long time, from squeezing the abdomen. Also, pain in the lower abdomen can accompany the growth of the uterus, which is caused by tension in the muscles that support it. But if the pain resembles pain before or during menstruation, and is also accompanied by bloody (brownish) discharge from the vagina, then this indicates a threat of miscarriage and you need to urgently seek medical help.

Uterus

The 5th week of pregnancy is the time of significant enlargement of the uterus, but this is not yet noticeable externally. At this stage, the uterus has the shape of an egg, you can see a small protrusion on the side where the fertilized egg is located, i.e. the uterus does not enlarge evenly. Over time, the elongated shape of the uterus acquires spherical outlines. At the 5th week, the uterus is already quite large, and a good specialist can assume pregnancy upon examination.

Breast

Changes that occur in a woman's body with the onset of pregnancy affect the entire body. Visible changes in a woman's mammary glands begin precisely in the fifth week of pregnancy. At this stage, the breasts become larger in size, painful sensations in the chest appear (pain, tingling, itching, etc.), the sensitivity of the nipples increases, veins become visible, the areolas of the nipples darken. The 5th week of pregnancy is a period of active work of the body, production of hormones, etc. It is with hormonal changes that unpleasant sensations in the mammary glands are associated, as active work begins to prepare for the production of milk for feeding the baby in the future. In most cases, after a while, all these unpleasant sensations in the chest area will disappear, but in rare cases they can cause discomfort to a woman throughout the pregnancy.

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