Pregnancy: 6 weeks

The 6th week of pregnancy is critical for the embryo, since it is at this time that it is most susceptible to the influence of various factors that, to a greater or lesser extent, can disrupt the development process.

The neural tube closes completely this week, and the baby's brain begins to form at its end. Eyes begin to appear on the baby's face - two tiny cup-like shapes, in the middle of which you can see tiny pigment spots. The baby's heart at 6 weeks looks like a small tube, but despite its tiny size, the heart is already beginning to contract. With the help of an ultrasound scanner, you can hear the heartbeat of a small organism. Also this week, small bumps are formed, which are the beginnings of future arms and legs, the larynx and certain parts of the inner ear are developing.

The development of the limbs and brain in the 6th week of pregnancy is very fast. The head begins to take on its usual contours, ears and eyes begin to appear. The embryo begins to develop the simplest versions of internal organs (stomach, lungs, etc.). On ultrasound, you can see how the future child will move. The length of the embryo is about 2-4 mm from the parietal zone to the sacrum. Measuring the full height of the child is quite difficult, since its legs are tucked to the chest.

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Signs of pregnancy at 6 weeks

The 6th week of pregnancy usually proceeds with quite obvious signs. At this time, a woman usually experiences a feeling of fatigue, constant drowsiness, morning sickness, a slight increase in body temperature, and a change in taste preferences. A woman's hormonal background changes greatly with the onset of pregnancy, the expectant mother may notice increased salivation, and may begin to feel different smells more acutely. Many pregnant women already begin to feel the manifestation of toxicosis in the 6th week. Nausea can torment not only in the morning, but also after eating or certain smells.

Breast

The 6th week of pregnancy not only changes the body from the inside, you can also notice some external changes. For example, the blood supply to the mammary glands increases. Due to this, the breasts become a little larger, the sensitivity of the nipples increases, tingling and itching may appear in them. The color of the areola also changes - it acquires a darker shade.

Soreness and increased sensitivity of the breasts is one of the first signs of pregnancy. First of all, this is due to hormonal changes in the body, which are aimed at preparing the mammary glands for milk production and feeding. Such symptoms can occur during the first three months of pregnancy.

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Stomach

At 6 weeks of pregnancy, a woman may notice her waist disappearing, especially if she is expecting her second (or third) child. Her favorite skinny jeans may not button well and may press on her stomach. The 6th week of pregnancy, despite the early stage, is the period when you can already think about buying special clothes for pregnant women.

There may not be any visible changes at this stage, this is completely natural.

Uterus

The uterus does not increase significantly at the beginning of the first weeks. The female body intensively produces the hormone progesterone, which is necessary during this period and helps to preserve the fetus in the uterus. The effect of the hormone extends not only to the uterus, but also to all the smooth muscles of the internal organs. Progesterone relaxes the uterus, preventing its contractions. The 6th week of pregnancy is a rather vulnerable period of development for the embryo, since any negative factors can provoke the rejection of the fetus by the woman's body.

Nagging pain in the abdomen

If the 6th week of pregnancy begins with pain in the lower abdomen, it may be due to stretching of the uterine muscles. In this case, a nagging, cramping pain may appear. If the pain in the lower abdomen is constant, increases in the evening, after minor exertion, then it may be a symptom of a threatened miscarriage, especially if the pain is accompanied by bloody discharge.

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Lower back pain

In most cases, the 6th week of pregnancy begins with lower back pain. Doctors consider this a natural phenomenon, which is explained by the effect of progesterone on the supporting ligaments of the vertebral discs. Lower back pain of this nature goes away by about the 20th week of pregnancy.

In some cases, pain is provoked by other unpleasant factors. For example, lower back pain may be associated with a urinary tract infection, a threat of spontaneous abortion, or an ectopic pregnancy. Usually, in addition to pain, other symptoms that arise indicate pathology, but in any case, it is necessary to consult a doctor and determine the source of the pain.

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Tests at 6 weeks of pregnancy

During the first visit to the gynecologist, a venous blood test is prescribed, which will help to determine the presence of antibodies in the woman’s body to toxoplasmosis, herpes, rubella, etc.

Rubella disease is most dangerous for the fetus if the woman gets sick while she is already pregnant, especially in the first three months of pregnancy. According to statistics, 90% of women are carriers of the herpes virus infection; the analysis will help determine whether the virus is present in the body and what phase it is currently in (acute, dormant, or the disease occurred in the early stages of pregnancy).

The 6th week of pregnancy, as already mentioned, is a very vulnerable period for the embryo, so any infectious disease can lead to quite serious consequences.

Along with a blood test, a smear of the woman's genitals is taken for microflora, urine and stool tests are taken, and she is sent for the first ultrasound examination. In the antenatal clinic, women are usually registered at the 6th week of pregnancy, and the woman is weighed, her belly is measured, etc., for the purpose of further monitoring the course of pregnancy.

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HCG

In the first three months of pregnancy, human chorionic gonadotropin (abbreviated hCG) plays a very important role in the safety of the fetus. Later, this function is assigned to the placenta. This hormone is extremely important in the female body, especially when the 6th week of pregnancy occurs. hCG is involved in the synthesis of testosterone, which is important for a male fetus, since testosterone is involved in the development of the genitals and affects the adrenal glands of the fetus.

Chorionic gonadotropin helps determine whether a woman is pregnant or not in the first days of a missed period, since it appears in urine and blood from the second week of pregnancy. All modern early pregnancy tests are based on the presence of this hormone in urine. However, a blood test for hCG is more reliable, since the hormone level in it is higher, but you have to wait for the results for several days.

Progesterone

In medicine, progesterone is known as the pregnancy hormone. This hormone is produced in the corpus luteum (a gland formed after ovulation). After 16 weeks of pregnancy, the formed placenta begins to produce hormones in the body.

Progesterone in the female body is responsible for preparing the uterus for the attachment of the fertilized egg in it, after which it helps to maintain the pregnancy. This hormone also affects the woman's nervous system, preparing it for pregnancy and the upcoming birth. Progesterone does not allow the uterus to contract, thereby preventing the rejection of the fertilized egg, and also promotes the enlargement of the uterus. Progesterone also affects the female breast, or rather those parts of the mammary gland where milk production will occur.

When the 6th week of pregnancy begins, the hormone level should be within 16-20 Nmol/l. If there are any deviations, some disorders can be assumed. If the indicators are too high, a possible cause may be a hydatidiform mole, a disorder of placental development. Also, the progesterone level is elevated in multiple pregnancies.

Reduced values are observed in cases of spontaneous miscarriage, delayed fetal development, missed abortion, and ectopic pregnancy.

What happens at 6 weeks pregnant?

The process of embryo development continues at a rapid pace, further laying of important organs and systems occurs. At 6 weeks, the influence of various negative factors (medications, alcohol, excessive physical activity) can not only harm the embryo, but even kill it.

Despite its tiny size and weight, the embryo's heart beats twice as fast as its mother's, but is not yet fully formed: it will later divide into atria.

At 6 weeks of pregnancy, the embryo begins to develop two small tubercles in the place where the arms will develop later, and later two more begin to form in the place of the legs. In parallel, cartilaginous tissue is formed, from which bones, tendons, etc. will later begin to develop. The development of the chest also occurs.

The 6th week of pregnancy "changes" the baby's face: the jaw, nose, mouth begin to appear, the auricles develop, and the rudiments of teeth are laid. The eyes, which look very large in comparison with other organs, gradually begin to converge.

The process of development of the embryo's intestinal tube, from which the digestive, respiratory, excretory and intestinal systems will be formed, is quite fast. The process of development of internal organs begins: liver, stomach, pancreas, lungs. In the 6th week, one of the most important immune organs, the thymus gland, begins to develop.

At this stage, the process of active closure of the neural tube of the embryo begins, from which the child's brain will finally form in the future. At this stage, convolutions and depressions are already formed, control over the heart and muscles of the embryo appears, and at the same time, nerve cells begin to actively divide. This is why the expectant mother needs to treat herself as carefully as possible. She should receive only positive emotions, consume a sufficient amount of vitamins and microelements with food. It is imperative to take folic acid at this time, which plays a decisive role in the development of the future child.

The placenta is attached to the inner wall of the uterus. From the 6th week of pregnancy, it begins to develop rapidly, while at this stage the placenta is still not large, by the end of the term it will weigh about 800 grams. With the help of the umbilical cord, the placenta connects the mother's body with the fetus and thus supplies it with oxygen and the necessary nutrients from the mother's body.

Ultrasound at 6 weeks of pregnancy

Among the necessary tests in the early stages of pregnancy is an ultrasound examination. At this stage, the ultrasound is mainly informative, with its help they determine the number of embryos in the uterus, their location, whether their height and weight are normal at this stage of development, and the expected date of birth. In case of multiple pregnancies, the ultrasound will show two (or more) fetal sacs, in the future the woman will be recommended to undergo ultrasound examinations more often, since in this case the risks of developing various complications increase 10 times.

In a normal singleton pregnancy, an ultrasound will show a tiny bean-shaped embryo with small bumps where the arms and legs are developing.

Fetal size at 6 weeks of pregnancy

At 6 weeks of pregnancy, the woman's position is not yet noticeable to others in the form of a rounded belly. But, despite the fact that the belly has not increased in size, the woman may feel that some of her clothes have become tight and uncomfortable, this is due to the peculiar protection of the tiny organism inside the woman. At this stage, there may be a pulling sensation in the abdomen, since there is a natural stretching of the abdominal muscles that support the increased size of the uterus.

The size of the embryo is about 4 mm, this week it has also changed significantly. By the end of the 6th week, the formation of the basis of the baby's nervous system is completed. The embryo already has a tiny beating heart, brain, lumbar region.

Above the heart is a part of the neural groove, from which the formation of the cerebral hemispheres occurs. The 6th week of pregnancy is characterized by the fact that during this period the brain of the small organism tries to control the movements of the embryo, and the liver begins to produce its very first blood cells.

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Termination of pregnancy at 6 weeks

Artificial termination of pregnancy occurs almost blindly, and many circumstances can lead to unfavorable consequences. Termination of pregnancy is performed in a hospital, before the operation it is recommended to take some tests (smear, blood, ultrasound) to make sure that the pregnancy is uterine, there are no infectious diseases, etc.

The 6th week of pregnancy is quite an early period and abortion is performed by vacuum or medication. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. At the beginning of conception, the fertilized egg is not connected to the uterine wall, so its removal is much easier than at later stages.

In case of medical abortion, the doctor must explain the process. There are several companies that produce drugs for artificial termination of pregnancy, but they all have almost the same effect: when taking the pills, the development of the fetus stops, as a result of which the body rejects the dead embryo. The doctor must monitor the process of rejection of the ovum. After taking the drugs, the rejection process is different for each woman, in most cases there are no sensations. Sometimes a pulling sensation in the lower abdomen may appear. In this case, the rejection process is accompanied by heavy and painful bleeding, with blood clots. Menstruation after a medical abortion can last up to two weeks, after which it is necessary to see a specialist.

After an abortion with the help of pills, a number of problems may arise. First of all, the pregnancy may not be interrupted, but it is not recommended to continue it for medical reasons. In these cases, vacuum aspiration (mini-abortion) is performed. Severe pain, nausea, dizziness, and excessive bleeding may also occur. The advantages of this method include the absence of surgery, which can injure the uterus or cause infection.

Abortion by vacuum aspiration is also recommended in the early stages of pregnancy. The operation is performed under local (sometimes general) anesthesia. The method involves inserting a special device into the uterus, which sucks the fertilized egg out of the uterus under low pressure, after which the doctor may consider it necessary to perform curettage of the uterus to remove the remains of the embryo. Mini-abortion is a fairly reliable means of terminating pregnancy, but it has a number of disadvantages. Such an operation can lead to injury to the walls of the uterus, infection of the genitals, disruption of the woman's hormonal background (which can result in the development of such serious diseases as endometriosis), dysfunction of the ovaries, infertility, complications in future pregnancies. After an artificial termination of pregnancy, the possibility of developing a pregnancy outside the uterus increases in the future. In the case of a subsequent pregnancy, abnormal labor, stillbirth, and diseases of the newborn due to disruption of the uterine vessels are possible.

The 6th week of pregnancy is one of the most important stages in the development of the embryo. During the first three months of pregnancy, the fetus's main organs and systems are formed, eyes, ears, arms, legs, etc. are developed. The negative impact of even the most insignificant factor at first glance can disrupt the development of one or another organ. It is impossible to say exactly what some substances entering the pregnant woman's body will affect.