At pregnancy week 6, pregnancy symptoms such as nausea and darkened nipples, start to present themselves, says KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH).
For mom
At pregnancy week 6, you don’t look pregnant yet and people may not know that you are. However, pregnancy symptoms will start to present themselves and may be challenging for you in the coming weeks.
Some symptoms you may experience include:
-
Nausea and vomiting (which usually peaks at weeks 8-10)
-
Breast tenderness and darkened nipples
-
Fatigue
-
Frequent urination
-
Food cravings/food aversions
1. Nausea
Nausea (and vomiting) at pregnancy week 6 is the most common symptom of all and is related to increased levels of circulating HCG. Nausea and vomiting does not usually harm the developing baby, even if some weight is lost initially.
However, in more severe cases such as
extreme morning sickness, also known as hyperemesis gravidarum, anti-vomiting medications may be prescribed. Extreme morning sickness may also warrant the need for hospitalisation and intravenous hydration.
It is important to see your gyanaecologist if your vomiting and nausea symptoms worsen and you’ve lost 5kgs or more.
2. Breast tenderness and darkened nipples
Increased oestrogen may be responsible for breast tenderness. You may find new pigmented spots around the nipple and the nipple itself darkening in colour from pregnancy week 6. Do not be alarmed, as this is common! Darkened nipples are nature’s way of helping you breastfeed your newborn.
3. Fatigue and tiredness
Physiological changes are taking place in order to cater for the increasing demands of your growing child. So it's normal to feel tired from pregnancy week 6. Most fatigue will improve as the pregnancy progresses.
4. Frequent urination
Frequent urination in the initial stages of pregnancy is due to increased production of body fluids which in turn affects the efficiency of your kidneys and increases urine production. As your baby grows in size, he/she may compress on your bladder and cause the urge to pee.
If you experience burning when urinating, be sure to get it investigated as an untreated infection could complicate your pregnancy.
Tip: If frequent urination is bothering you
It's time to go caffeine free or at least, limit your daily intake to about 1-2 cups per day for the time being. Caffeine has a diuretic nature and causes increased production of urine. So, it's time to reduce coffee, tea, as well as some of those fizzy drinks.
For baby
Heart
The first organ to become apparent is none other than the heart, which is in the shape of a loop. Even in it's primitive form, it helps to circulate the embryo's blood and nutrients but is not fully functional yet. In a couple of weeks, you will be able to hear your baby's heart beat through a ultrasound doppler.
Neurological and digestive systems
Your baby's neurological system is developing and parts of the brain can be more easily identified. The digestive system is also developing and limb buds are appearing.
Limbs
Limb buds are structures formed by the developing limb. These buds that now appear as little spots will eventually grow into arms and legs.
In recent weeks, the embryo has been giving off somites or divisions, similar to the limb buds mentioned before. These somites will become different segments of the body. They have been tasked with a specific set of responsibilities from the moment they was given off. The pattern of gene expression within these somites will determine
what they differentiate into as well as
how fast they grow.
Until now, the assessment of embryo development can be determined at a microscopic level by the number of somites it possesses.
Ref: L20
Click the link for the
complete listing of articles for Pregnancy Week 1 - Week 40.
