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What is happening in my body? It has been 5 weeks since conception, and you are considered 7 weeks LMP by your obstetrician. Last week, we learned how the heart began to beat, the brain began to form, sensory organs started to grow, and the pharyngeal arches appeared and began to give rise to multiple important structures throughout the body. Since your period is now 2 weeks late, you probably know for certain that you are pregnant. As growth continues to occur within you, it's common to continue to feel all of the symptoms listed in prior weeks in addition to the following, and as always, every pregnancy is different, so even if you experience none of these symptoms, you are considered completely normal. In addition to the previously described nausea, fatigue, and weight changes, this week you might begin to notice the following.
Facial Acne Facial acne is common during the first trimester while the level of
hormones is increasing. Progesterone, which continues to be made in abundance, causes
the glands in your skin to increase the production of oils. Beginning in the 2nd
trimester, progesterone will no longer be produced by your ovaries and will instead
be produced by the placenta, and acne often clears up after this time. Keeping your
face clean with mild soaps, using oil-
Increasing Urination It's a well-
Nipple Sensations As noted in previous weeks, it is normal to feel tenderness throughout the breasts as well as sore nipples. You may also feel tingling or burning sensations in the nipples that occur sporadically or constantly. This is thought to be due to your breast tissue stretching in order to accommodate the growth of milk ducts.
What is happening with my baby? This week, your baby continues to grow and develop
organs at an amazing rate. Last week, he measured 1/4 an inch, and by the end of
this week, he will be nearly 1/2 an inch long, which is about the size of a raspberry.
He is still curled into a C-
Brain Development During this week, brain cells develop at the rate of approximately
250,000 cells per minute! The head will make up approximately one-
Heart Development Last week, we learned that the heart started pumping blood at
a rate of about 65 beats per minute. This week, however, the heart develops "pacemaker
cells" that will regulate the heart's rhythm and increase the heartbeat to between
105 and 121 beats per minute. The S-
Lung Development This week, 2 lung "buds" form, which will give rise to the right and left lungs. As the lungs grow, they are already divided into 2 lobes on the left and 3 on the right, looking similar to adult lungs. The bronchial tubes and air passages, which will carry oxygen from the windpipe and into the lungs when the baby is born, are well underway at the end of this week.
Arms and Legs The arms first begin their development by the beginning of this week,
and what at first begins as a small bud off of the body of the embryo will slowly
elongate and begin to pinch at the tip, where the hand will eventually develop.
Two days after the arm development has begun, the legs begin to develop in the same
way -
Facial Features As this week begins, your baby's facial features already begin to appear. Most of the facial structures are formed when a sensory "placode" (a thickened area of skin that will become a sensory organ) starts to form a pit, growing deeper and deeper until the structure is the right size for detailed development to take place.



Of Note This Week
Early Ultrasound Examination
Early ultrasound can be exciting or worrisome. Find out what’s normal and what isn’t normal in the first trimester. (COMING SOON)
Videos of Interest:
Week 5
(7 weeks since your last period)