Five weeks pregnant

YOU
The early symptoms of pregnancy may continue this week, and may become more noticeable. A pregnancy test will probably show positive, but if your period is late and a pregnancy test is negative, wait a few days and then take another test.

Once you confirm you are pregnant, it is a good idea to make an appointment with your GP to discuss what will happen next. He or she will arrange some blood tests, known as Antenatal Group Bloods, which will, among other things, check your immunity to rubella and your iron levels, and identify your blood group.

Once you know you're pregnant, one of the first things you'll want to know is when your little one will arrive into the world! You can calculate your due date with us here!

During your pregnancy, you will be cared for by a Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) who will be either a midwife, an obstetrician or a GP. Your GP will discuss your options with you and give you a list of LMCs in your area, and we're here to help with our guide to Finding an LMC,  choosing your LMC, Questions to ask your LMC , 

If you haven't already, now is a good time to start taking folic acid to help prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida. It is recommended that you continue taking this up until the end of the thirteenth week of pregnancy.

You also need to be aware that some foods can cause illnesses such as listeria, toxoplasmosis and salmonella which can harm your baby. You can find more information on foods to avoid during pregnancy here.

Read our article by Doctor Anil Sharma on healthy beginnings for you and baby here.

Planning how to announce your pregnancy to your family? Check out these pregnancy announcement ideas!

YOUR BABY
Your embryo's cells have now formed into three layers, each of which will soon develop into different body organs. The inner layer will develop into the lungs, liver, pancreas, bladder and urinary tract. The middle layer will form the spinal cord and skeleton, muscles, heart, kidneys, circulatory system, testes or ovaries and dermis (deeper skin layer). The outer layer will form the skin, hair, nails, tooth enamel, eye lenses and sweat glands.
The top part of your baby's neural tube will begin to flatten and form the front part of the brain. The bulge in the centre of your embryo will form into your baby's heart. When looking at the embryo the spine can be seen as a dark mark on the back of the embryo. Your baby is only about 2mm long, but he or she is developing rapidly, and growing around 1mm per day.