Contents
The peculiarity of this week is the unprecedented speed of embryo development. This is not felt by the expectant mother in any way, or, conversely, changes in the state of health, the feelings of a pregnant woman are clearly expressed. Since then, she needs constant care.
Methods for calculating the duration of pregnancy
In gynecological practice, the obstetric method of calculation is used – the gestational age is calculated from the first day of the last menstruation. The embryonic method has discrepancies with the obstetric method at 2 weeks, and considers the gestational age from the day of ovulation, approximately from the middle of the cycle.
Some women count their pregnancy from the day they missed their period, when they received visual confirmation of their pregnancy.
If we take into account all these methods, then the fifth week from conception is equal to the seventh obstetric week of the gestational age. The fifth week from the day of the delay of menstruation is equal to the ninth week according to the obstetric technique. The following information is mostly based on a medical point of view.
Precise definition of pregnancy
Now the pharmacy test will show the exact result.
In order for the study to pass in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, there are several rules:
The definition of pregnancy is carried out at any time of the day, but the morning examination is most accurate.
The second strip may not appear immediately, but after a short period of time, so it makes sense to temporarily remove the test strip in the box.
It is desirable to repeat the result obtained in 1-2 days, you can do it twice.
Ultrasound at 5 weeks of gestation
Indications for research at this stage of pregnancy are miscarriages or an ectopic pregnancy in history, the appearance of atypical discharge or severe abdominal pain. Analyzing the ultrasound data, the doctor will accurately determine the presence of pregnancy, the number of embryos, the place of their development in the uterine cavity, the state of this organ.
Most likely, it will not be possible to examine the embryo in detail. In the picture, it will look like a bright dot. Precise modern equipment is able this week to determine the diameter of the fetal bladder and the length of the embryo from the coccyx to the crown – KTR, or coccyx-parietal size. These parameters will be analyzed by the doctor up to 20 weeks of pregnancy, then the fetus is measured along its entire length – from the heels to the crown of the head.
Hormones and tests
The corpus luteum of the ovary at week 5 produces the most important pregnancy hormones – estrogen and progesterone. A reduced concentration of progesterone can put a pregnancy at risk of termination, as this hormone prevents the uterus from contracting, relaxing its muscle layer. The chorion, or fetal membrane, actively produces a specific hormone – human chorionic gonadotropin.
The determination of hCG in urine or blood serum will confirm the presence of pregnancy with 100% accuracy. If a repeated blood test showed a decrease in the concentration of hCG after its preliminary increase, this may be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy.
If a woman faces the threat of an abortion, or she decides to register with the antenatal clinic, the obstetrician-gynecologist will prescribe the following tests:
General blood analysis;
General urine analysis;
Determination of blood group and Rh factor;
Analysis for AIDS, syphilis, hepatitis;
Analysis for the determination of blood clotting (coagulogram).
With the threat of a miscarriage, a quantitative analysis of urine for hCG is added to them.
How the fetus develops – the size and function of the organs
At this stage of pregnancy, the tiny embryo passes an important milestone – it begins to separate from the extra-embryonic organs. Outwardly, it looks like a small tadpole or a tube coiled in an arc. The rudiments of limbs and fingers and toes are already outlined, a head with eyes, a mouth slit, and pits instead of ears is outlined. It is at the 5th obstetric week that the laying of the reproductive organs and germ cells takes place. Depending on the sex of the embryo, which was determined at week 4, these are future sperm or eggs.
Embryo tissue layers to form organs:
Ectoderm (outer layer) – medullary, or neural tube, giving rise to nerves, brain, spine, as well as skin, hair, tooth enamel, sweat and mammary glands;
Mesoderm (middle layer) – heart, circulatory system, bone skeleton, muscles, cartilage, subcutaneous tissue;
Endoderm (inner layer) – lungs, intestines, liver, pancreas and thyroid gland, urinary system.
The fetus has its own blood type, its circulatory system begins to develop. The embryo, which is only 2 mm long, already has a beating heart. It will be possible to clearly hear the heartbeat only at the 7th week of pregnancy, while still uneven and irregular beats are indistinguishable by the most sensitive equipment. The formation of the rudiments of the liver and pancreas, larynx, trachea has begun.
Significant changes occur in the neural tube of the fetus – the prototype of the future central nervous system, brain and spinal cord. Its median sections are closed, along the neural tube, areas of the future muscle and bone tissue are formed and differentiated. An important role in the proper formation of the nervous system is played by a sufficient amount of folic acid received by the expectant mother. Its deficiency in the future may affect the development of the intellectual and motor functions of the child, cause malformations.
Fruit size:
Length – 1,5-2 mm;
Weight – 1-3 g.
At the 5th obstetric week, a placenta is formed, through the umbilical cord and the child’s place of which the fetus will receive nutrition until the very birth, excrete waste products.
It is important to maintain a positive emotional attitude, because already now there is a connection between mother and child, for whom positive emotions are only beneficial. There are research data on the development of wanted and unwanted children, for mothers whose pregnancy news has become negative. Desired children, starting from the period of intrauterine development, developed more actively, had a minimum of developmental pathologies, and childbirth was less traumatic.
Video about the development of the fetus at the 5th week of pregnancy: