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If you haven’t taken a pregnancy test yet, now can be a good time to do so – a positive result is more likely to appear after the due date of your period.

At 6 weeks pregnant, every healthy pregnancy should more or less be detected with a pregnancy test, since human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels have been steadily increasing in the last 4 to 5 weeks.

Other signs of pregnancy are often evident as well, such as mood changes, breast tenderness, nausea, and dizziness.

Your baby is still tiny but growing rapidly. A prenatal ultrasound can be done to confirm that you are pregnant.
This article will cover your baby’s amazing development, how big your baby is, pregnancy symptoms, and what’s happening with your body, mom.

Week 5 | Week 7

6 weeks pregnantPin

What to Expect when 6 Weeks Pregnant

How Many Months is 6 Weeks Pregnant?

At 6 weeks pregnant, you are still in your first trimester and only halfway through the second month of your pregnancy journey.
To make it easier for you to understand how to count pregnancy weeks and months, we have written an article where we explain everything important, like:

  • how the due date is calculated
  • the difference between fetal and gestational age
  • how to know how many weeks or months you have been pregnant
  • how to know what week or month of pregnancy you are in, based on a certain date

Your Baby at 6 Weeks

How Big is My Baby at 6 Weeks?

baby fruit size pregnancy week 6Pin
The fetal age of your baby is now approximately 4 weeks. During this week, your baby may be seen in an ultrasound. However, the baby is still very tiny, and you won’t see much detail.

Rapid growth and development continue this week as your baby-to-be grows from the size of an orange or sesame seed to the size of a small pea or pomegranate seed (about 5-8 mm or less than a quarter of an inch). You’ll find a handy (and cute!) chart for baby size by pregnancy week here, with more detailed measures and fruit comparisons.

Your fetus will be three to four times longer than now in only three weeks (at nine weeks pregnant).

What Does my Baby Look Like at 6 Weeks Pregnant?

Human embryo 6 weeks pregnantAt this point, the baby still isn’t very human-like in appearance. But that will change quickly.

If you are curious about what your baby looks like during this early pregnancy stage, I recommend the book A Child Is Born by Lennart Nilsson. I read it and looked at the pictures over and over again during my pregnancies. A new edition of this book came out in 2020, and it is truly amazing!

Fetal Development

embryo at 6 weeks ultrasoundPin

Even if you can’t see it, your uterus is full of life and activity. In between weeks 3 to 8 of pregnancy, your baby’s organs and organ systems form and develop. This very important period is called organogenesis or embryogenesis.

Your baby’s heart is beating right now, at a rate between 100 to 110 beats per minute, allowing blood circulation all throughout the tiny body. The heartbeat can sometimes be detected at your medical practitioner’s office using an ultrasound if you are lucky enough to have one this early in pregnancy. It is also possible to see if there is more than one embryo growing inside of you.

There are predetermined dark spots that have emerged on your little embryo where the eyes and nose will soon develop, as well as small indentations for both ears.

Limb buds that will eventually grow into arms and legs also start to form at this time.

Mom’s Body when 6 Weeks Pregnant

The Belly

Nothing is still noticeable with a naked eye when you are 6 weeks pregnant. You can usually make out a pregnant belly when you become 12 weeks pregnant, towards the end of the first trimester.

Pregnancy Symptoms

6 weeks pregnant pregnancy symptomsPinAs your pregnancy progresses, you may notice more symptoms than before. Nausea, fatigue, cravings for odd foods, and bloating or a gassy stomach may be apparent.

Be comforted that morning sickness will most likely ease up in your second trimester. You can read about the benefits of morning sickness here..

With all the hormone changes and exhaustion you are experiencing, it is not unusual if you are particularly moody. Many women experience mood swings during pregnancy.

One of the most common early pregnancy signs is the need for frequent urination. So, if it is usually uncommon for you to frequent the bathroom often, that might be one of the signs you are pregnant (if you haven’t determined it yet).

Because of the progesterone, you might also start to experience bloating and gas. Not fun at all!

The color of your areolas may darken at this early stage of pregnancy. You can read more about your areolas and breasts during pregnancy here.

Cramping and spotting are not unusual for this time in pregnancy. Cramping is usually a sign that your body is making room for the baby by expanding the uterus and the surrounding tissues.

Spotting is usually a result of implantation bleeding, which typically happens when your next period should be due. However, spotting may also be due to other reasons. It should be really light (pink or light brown in color) and lasts for a few hours up to a few days. If you notice more bleeding than a few drops of blood, or experience severe cramping alongside spotting, or if you are worried in any way, contact your doctor. It is always better to check if everything is alright and stay safe. It will also help to ease your mind.

Different changes will happen at stages in each woman’s pregnancy, so don’t worry if you aren’t experiencing one or all of these symptoms immediately.

Some weight gain is likely to occur during your pregnancy. Per week, you can gain anywhere from 0.4-1 pounds; during the whole pregnancy, the total weight gain is between 11-40 pounds, depending on your BMI., However, some women may actually lose weight during the first trimester, due to a lack of appetite and morning sickness.

Things to do and buy this week

The best way to battle nausea is to cut down your meal sizes into smaller, more frequent portions to help your stomach process food more often rather than digest a larger amount of food less frequently. Drinking an adequate amount of water is also essential for your body; since your blood volume increases, you will definitely need extra fluids. You can read about more remedies for morning sickness here.

Soon you will want to start shopping for those much-needed maternity clothes for the months to come. Be sure to shop around and make sure that the clothes you choose are comfortable, fitting, and easy to take care of. You will not want to iron or take your new clothes to the cleaners each week; you have enough to think about and prepare for in the days to come!

Week 6 Pregnancy Video

6 Weeks Pregnant: A Complete Guide on Fetal Development

Diary of a Daughter

What’s it really like being 6 weeks pregnant…? Here’s a true diary from a 6-weeks-pregnant mom (Me..!)

Still pregnant… :-D My breasts are sore, I’m a little bit tired and hungry; otherwise, everything is just normal. I had a slight spotting one day and freaked out, but nothing happened. I’m still pregnant!

Are you also 6 weeks pregnant? Please share your experiences and thoughts by leaving a comment below!

Read Next Abot Early Pregnancy

References:

Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
Joanne Stone MD and Keith Eddleman MD, The Pregnancy Bible: Your Complete Guide to Pregnancy and Early Parenthood
Nilsson, L; Hamberger, L. A Child Is Born
Soderberg, L., Mammapraktika. B Wahlstroms.

Image: Image of 6 weeks belly by Mylissa

Week 5 | Week 7

Leave a Reply

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Paula @easybabylife

    Hi Dorothy,
    Yes, I showed in week 8 with my 2nd pregnancy… Not great when you want to hold off telling your employer, LOL! Good luck with your pregnancy!

  2. Adah Chanel

    My nausea was so terrible that I was unable to keep anything even the water down to my stomach. Thank God, No to morning sickness tea alleviated my nausea and sickness.