How Your Baby Grows Inside You: Week 6

How Your Baby Grows Inside You: Week 6

16 Nov 2016 | 4 min Read

Sonali Shivlani

Author | 213 Articles

This is that beautiful phase when your baby’s heart starts to beat! Your uterus is now the size of a plum and your baby is about a quarter of an inch long. S/he now has a little head, a tiny torso (the part of the body apart from the limbs and head) and the brain has formed too. Your baby’s face is now starting to develop and the tiny dental buds are growing in her jaw. Well,  we see that  you are already in awe of your baby and we totally understand! After all the little human is now taking form.   

The circulation system also comes to life by now and you should be able to hear  your baby’s heartbeat on the Doppler (a form of an ultrasound scan to assess your baby’s health) during your next doctor’s visit.  A developing baby’s heart beats at about 100 to 160 beats a minute! This is twice the adult heart rate. Boy, isn’t that fast?

The heart rate increases by a few beats every week till it reaches a mean rate  of 175 beats per minute by the ninth week.

Your doctor will most likely schedule an ultrasound to ascertain the position of the placenta and to check whether you are carrying a single baby or multiple babies.

Carrying multiple babies is very likely if you have had fertility treatments such as IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) or IVF(In Vitro Fertilization). The possibility of carrying multiples is also genetic. So if your family has a history of twins, there is a possibility of you carrying twins. If you are indeed expecting multiples, your care will be a little more detailed. You also need to ensure that you are consuming the right amount of nutrients enough to nourish multiple babies.

 

Signs and Symptoms

Morning sickness, nausea, fatigue, food cravings and gradual weight gain are kicking in strongly now that you are halfway through trimester one.

If your care provider (gynecologist) conducts a vaginal examination now, your vagina will appear slightly blue rather than the usual pink. Well, you need not panic. This is due to increased blood flow in that area.

 

Physical Development

Your baby bump is still far from showing. And even though the baby is moving around inside you, the movements are tiny and gentle; so you won’t be able to feel anything just yet. Although we do know that just the thought of your baby is moving enough!  

 

Emotional Changes

Your mood swings during this stage are on a rollercoaster and you might suddenly feel overwhelmed with the thought of becoming a parent. If you are indeed feeling apprehensive, you can always turn to other mums-to-be or mums on Babychakra for advice. Sharing and talking out your apprehensions will surely put you at ease. It always helps to know that you are not alone!

 

Red Flags

If your gynaecologist detects a low lying placenta or multiple pregnancies in your ultrasound, they might advise you to take it a little easy in the first few weeks. This is so that you tide over the critical period of pregnancy safely. Don’t forget to discuss your problems in depth with your doctor. This is crucial for your treatment to head in the right direction.  

 

Red Flags

There is a very popular pregnancy myth which suggests that if your baby’s heartbeat is above 140 beats per minute,  your baby is a girl and if it is slower, your baby is a boy. There have been numerous studies done in this regard and none of them have shown any relation to gender.

 

For more information on Childbirth Classes and to book a package with  Sonali Shivlani in person, click here

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