Pregnancy Week 6 (6th week of pregnancy): What is it about?

You are now in the 6th week of pregnancy (6th week of pregnancy). Presumably you have already made a pregnancy test after the absence of menstruation and the initial examination at the gynecologist behind you. If not, you should do that now to make sure that you are really pregnant and that there are complications, such as an ectopic pregnancy. What happens at the initial examination, we explain to you in the article on the 5th SSW.

This is how the embryo develops in the 6th week of pregnancy

At least now beats the small heart of the embryo. If the gynecologist does an ultrasound, you will even be able to see the small throb. Actually, it looks more like a flutter, because the heart beats very fast: 150 times per minute!

The embryo is still very tiny, just 2 to 4 millimeters in size. Nevertheless, a lot happens in the little creature. The brain develops, more specifically the neural tube, which later becomes the brain and the spinal cord in the back strand of the baby.

This happens in the 6th week of pregnancy with your body

Your body in the second month of pregnancy (SSW 5 - 8).

The consequences of the hormone change

In your body, the switches are now fully switched to pregnancy? that also means that the hormones to celebrate a fun party. The pregnancy hormone HCG is now released, as well as the progestin progesterone and estrogens. The hormones maintain the pregnancy and among other things ensure that the breast is enlarged and milk production is prepared.

As important as pregnancy hormones are like HCG? the hormone conversion also has disadvantages. In many women, the effect of pregnancy hormone increases nausea, also morning sickness called. Pregnancy sickness is a typical sign of pregnancy and unfortunately it can start now and last for several weeks.

It may also be a permanent one Tiredness and exhaustion coat. Many women are surprised, because the baby is still tiny and the stomach is still flat. But changing the body to the "pregnancy" mode costs a lot of energy. As a consolation, we can tell you that in the middle trimester it's pretty sure to get better again.

Also the feelings can now go carousel. Often it is unfortunately an unpleasant roller coaster ride: Himmelhochjauchzend / grieved to death? In these extremes, many pregnant women move in the first weeks of pregnancy. That's not nice, especially if there are future fears associated with it. But you are not alone with these feelings, these pregnancy symptoms have many pregnant women. And: The culprit of the hooligan is your body chemistry and not your lack of qualification as a future mother. Maybe this will cheer you up a bit.

This is to be done in the 6th week of pregnancy

Schedule appointments

Your gynecologist has probably already enlightened you at the initial examination, which checkups in the near future. These now take place every four weeks until the 32nd week of pregnancy. From the 32nd SSW you have then every two weeks to the gynecologist.

Every regular check-up will now check your weight and blood pressure to see if your pregnancy is "normal." For example, a persistently high blood pressure can lead to complications, too fast an increase in weight indicates water retention in the tissue. A urine sample is also taken regularly and tested for protein, sugar and nitrite. Too much sugar in the blood could be a sign of gestational diabetes, so doctors keep a look.

There is usually until the delivery date three big ultrasounds: The first ultrasound screening takes place between the 9th and 12th week of pregnancy, the second between the 19th and 22nd week of pregnancy, and the third ultrasound examination between the 29th and 32nd week of pregnancy. In case of complications or abnormalities, the doctor will of course also order additional ultrasound examinations. For the initial examination and the ultrasound screenings, you should plan a little more time. Incidentally, you can also put all the preventive appointments into your working hours!

Important tests: Rhesus factor and antibody screening test

For a pregnancy without complications, it is important that the mother's body does not ward off the new "foreign" body of the embryo inside. This can happen, for example, if the Rhesus factor in your blood is negative. This can cause your body to produce antibodies against the child's blood during childbirth.Although this is safe for the child at this moment, if you later get pregnant again, these antibodies can lead to dangerous complications. That's why the Rhesus factor has to be determined.

Whether your blood may already contain antibodies to the child's blood type is determined in the antibody screening test. This is done at the beginning of the pregnancy.