5 weeks pregnant symptoms?

Week-by-week guide to pregnancy
happy couple looking at pregnancy test results
When you're pregnant, you have lots of questions. Our week-by-week pregnancy guide is packed with lots of useful information. From what's happening inside your body, to how your baby is developing, and tips and advice on having a healthy pregnancy – this is your one-stop pregnancy guide!

1st trimester
2nd trimester
3rd trimester

1st trimester

Our week-by-week pregnancy guide is full of essential information. From early pregnancy symptoms to how your baby is growing and developing, you' ll find it all here.

Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12

Week 5 – your 1st trimester

To the outside world, you'll look much the same as usual – but on the inside, some amazing things are happening.
What's happening in my body?

Your baby's nervous system is developing, and the brain and spinal cord are taking shape. The tiny heart is starting to form and will beat for the first time around now.

Many women realise that they're pregnant around week 5. You might notice that your period is late, and you may feel a bit under the weather. If you're wondering when to take a pregnancy test, now is a good time as they are sensitive to changes in your urine from week 3 or 4 onwards.

Finding out that you are pregnant can be exciting, but it's normal to have worries too. More than 1 in 10 mums feel anxious during pregnancy. Try not to keep your worries to yourself – talk to your midwife or doctor. You could also try doing some relaxing breathing exercises.

Food cravings

Are you getting food cravings? Some people do, some don't. Pregnancy cravings are caused by hormonal changes affecting your senses of taste and smell. Try to eat a balanced healthy diet. If you have any unusual cravings, like wanting to eat dirt, talk to your midwife or doctor, as you may have a condition called pica which is caused by a lack of iron.

Early pregnancy symptoms (at 5 weeks)

It's still early days, and many women won't know they're pregnant at 5 weeks. Not everyone has regular menstrual cycles, so you may not realise that your period is late. You might notice some light bleeding, and think it's your period, but it can also be a sign of implantation bleeding (when an embryo attaches to the lining of the womb).

In the 1st trimester, many women feel extreme tiredness. Other early signs of pregnancy can include:

a metallic taste in your mouth
sore breasts
nausea - also known as "morning sickness", although you can experience it at any time (read about morning sickness in week 6)
mood swings (week 8's page has information on mood swings)
new food likes and dislikes
a heightened sense of smell
needing to pee more frequently
a milky white pregnancy discharge from your vagina
light spotting (see your doctor if you get bleeding in pregnancy)
cramping, a bit like period pains
darkened skin on your face or brown patches – this is known as chloasma faciei or the "mask of pregnancy"
thicker and shinier hair
bloating (read about bloating on week 16's page)

Read Tommy's guide to common pregnancy symptoms.
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What does my baby look like?

Your baby, or embryo, is around 2mm long (about the size of a sesame seed). The face is starting to take shape, with a tiny nose and little eyes which stay closed until around 28 weeks. Your baby's brain and spinal cord are forming rapidly inside you.

Your baby already has some of its own blood vessels and a string of them will make up the umbilical cord. This cord delivers everything it needs from the placenta. The placenta, which is being created now, will give your baby nutrients and oxygen, while removing waste products.

Action stations

The advice for week 5 is the same as for week 4 - basically keep up the good work looking after yourself!