What to expect at 5 weeks pregnant: symptoms and baby development

At 5 weeks pregnant you might not notice much difference in the way you look, or even the way you feel, but your HCG hormone levels are now high enough to confirm that you’re expecting with a home pregnancy test, and you're only around seven to eight months away from holding your baby in your arms - how surreal is that?

If you've just taken a pregnancy test that is positive, you might be feeling a lot of emotions, whether it's excitement, fear or worry of the unknown, and even disbelief – any emotion is completely normal. The best way to make everything feel less scary, especially as early as just 5 weeks pregnant is to read and prepare yourself.

Here, you'll find out the following:

We'll also cover things like your bump, where your baby is located at this stage, what you need to know about scans and potential miscarriage.

There's plenty going on inside your belly at five weeks pregnant, and your little baby is now transforming from an embryo to a fetus. Your placenta is also still under construction. With all this going on inside your body, you're likely to be feeling some of the side effects of your pregnancy, such as tiredness and maybe even nausea. So let's get into the details...

How many months is 5 weeks pregnant?

At 5 weeks pregnant, you're two months pregnant – or just over one month along in your pregnancy, so you're in your second month, to be precise. If that's a bit confusing, don't worry, it's not 'baby brain'...

Pregnancy is typically measured in weeks because it provides a more detailed timeline of your baby's development, but converting weeks to months can help make the timeline feel easier to grasp. In your second month, your baby is beginning to grow rapidly, with major developments like the formation of the brain and heart already underway.

How many weeks in 2 months?

There are roughly 8 to 9 weeks in 2 months, depending on how the weeks fall within the calendar months. Since pregnancy is typically measured in weeks, it's helpful to remember that each month has about 4.3 weeks on average. This means by the end of 2 months, you’ll be around 8 or 9 weeks pregnant.

but if all of that is blowing your mind, let's keep it simple and focus on baby's development right now...

How big is my baby at five weeks

Your little embryo is now the size of an orange seed and looks similar to a tadpole with a tiny head and tail. The 5-week fetus won't stay this tiny for long, though. In the next week, he or she will almost double in size going from the 5 week fetus size of 2mm to 4mm!

5 weeks pregnant fruit

At 5 weeks pregnant, your baby is still too small to be compared to most fruits. At this stage, they are about the size of an orange seed, which is far smaller than the typical fruit comparisons used in later weeks. Although tiny, significant developments are already happening, including the formation of the brain, heart, and spinal cord, marking the early stages of your baby’s growth – isn't nature amazing?

Where is baby located at 5 weeks?

At 5 weeks pregnant, your baby is still very tiny and is located in the uterus, specifically within the gestational sac. The fertilized egg has implanted itself into the uterine lining, where it will begin to develop. At this stage, the baby is just a cluster of cells, but soon, it will begin forming essential structures, like the brain, heart, and spinal cord. While the baby is still too small to feel, your own body is already preparing to support little one's growth in the weeks to come, and so you might be experiencing some pregnancy symptoms.

5 weeks pregnant symptoms

By now, you should have missed a period and have taken an at-home pregnancy test with a positive result. Realising that you will soon have a little baby to take care of can leave you feeling all sorts of emotions from sheer joy to panic, so its completely normal if your moods are all over the place.

You may also be experiencing these physical symptoms:

Food cravings:

It might be early days, but the food cravings could already be kicking in. Hormones play a part here, so try to relax and go with it as your body gets used to the hormone havoc. That said, indulge your cravings within reason and make sure you’re getting healthy substitutes for the foods you can’t stand.

Morning sickness:

Sure, you’ve heard all about morning sickness, but you probably didn’t realise it would be THIS bad! That queasy feeling in your stomach won’t just hit you in the mornings but can hang around all day, especially during these first twelve weeks. As much as you might not want to eat, try not to skip meals and instead try grazing throughout the day.

Tiredness:

During the first trimester, most of your energy will go into growing your new arrival. Of course, you’re not complaining, but it’s normal to feel completely wiped out. The good news is that by the end of trimester one the placenta will be in place. In the meantime, listen to your body and rest up!

Excess saliva

Morning sickness and excessive saliva? You’ve hit the confusing jackpot of early pregnancy symptoms.
Try chewing sugarless gum to help your mouth stay a little dryer (and stop you dribbling in meetings). Experts aren’t really sure why this happens but have put it down to those pregnancy hormones.

Frequent urination

At five weeks pregnant your kidneys are expanding so you may have an increased urge to go to the toilet.

Mood swings

One word that is going to crop up a lot in the next eight months is hormones. This week, your pregnancy hormones are going to start kicking in - which means a lot of mood swings! Think of these as chemical signals that tell your body to get ready to start growing a baby.

Among these are estrogen, which will keep the levels of progesterone and hCG up where they need to be. Progesterone maintains the function of the placenta and stimulates breast tissue to grow (which is why they are probably feeling a little tender right now). hCG supports the corpus luteum, which nourishes your growing baby until the placenta is ready in five weeks’ time.

What's my baby doing at five weeks pregnant?

During this week, your baby is growing its blood, kidney and nerve cells, heart, and gastrointestinal tract. By the end of 2 months gestation, your baby will be going through significant growth, with vital organs like the brain, heart, and spinal cord forming. While the baby is growing, you will be growing the primitive placenta and umbilical cord.

Your baby’s heart is made up of two tiny channels and they’re already working. Once those tubes fuse together at some point this week, your baby will have a fully functioning heart.

The placenta still hasn’t fully formed, so the fetus at 5 weeks is feeding on something called the ‘yolk sac.’

Bump at 5 weeks pregnant

For a pregnant woman at 5 weeks, there’s usually no noticeable baby bump just yet, so sorry, but if you have one it may just be water retention or bloating. At this stage, your baby is about the size of an apple seed, so any changes in your 5 week pregnant belly are typically minimal.

Many women experience bloating due to hormonal shifts, which can make your abdomen feel slightly fuller. While it’s still early for a visible bump, your body is already undergoing incredible changes to support your growing baby in the weeks ahead, and there's plenty to be excited about!

5 weeks pregnant scan

At 5 weeks pregnant, an ultrasound is often your first glimpse into the exciting journey of pregnancy. At this early stage, the ultrasound may show the gestational sac and sometimes the yolk sac, which provides nutrients to your growing baby.

While it’s usually too soon to detect a heartbeat, the 5-week ultrasound helps confirm the pregnancy and ensures everything is developing as expected. Your healthcare provider may also use it to estimate your due date more accurately. At this point, a transvaginal ultrasound is typically used for clearer results.

Cramping five weeks pregnant

At five weeks pregnant, cramping can be a normal part of the process. It’s often a sign that your body is adjusting to pregnancy and getting ready for all the changes ahead. The cramping might feel similar to the mild discomfort you’d experience before your period, and it's usually caused by implantation—the moment the fertilized egg attaches to your uterine lining—or by the increased blood flow to your pelvic area.

While it’s common to feel this type of cramping, it’s important to pay attention to any additional symptoms. If the cramps are sharp, come with heavy bleeding, or leave you feeling dizzy, it’s a good idea to contact your healthcare provider just to be on the safe side. But don’t worry—mild cramping is often just part of the early pregnancy journey.

Understanding miscarriage at 5 weeks

A miscarriage at 5 weeks can be a deeply emotional experience, as it occurs very early in pregnancy. At this stage, it’s often called a chemical pregnancy, where the fertilized egg doesn’t fully implant or develop as expected.

Common signs of a miscarriage at 5 weeks include heavy bleeding, cramping, and a sudden decrease in pregnancy symptoms. It’s important to remember that early miscarriages are often due to chromosomal abnormalities and not anything you did or didn’t do.

If you suspect a miscarriage, reach out to your healthcare provider for support and to confirm what’s happening.

Your frequently asked questions answered by a midwife

Alison Quincey-Brooke is a midwife of 24-years and she said: "At 5 weeks we don't tend to see women as it's early in gestation. Normally we first see women around 8 weeks for their first booking appointment. If you need monitoring closely due to a medical condition or very anxious due to a previous pregnancy loss or an assisted conception, then we would be more likely to see pregnant women at 5 weeks."

If you're concerned because you recently had a glass of wine, then don't worry. Unknowingly drinking in very early pregnancy is not uncommon, and you have no reason to panic.

It’s natural to feel daunted and combined with the cocktail of pregnancy hormones racing around your body, it’s no wonder you’re feeling a little all over the place.

What to do now...

See your GP: The next thing for you to do now is to book an appointment at your local GP to see a midwife or be referred to one. From there you'll be told about when your next appointment will be and offered screening tests for infectious diseases, and conditions such as Down's syndrome.

Avoid eating certain foods: Throughout pregnancy, there are certain foods you shouldn't eat such as soft cheese, undercooked meat, eggs, and some kinds of fish that are high in mercury. It's important to make these changes as soon as you find out that you're pregnant. Food aversions can make it difficult throughout pregnancy when it comes to meals, but eating healthy is important, so have a look at what foods are good for you in the first trimester.

Don't skip that evening floss: A lot of pregnant women suffer from gum problems during pregnancy thanks to the extra blood surging around your body. It's important to take care of your teeth, so brush regularly and floss after food as well.

Exercise safely: If you're keen to do some exercise or the morning sickness is getting worse, go out for a brisk walk. Pelvic floor and core exercises are safe to do as well, but make sure you don't lie on your back.

Consider getting a flu jab: Being hit with the flu when you are pregnant can make you very poorly and sometimes develop into pneumonia so many experts recommend pregnant women should get the flu jab as a precaution.

Have a cat? If you’ve got a cat, it’s time to hand over the litter cleaning duties for the next eight months (not that you’ll be complaining). Cat litter is dangerous as it can cause an infection called toxoplasmosis, which can harm your unborn baby.

Meet the expert:

Dr Helena Watson is an obstetrics and gynaecology registrar in South London, working on the labour ward, at antenatal clinics and within gynaecology services.  She is also currently undertaking a PhD in Women’s Health Research at King’s College London, and is involved in projects such as Cotfinder and QUiPP. CotFinder is an App designed to facilitate communication and transfers between neonatal/maternity units, while the QUiPP app aims to revolutionise the prediction of pre-term labour.

Lorna White has been a Digital Writer for Mother&Baby since 2020. She has a keen interest in a range of topics, from potty training and nutrition to baby names and maternity fashion.