Welcome to the Pregged pregnancy week-by-week series. Each week-by-week post is separated into three handy sections.
1. Mom – Section one covers the changes mom will experience and the things she may need to consider health-wise.
2. Baby – Section two looks at the development of the fetus and what’s going on with baby inside the womb.
3. Nutrition – Section three covers nutrition for each week of pregnancy so that you know what foods are important to include in your diet at each stage.
6 WEEKS PREGNANT – MOM
The constant urge to urinate should start to improve as you head towards your second trimester. This is because your uterus is rising out of the pelvis. However, that frequent urge comes back in late pregnancy. Your super-tender breasts and nipples, food aversions, fatigue, and nausea should diminish but will be replaced with cravings and increased appetite. Another curious problem starts up especially in the middle of the second trimester and that is feeling woozy and dizzy especially prominent when you stand in one place for too long or get up out of a bed or a chair too quickly. It’s best to step from side to side if you must stand in one place.
At twelve weeks, your doc may be able to feel your growing uterus by touching your abdomen, but you may not look pregnant. Your uterus is almost the size of a small cantelope now. Try stretchy waistbands and empire or sun dresses till it’s time for maternity clothes.
Baby Development
The baby learns to respond to external sounds and lights at this stage of pregnancy. When you tap on your abdomen with a finger, your little lime-sized baby will move. Thus, reflexes are born. He or she may open and close the eyes and make a sucking movement. The intestines are almost entirely in the abdominal cavity. The kidneys produce urine that travels to the baby’s bladder. Your little humanoid now has eyes front and center. The arms and legs look twig-like but have fingers and toes. Those twigs will be plump and cute soon enough when they gain fat in the last weeks of pregnancy. Bone marrow starts making white blood cells, and even hormones are released from the pituitary in the brain.
Pregnancy Nutrition Week 6
If you’re starting your pregnancy at a healthy weight, you don’t need any extra calories in the first trimester, only 300 extra calories a day in the second trimester and 500 calories or so by the third trimester. Twins and triplets need more calories as do underweight women.
Cold water fish contain omega-three fatty acids, specifically a type called DHA. These healthy fats are “essential” for a number of reasons: The body can’t make DHA on its own, they help metabolize fat-soluble vitamins like A and E, they may help reduce the risk of prenatal depression, and they’re critical for the development of your baby’s eyes and the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency encourage pregnant women to eat 8 to 12 ounces (two to three servings) of fish every week. Salmon, sardines, and herring are all high in omega 3s and are safe for pregnancy as long as they’re cooked properly. Don’t forget about fresh and dried fruits – they are the best friends of yours for the next several months! Eat often but not much – it will help you to strike sickness and feel better.