Pregnancy Timeline – Week 6
By week six, you are probably sure that you are pregnant. If you haven’t made an appointment with your doctor or healthcare professional, now would be a good time to do so. He or she can give you information on your pregnancy and can advise on matters such as nutrition and exercise. It is not too early to start thinking about where and how you would like to have your baby (home birth, birthing center, water birth, etc). Your doctor will probably give you a complete physical examination as well as take a thorough medical history. A blood test will probably be needed to check for any abnormalities, such as anemia. Talk to your doctor about prenatal vitamins and extra omega tablets.
Remember to stay with your small meals often to help combat morning sickness. Your diet should include low GI foods such as multigrain or wholemeal breads, high fiber cereal, brown rice, pasta, meat, and other protein sources such as eggs. Unfortunately, fish is going to be off the menu during your pregnancy as it has been found to contain high levels of mercury, which is bad for your developing baby. Moderate servings of fish such as shrimp, codfish, clams, salmon, scallops, or flatfish should be safe to eat.
Eat Fresh fruit
Fresh fruit (organic if possible) is wonderful to eat at any time, so you should eat 3 – 4 pieces each day. Fresh vegetables or salads are also excellent, and you can bulk up on these if you are feeling peckish. Avoid the soft cheeses, which are unpasteurized and can therefore be a breeding ground for listeria or other bacteria. Now would be a good time to change to the low-fat milks and low-sugar yoghurts. While excellent eating, they can be fattening. It is necessary to remember that what you eat or drink will provide nourishment for your baby. If you are a smoker, you must give up now. You are harming your baby and contributing to a possible low birth weight by smoking. Alcohol is another no-no – it can seriously harm your baby’s brain development.
Baby Heartbeat Starts
Your baby has grown to about 0.012 inches or 3-4mm. The heart will start beating sometime this week,a nd the eyes will begin to form. The head and brain will develop quickly during this time. Your uterus will be about the size of a plum. You could find that you are starting to put on weight. Keeping a watch on this will help prevent excessive weight gain, which is harder to lose once your baby is born.
Don’t forget to keep track of everything that is happening in your journal. It is so easy to forget things with the excitement and the amount of new things occurring.
