Updated May 16, 2015.

Mother:

If you are in your fifth week, you might not be able to stop yawning long enough to read this! Sleeping in a jog bra can help the breast soreness. You may even feel a cramping or a full feeling in your uterus. Some women may also get headaches from a rise in hormones.

There are also women who will have none of these symptoms. They will sail through early pregnancy without vomiting or being light headed.

For a lot of women this can be normal as well. Do not panic if you do not have pregnancy symptoms, although you should contact your care provider if you suddenly lose your pregnancy symptoms.

Baby:

Your baby's heart will begin to beat this week! It's amazing how much is happening so quickly. A transvaginal ultrasound will show about 90% of the yolk sacs. It is now possible to differentiate between the head and the tail of your baby now. By the end of the week that folic acid will be paying off as the neural folds begin to fuse. Average length is 1.5 - 2.5 mm.

Fetal Development Pictures - Week by Week

Dad/Partner:

Whether you're bursting to tell or planning to wait to spread the good news, the first few weeks of pregnancy are weird. She's not feeling particularly pregnant or different, you're definitely not feeling anything, and life is plain weird. It's also normal to have feelings of ambivalence, even if you've planned the pregnancy. It's important to start talking about how you feel with your partner.

Getting Your Partner Involved with Pregnancy

Readers Share:

This week we hear from other readers about how they felt in early pregnancy. Do you feel great? Do you feel lousy? What did you expect from early pregnancy?

How do you feel in early pregnancy?

Remember that everyone feels a bit different in pregnancy. Some moms-to-be are feeling great and wouldn't know they were pregnant had they not missed their period, while other moms are hanging their heads over the toilet already. There is no one right way to feel. Any questions should be directed to your midwife or doctor if you are concerned. That's their job to help you feel confident in pregnancy.

Twin Tips:

Early pregnancy ultrasound can usually diagnose multiple gestational sacs, and there by you know early on. However, early ultrasound can also miss an early multiple gestation, even though other symptoms leave you wondering if you're having twins. Some reports say that the appearance of sacs via ultrasound can be different by up to 4 days. Early ultrasound is also more helpful in determining how many sacs are present and whether or not your babies share the same sac (monoamniotic). Monoamniotic sacs occur only in identical babies and places the pregnancy at a higher risk for problems like cord entanglement.

Suggested Reading:

The Pregnancy Book by Dr. William and Martha Sears
This is a wonderful combination of a pregnancy journal and the down-to-earth advice that these parents and practitioners have to offer. Developed in a month-by-month guide, it includes sections on fetal growth, medical tests and guides, and resources to name a few.
Click Here to Order

Having Twins
This classic twin text by Elizabeth Noble is written in a positive, realistic and yet informative manner. A definite must read for parents expecting multiples.
Click Here to Order

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<sub>There will be slight differences in everyone's growth and fetal development. Any problems should be reported to your practitioner.

Photo © K. Harrell</sub>