Pregnancy Week 5: The Circulatory System

Sesame-seed size — roughly 0.05 inches and shaped like a tiny tadpole. The heart is a simple tube that starts to beat and pump this week, and the neural tube is closing along the length of the embryo. The earliest structures of the brain, spinal cord, and gut are all forming.

hCG is doubling roughly every 48 hours, and the first real symptoms usually land now: deep fatigue, tender breasts, a sharper sense of smell, and early nausea that doesn't only hit in the morning. Feeling nothing yet at week 5 is also normal.

• 01Screen OB or midwife practices now and book the first prenatal visit for around week 8. Check hospital affiliation, C-section rate, and whether they take your insurance — good practices book weeks ahead.
• 02Start a symptom log in your shared doc: nausea timing, what stays down, and any spotting or cramping. The OB will ask at the first visit, and 'I don't remember' isn't useful.

Ask 'How are you feeling?' and accept 'Terrible' as a complete answer. Don't try to fix it — just acknowledge it.