5 Weeks Pregnant: Baby Development, Symptoms & Signs

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Baby's super tinyBaby's super tiny

35Weeks to go!

by Catherine Donaldson-Evans reviewed mark

Medically Reviewed by Jennifer Wu, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

All What to Expect content that addresses health or safety is medically reviewed by a team of vetted health professionals. Our Medical Review Board includes OB/GYNs, pediatricians, infectious disease specialists, doulas, lactation counselors, endocrinologists, fertility specialists and more.

We believe you should always know the source of the information you're reading. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. | July 29, 2025 Latest update: See more Explore Pregnancy Week 5

Baby development
Body changes
Common symptoms
Tips for you
Recommended products
Birth month group discussions

At 5 weeks pregnant, you’re now in month 2 of your pregnancy. This week, you can officially take a pregnancy test — your hCG hormone levels are high enough to show a positive result, and you may have early symptoms like fatigue and nausea.

As for your baby? The embryo is starting to look more like a fetus, and your little one's heart and circulatory system are developing.

Your Baby at Week 5

At a Glance

The placenta formsThe placenta is under construction and will finish forming by the end of the first trimester. It’s an organ that will soon connect your developing fetus to your uterine wall, providing baby-to-be with nutrients and oxygen.

Positive pregnancy testYour hCG hormone levels are now high enough to confirm you're having a baby in a home pregnancy test.

From embryo to fetusThat mass of cells we call an embryo is starting to look like a fetus, with a forming neural tube (pre-spinal cord and brain) running from head to rump.

5 weeks pregnant is how many months?

If you're 5 weeks pregnant, you're in month 2 of your pregnancy. Only 7 months to go! Still have questions? Here's some more information on how weeks, months, and trimesters are broken down in pregnancy.

How big is my baby at 5 weeks?

At 5 weeks pregnant, your little embryo is still super tiny, measuring about the size of an orange seed.

Baby has a tail

So what does your baby look like now? Actually, not unlike a tadpole, with a rudimentary head and a tail. But don't worry, there's no frog in your future.

In fact, you're fewer than eight months away from holding a real prince or princess in your arms. While all this is happening, the hCG hormone levels in your body are now high enough to confirm that you're expecting using a home pregnancy test. Go to the doctor to confirm the good news and figure out your due date.

Organs are forming

It takes a lot of developing to become a baby — all the major and minor bodily systems (digestive, circulatory, nervous, and so on) and organs, like the heart, lungs, and stomach, have to form from scratch.

When you're 5 weeks pregnant, a tiny tube-like structure is beginning to develop into your baby's heart, though he almost certainly has his grip on yours already!

Also in the works this week are several other organs, including the neural tube — the precursor to your baby's brain and spinal cord — which hasn't yet sealed. But by next week, that open-door policy is over.

Your Body at Week 5

HCG and home pregnancy tests

By now you should have missed your period — one of the more obvious indications that you're pregnant. It's time to pee on a stick (good news since you probably need to go more often anyway), because at 5 weeks pregnant the level of hCG, the pregnancy-announcer hormone, in your urine is high enough to be detected by a home pregnancy test.

That means you'll be able to confirm what you probably already suspect: You're expecting!

This news will probably elicit a combo platter of emotions ranging from sheer joy to sheer terror as the reality that you're going to be a parent sets in. Mood swings are totally normal — kind of like PMS on overdrive — so don't worry if you're having them.

Early pregnancy signs

There'll be other early pregnancy signs too. Like that sense of exhaustion that may have washed over you. And those tender breasts. Or that slight bout of nausea you might have felt when you smelled a dish that normally doesn't bother you.

Growing a baby — even one no larger than an orange seed — is hard work, and your body is responding in kind.

Pregnancy hormones kick in

Large quantities of hormones — chemical signals that circulate in your body and work together to cause physical changes — are being mass-produced this week.

Among them are estrogen, which keeps the levels of progesterone and hCG up where they need to be; progesterone, which maintains the function of the placenta, keeps the smooth muscles of the uterus from contracting, and stimulates breast tissue growth; and hCG, which support the corpus luteum until the placenta takes over at about 10 weeks and regulates the amount of progesterone necessary.

And don't be surprised if you feel like these hormones are taking over your life sometimes! You can download the What to Expect app to follow these changes to your body during pregnancy.

Telling your friends you're pregnant

Have you or your partner been bursting to spread the good news about your expectant status ever since that home pregnancy test turned positive? Not sure when the best time is to grab a megaphone (or a telephone ... or a computer keyboard) and start sharing? Only you can make the call, so to speak, on that one.

Some women (and their partners if they have them) can't wait to tell their friends they're pregnant — if they could, they'd shout it from the highest mountain or make the announcement go viral — while others prefer to keep their happy news on the DL until after the third month, when the risk of miscarriage greatly decreases.

Still others wish that they could stay mum about becoming a mom (or dad ... or second parent of any kind) but can't help blabbing the first chance they get. Talk to loved ones for advice, and remember, it's your little secret for as long as you choose.

Learn more about spreading the news.

Pregnancy Symptoms Week 5

Fatigue Pregnancy is hard work, which can cause a downshift in your get-up-and-go. During the first trimester, a lot of energy goes into building a life-support system for your baby, especially the placenta. That can leave you feeling a little tired or full-on wiped out. Also to blame: those hormonal and emotional changes. The good news: Your energy levels should pick up by the second trimester. Read More

Nausea That queasy feeling, which can sometimes lead to vomiting, may hit at any time of the day or night (not just morning!). It’s especially common in the first trimester, thanks to hormones, increased stress, and other changes like a keener sense of smell. To keep nausea under control, try eating a few crackers first thing in the morning. Just try not to skip meals; eating smaller portions more often and sticking to foods you can stomach can help too. Read More

Food cravings and aversions Suddenly struck by an overpowering urge to eat a grilled cheese sandwich? Can’t stand the sight (or smell) of chicken? Those cravings and aversions are completely normal. Hormones play a role here (as they do in most pregnancy symptoms) — especially in these early weeks. You can satisfy your urges with mini versions, and try to find healthy substitutes for the foods that turn you off. Read More

Excessive saliva Wondering why your mouth is watering for no apparent reason? You might be dealing with excessive saliva — another common early pregnancy sign brought on by hormones. Chewing sugarless gum can help. Read MoreTrack your symptoms with the My Journal tool in our free app

Tips for You This Week

Are your hCG levels normal?

If your doctor ordered you a blood test to confirm your pregnancy, you may have learned what your hCG levels are — and may be wondering whether those levels are normal.

Just know that every pregnant woman’s hormone levels are different, and can fluctuate even from day to day. Some expecting moms have almost no measurable levels of hCG early on, while others have readings of more than 400 milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/mL).

As long as your doctor confirms that your pregnancy is progressing on track, you don’t have to worry about the numbers.Find your IVF due date

If you conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF), your pregnancy due date will depend whether you had a three-day embryo transfer or a five-day embryo transfer.

If you had a three-day transfer, add 263 days from your transfer date to calculate your due date; if you had a five-day transfer, count 261 days from your transfer date. Or let our IVF due date calculator do the work for you.Avoid smoking and vaping

There’s no amount or type of smoking — whether that’s conventional cigarettes or e-cigarettes — that’s been shown to be safe during pregnancy.

Traditional cigarettes can not only lower fertility levels, but they also contain thousands of toxic chemicals that may not be safe for you or baby.

And both traditional and e-cigarettes deliver nicotine, which can be harmful to baby’s brain and lungs, and increase the risk of problems such as miscarriage and preterm birth. Even secondhand smoke could be potentially dangerous to you and your baby.

If you’re having trouble quitting on your own, talk to your doctor about whether you’re a candidate for nicotine replacement therapy; it may be safe to use certain nicotine-containing patches or medications if you’re under the care of a doctor.Take some exercise precautions

Exercise may do a pregnant body good, but if the thought of going to spin class sends your stomach spinning, save the workout for another day.

Even if you aren’t experiencing morning sickness and fatigue, now isn’t the time to go overboard. Maintain your fitness levels rather than increasing them.

While vigorous exercise is usually okay for pregnant women, try to keep the intensity to a 13 to 14 on a max scale of 20. You should feel energized — not drained — after a workout.Learn how to manage bloat

Feeling gassy? Gas and bloating can be very early signs of pregnancy, but they can also be a sign that you’re ovulating (or just PMSing).

Whatever the reason, you probably aren’t in the mood to eat your veggies, as healthy as they may be. Opt instead for produce that won't bring on the bloat — for example, mangoes instead of broccoli or strawberries instead of cabbage.

Another simple way to deflate pregnancy tummy bubbles: Instead of sparkling water, sip plain water instead.Healthy fats are good fats

Healthy fats — like omega-3 fatty acids — aren’t just essential for your baby’s developing brain. You can get omega-3s in pregnancy-safe fish such as trout and wild salmon and from certain fortified foods, including eggs, yogurt, and milk. If you can't stomach fish, you can also find omega 3s in prenatal vitamins and supplements.Are you pregnant with twins?

If you have a sneaking suspicion that there are two babies on board, you may be right. While you won’t know for sure until the first trimester ultrasound, which is usually done between 6 and 9 weeks, there are some signs that you’re carrying multiples.

For starters, you may have morning sickness that starts earlier (and lasts longer), thanks to the elevated levels of the hormone hCG in your body. You may also be more fatigued than ever, since your body is busy growing two babies instead of one.

If you are pregnant with multiples, you can expect more weight gain, earlier — to the tune of about a pound a week in the first trimester — and an increased appetite. Eating for three, anyone? Medical Reviewed Reviewed July 29, 2025

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.View Sources

What to Expect When You’re Expecting, 5th edition, Heidi Murkoff.
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