During your sixth week of pregnancy, your baby is starting to look less like a tadpole and more like a person as her face begins to form. If you could see her up close—she's just about the size of an earring back—you'd notice teensy dark spots on the head. Those are the eyes, nose and mouth, and the little indentations on either side will become ears.
Tip of the week:
Don't neglect your social life while you're pregnant. Activities with friends may do a lot to stabilize your mood—especially if your friends have had children. Take time to maintain your connections outside of work and your household, because your friends are an important source of support. Concerned they'll notice that you're skipping your usual glass of wine? Here's a trick: Get to your meeting place early and ask the bartender to pour a sip of wine into your glass. This way it looks as if you've already had your drink while waiting for your companion to arrive.
And that circulatory system that was just starting to form last week? Well, this week it may be fully functioning, with a tiny heart pulsing 100 to 160 times each minute. Additionally, she's starting to develop buds that will eventually grow into arms and legs, as well as a pituitary gland that will spur the formation of muscles, bones and a brain.
If your mind keeps wandering between feelings of elation and anxiety, you should know that this is normal. You may be excited wondering whether your baby will have your mother's nose or your partner's eyes—and concerned about the big life changes ahead of you. Many women feel continual mood shifts at this point in pregnancy.
Mood swings occur for a number of reasons, both external and internal. If there are things happening around you, such as problems at work or family issues, they can seem even more intense in light of your pregnancy. Don't think that you need to suffer in silence during these conflicts. Consider talking things over with your partner, a close friend, your health care professional or a licensed counselor.
But your stress may also be related to hormone fluctuations, which can make you dancing-on-the-tabletops happy one minute and sobbing-in-the-fetal-position sad the next. It may help to remind yourself that your shifting emotions are a perfectly normal part of pregnancy. Additionally, relaxing activities like taking a nap, going for a walk, getting a massage or doing some light yoga can help slow your thought process and bring your mind back to its normal state.
Read more:
Staying Fit While Pregnant: What's Safe and What's Not
The Three Most Important Dietary Changes to Make During Pregnancy
Who's Who On Your Prenatal Team
