Week 6 : Shake It Off

Welcome to week 6, Mama! Take some time this week to remind yourself of how strong and capable you are! This week, as your body allocates essential nutrients to your baby, pregnancy fatigue starts to set in. You will feel this throughout your whole body, both physically and emotionally, to various extents. Balancing rest and activity is vital because no matter how much sleep you get, you will still feel like your body has just run a marathon. This fatigue makes it hard to juggle work, other children, household tasks, and self-care. Realize that you don’t always have to do it all! Prioritize essential tasks and break activities up so that they feel manageable. Remember that as you work through all the challenging symptoms of nausea, fatigue, and disrupted sleep, it will make you more emotionally vulnerable. Your body’s hormones fluctuate significantly, and some women may find their mood altered considerably; this can manifest in irritability, anxiety, depression, or anger. Even in the first trimester, it can be helpful to set up and surround yourself with helpful support people that you can rely on and trustworthy people who are willing to walk alongside you. The support and love of a community make a world of difference. They can help to lighten the load of responsibility that tends to overwhelm.

Your baby is six weeks old and is quickly becoming more and more intricate. If you have an early appointment or ultrasound, your baby’s heartbeat can even be audible at this point! In just two weeks, your baby’s heart is strong enough to be heard! Your baby’s figure is slowly transforming as well. His head is disproportionately larger than his body as the brain develops rapidly. His arms and legs are growing. Soon, your baby will start growing fingers and toes!