Era Health

Baby development at 6 weeks

Published 05 March 2025 | Written by Dr David Miller

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Baby development at 6 weeks

Heartbeat

There's cardiac activity in your baby's developing heart. You'll see the cells flickering if you have a vaginal ultrasound in the next few weeks. Starting at 10 to 12 weeks, your provider will listen to your baby's heartbeat at every prenatal appointment using a handheld Doppler.

Eyes, nose, mouth, and ears

There are dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. Emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head. Inside their tiny mouth, the tongue and vocal cords are beginning to develop.

Arms and legs

Your baby's arms and legs begin as tiny paddles that will lengthen and grow into limbs. The backbone extends into a small tail that will disappear within a few weeks.

You can track these developments and your baby's growth during pregnancy with the free BabyCenter app.

Pregnancy symptoms during week 6

Morning sickness

Morning sickness is nausea that can strike at any time of day. It usually starts around 5 or 6 weeks of pregnancy and is likely to ease up by the end of the first trimester.

Frequent urge to pee

Needing to pee more often is among the most common early signs of pregnancy. During pregnancy a lot more blood is flowing through your body, which means your kidneys have extra fluids to process. (Pregnancy hormones play a role in this, too.) Regardless, keep drinking enough water. You can tell you're well hydrated if your urine is pale yellow or colorless.

Mood swings

Many pregnant women find that moodiness flares up around 6 to 10 weeks. Ricocheting emotions are likely caused by stress, fatigue, and hormonal changes. And, of course, there's also the range of feelings you may have about becoming a parent. If you're feeling particularly bad, check for depression using our prenatal depression quiz and talk to your healthcare provider.

Tender, swollen breasts

Breast tenderness can be one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy. Increased hormone levels boost blood flow, which may make your breasts feel swollen, sore, tingly, and unusually sensitive to touch.

Fatigue

For many women, exhaustion is among the first signs of pregnancy. No one knows for sure what causes fatigue in early pregnancy, but it's possible that hormonal changes – like the dramatic rise in progesterone – are at least partly responsible.

Metallic taste

You may notice a metallic taste in your mouth during the first trimester thanks to a surge in estrogen. You can cope with the copper taste by brushing and flossing frequently, gargling with one teaspoon salt or 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in 8 ounces of water, eating tart or acidic foods, or chewing mint gum.

Strange dreams

With your life changing rapidly, your subconscious is trying to keep up, which means processing your pregnancy in dreamland. Some dream images consistently appear in certain stages of pregnancy. First-trimester pregnancy dreams typically work through anxiety about your changing body, birth, and motherhood.

Headaches

It's common to get headaches during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. Once you reach the second trimester, headaches may diminish or disappear. Until then, try to identify your headache triggers (like nitrates, MSG, artificial sweeteners, or tobacco smoke) and avoid them. Getting enough sleep, food and water, and exercise can prevent headaches, and relaxation techniques like massage and meditation may help. You can take acetaminophen to relieve headaches during pregnancy, but aspirin, ibuprofen, and some prescription migraine drugs aren't recommended unless approved by your healthcare provider.

Pregnancy checklist at 6 weeks pregnant

Prepare for your first prenatal visit

Is your first prenatal visit coming up soon? It can be a momentous occasion: You'll talk to your doctor or midwife about your pregnancy, and you may have an ultrasound and see your baby's tiny heart beating! Be prepared to discuss your health history, your family's medical history, and your habits. If you haven't yet chosen a doctor or midwife to care for you during your pregnancy, go ahead and find someone so you can get started on your prenatal care. You can always switch to another caregiver later if you want.

Research foods to avoid during pregnancy

During pregnancy, it's wise to skip some foods completely (we're looking at you, deli egg salad). But many other foods that are otherwise unsafe for pregnancy are actually fine if you take a few precautions, like cooking them thoroughly. Find out what's safe to eat and drink during pregnancy and what to avoid.

Learn about prenatal testing options

Screening tests use blood samples and ultrasound to help assess your baby's chances of having Down syndrome or other chromosomal differences. The screenings are non-invasive and don't pose any risk to you or your baby. The results can help you decide whether to have chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis to find out for sure about a potential condition.

Make sure your workplace is safe

Some jobs or hobbies can be hazardous to you and your developing baby. If you're routinely exposed to chemicals, heavy metals (like lead or mercury), certain biological agents, or radiation, you'll need to tell your boss you're pregnant and make some changes as soon as possible.

Try to reduce stress

High levels of chronic stress aren't good for you or your baby. Try to stress less during pregnancy by surrounding yourself with positive people, taking breaks and deep breaths, and blowing off steam by exercising, listening to music, or journaling.

Start your pregnancy to-do list

If you're not sure where to start, check out our ultimate first-trimester pregnancy to-do list. It covers everything you may need or want to tackle now, from investigating health insurance to thinking about baby names.