Ultrasound Of A 5 Week Pregnancy: All The Things That No One Will Tell You

You have to wait until at least the 12th week of your pregnancy to get a picture of your little baby playing inside. However, the doctors might require you to get an ultrasound of a 5 week pregnancy. 

A 12 weeks ultrasound usually helps determine the due date. But it is only the 5th week of conception; what purpose does an early ultrasound serve? As doctors would say, a fifth week ultrasound helps them determine the age of the gestational sac. 

During the 5th week of your pregnancy, the body has already started developing and nurturing another life form inside your body. You are going through some physical changes yourself. Here is everything you need to know about an ultrasound done during the first trimester or the 5th week of pregnancy. 

Key Takeaways 

Pregnancy Scan	ultrasound of a 5 weeks
Time Taken	20 to 30 minutes (transvaginal ultrasound)
Purpose	Finding out the gestational sac. Checking the growth of the embryo. Confirming the possibility of early misscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.

Ultrasound Of A 5 Week Pregnancy: Why Is It Important?

An ultrasound of a 5 week pregnancy can reveal lots of necessary information about the embryo and the pregnant individual. An estimation of the gestational sac is one of them. It becomes visible during the fifth week of the pregnancy. 

Patients usually don’t have to get an ultrasound until the 12 weeks of pregnancy. Then, however, if the pregnant individual has any past experience of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy or they have conceived through in vitro fertilization, the doctor asks for an ultrasound.

Also, an ultrasound might be asked if the pregnant person experiences bleeding after a positive pregnancy test. It helps doctors look into the condition of the uterus.

What To Expect During An Ultrasound Of A 5 Week?

Ultrasound is asked when the doctor finally tries to get an image of the growing fetus inside you. It usually happens during the 12th week of pregnancy. Doctors usually recommend a transabdominal ultrasound for that.

A fifth-week ultrasound is a little different. It is called a transvaginal ultrasound. The sonographer will use a lubricated device and insert it inside the vagina. Don’t worry; this is not painful. However, this might be a little uncomfortable. 

You may not be able to see the embryo even during the 6th or 7th-week ultrasound. However, the doctors can take measurements of the mean sac diameter. This is a combination of three different measurements pointing to a specific date. But measuring an embryo offers more accurate results. 

Also, an important purpose of an ultrasound of a 5 week pregnancy is to ensure that the person does not have an ectopic pregnancy. The location of the yolk sac confirms the safety of the pregnancy. A 6th-week ultrasound can help visualize the embryo more clearly. 

Risks & Rewards Of An Ultrasound Of A 5 Weeks Pregnancy

There are some risks and rewards of doing an ultrasound during the 5th week. 

Risks

• Usually, there is no risk involved with the process of ultrasound. But women may feel a little uncomfortable getting a transvaginal ultrasound. 
• It could be an ectopic pregnancy. 
• Sonographers might also spot symptoms of miscarriage. 
• The embryo might not be visible. 
• It could be too early for an ultrasound, and you might not see a gestational sac. 

Except for ectopic pregnancy, the rest are not usually at risk. Also, a low level of hCG and absence of the gestational sac may also be suggestive of an early miscarriage. However, the embryo might take one or two more weeks to be visible. Also, it helps to check pregnancy symptoms week by week to detect any possible issues with pregnancy.

Rewards

• If the gestational sac is visible, it confirms the pregnancy. 
• You can confirm if the pregnancy is not an ectopic one and get treatments accordingly. 

5 Weeks Gestation Tips

Adopting healthy habits at 5 weeks for gestational habits for yourself and your baby is critical. Here are some great tips you can try out –

It includes your habits to focus on good food, good beverages, and a healthy lifestyle. When pregnant, it’s best to avoid a few food and beverages until you have delivered your baby. 

Here is a list of things you must avoid before you deliver your baby –

• Alcohol
• Raw or undercooked meat
• Processed meats
• Raw & undercooked seafood, fish like king mackerel, or seafood like oysters. 
• Raw or undercooked eggs
• Unwashed fruit and vegs
• Unpasteurized dairy products
• Raw bean sprouts

This restriction also applies to smokers. If you smoke, it’s best to avoid smoking. Take this opportunity to quit smoking forever.

Ultrasound Of A 5-Week Pregnancy: What Goes On At The 5th Week?

During the 5th week, the embryo has just bloomed or still blooming. So, if you cannot see the baby, there is no need to worry; it is not time yet. The embryo is as small as 2 millimeters at this point. 

Doctors usually check to see the gestational sac at this time. The embryo is too small, and the sonographer might or might not be able to see the embryo. It is too tiny to point out. The yolk sac surrounds the embryo and looks like a white circle around the yolk. 

The yolk sac nourishes the yolk at this point and helps produce blood cells around the yolk. There is another sizeable black area that surrounds the yolk sac. It is called a gestational sac, and it has amniotic fluid. The gestational sac becomes visible during the end of the 4th week of pregnancy. However, seeing a clear embryo picture takes one or more weeks. 

The embryo is usually 2 to 3 mm if measured by diameter. But it can grow 1.13 mm in a day. You may or may not see a heartbeat within five weeks of pregnancy. You may have to wait more than a week until you see a heartbeat, which is normal.

Things Experts Check During Pregnancy Risk Assessment 

An ultrasound of a 5 week pregnancy does not really show enough growth of the baby. However, doctors might order one to check on a few things, such as –

• If the pregnancy is in the right place. An ectopic pregnancy can be dangerous if left untreated. 5 weeks ultrasounds often help notice ectopic pregnancy. If detected early without any unstable bleeding issues, doctors can help treat it with medicines like methotrexate. This medicine slows down and stops the cell’s growth.
• Pointing out the gestational sac is usually the main reason for doing an ultrasound of a 5 week pregnancy. 

Bottom Line 

An ultrasound of a 5 week pregnancy can only give information about the gestational sac and a tiny embryo. But you have to wait for more than one week to get a proper picture of the fetus and listen to the heartbeat of the baby.

However, an early ultrasound can help you by detecting the signs of an early miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy.

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