Pregnant in week 5
Week 5 is often the week when it dawns on many that they are pregnant: the period is missed and the test shows two lines. Your baby is the size of a sesame seed, and the heart is forming as a tiny tube – it only starts to beat at around 6+0.
Your baby in week 5
Your baby measures around 2 millimetres and is shaped like a little C. The neural tube, which becomes the brain and spinal cord, closes this week – which is why folic acid is so important right now.
The heart is not yet the four-chambered heart it later becomes, but a single tube that is still forming – it only starts to beat at around 6+0. The major systems – circulation, digestion and nervous system – are being laid down in these days.
The placenta and umbilical cord are also forming, so your baby can soon receive oxygen and nourishment directly from your bloodstream.
Your body and symptoms in week 5
With the missed period and a positive test, pregnancy becomes real for many right now. The hCG level rises quickly, and that is often what triggers the first symptoms.
You may experience sore and tight breasts, tiredness, a heightened sense of smell and perhaps the first hints of nausea. Some feel next to nothing yet, and that is just as normal.
Now is the time to contact your own GP if you haven't already. If you have had previous pregnancies with complications or feel anxious, an early scan from weeks 5-6 can help confirm that the pregnancy is correctly placed.
Good advice for week 5
Keep taking folic acid
The neural tube closes this week, so the 400 micrograms of folic acid daily are more important than ever. Continue until at least week 12.
Listen to your body
First-trimester fatigue is physiological and real. Sleep when you can and slow down without feeling guilty.
Avoid certain foods
Avoid liver and cod liver oil, unpasteurised milk and soft raw-milk cheeses, and raw or undercooked meat. Sushi bought in Danish shops and restaurants is fine – it is the large predatory fish such as fresh tuna, swordfish and escolar you should avoid.
Consider an early scan
If you feel anxious, an early scan from weeks 5-6 can confirm the egg is correctly placed in the uterus. From week 8 we can almost always show a beating heart.
Relevant with us in week 5
This is what we can offer you at this point in your pregnancy.
Frequently asked questions in week 5
Can you see the heart beat in week 5?
Sometimes. No – the heart only starts beating at around 6+0, and on a scan the heartbeat is usually seen clearly from 6+3 to week 7. If in doubt it is better to wait a couple of weeks, so the experience is reassuring.
Is light bleeding dangerous?
Light spotting is common early on and doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong. With bleeding like a period, with pain or clots, contact your doctor or out-of-hours service.
When does the public care start?
After you have contacted your GP, you attend a consultation and examination around weeks 6-10. Here the further plans, blood tests and scan offers are arranged.
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Read on in week 5
Early pregnancy scan in Copenhagen – everything you need to know (2026)
Guide to your first pregnancy
