6 Weeks Pregnant Diet Plan
6 Weeks pregnant: pregnancy diet and pregnancy nutrition
This is a week of big milestones. Your baby's tiny organs are forming and now it's all about ensuring you're following a balanced pregnancy diet and pregnancy nutrition plan to help them grow and ensure you have a healthy first trimester.
In Pregnancy
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First trimester
Week by week guide
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- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
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Second trimester
Week by week guide
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
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Third trimester
Week by week guide
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- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
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Baby's development at 6 weeks pregnant
You're actually pregnant. Has it even sunk in yet? Well, baby certainly has. The egg cell has implanted in your uterus. She's already a whopping 0.2mm this week and is starting to form the teeniest nose, eyes, ears, chin and cheeks.
This week is also an important milestone in terms of embryonic development. It's the beginning of what is tongue-twistingly called organogenesis. In normal speak that means when the internal organs are starting to form. Your baby will look like a tiny decimal point floating in amniotic fluid. The foetal-placental circulation is up and running too.
Amazingly, since conception, your baby's weight has multiplied 10,000 times.
Changes in you and your body at 6 weeks pregnant
No more periods. YES! Sadly, that rarely means no more period-like symptoms. Once the fertilised egg (aka baby) implants in your uterus, those hormones come crashing in and play havoc with your emotions. Tears one minute, laughter the next and that queasy feeling can come and go too.
Let's not forget their main job though – those hormones are essential to help baby grow. Plus, they help form the placenta, which supplies baby with oxygen and nutrients while providing protection from germs and pollutants. Last but not least, if you haven't given up smoking yet, now's the time to do it (Dads too!).
Pregnancy nutrition at 6 weeks pregnant
Folic acid, calcium, iron and vitamin D are the big four for baby's healthy development at 6 weeks pregnant. Vitamin supplements are a good way of making sure you get the whole lot every day. In fact, the Department of Health recommends that women should take a daily supplement of 400 micrograms of folic acid for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy to help prevent spina bifida. Do be sure to choose vitamin supplements specifically tailored for pregnancy.
Protein is also an essential part of a healthy pregnancy diet because it transports nutrients around the body, to get them to baby. Animal protein in particular is rich in amino acids that the body can't produce.
Here's a few tips about what to eat when pregnant:
- Eat your greens. Almost anything green contains folate. Kale. Spinach. Avocado. Asparagus.
- Up your iron. A nice juicy steak or a lamb roast, a very tasty way to boost your iron levels.
- Be pro-protein. Eggs, meat and dairy contain the protein you need and plenty of essential amino acids.
- Veggie? Lentils, tofu, beans and pulses all have plenty of protein and iron too. Just eat an extra portion a day.
Remember to take special care when preparing meals to avoid the risk of food poisoning. Thoroughly cook your meat and wash your hands before cooking. Always give your fruit and veg a good scrub too, and clean the fridge regularly. Plus, avoid eating leftovers as bacteria might have had a chance to grow. Just remember, a little caution will keep you and baby healthy and happy.
If you're getting morning sickness, check out our morning sickness survival guide.
Have you booked your midwife appointment yet?
At 10 weeks or before, you usually have your first midwife appointment. It's a good idea to book it in now as midwives can have very busy diaries. This is when your pregnancy journey feels like it's really begun and it can be the first time it sinks in that you're actually having a baby. You'll talk to your midwife about your medical history and your obstetric history (aka your pregnancy history). You might also have a couple of standard blood tests, so this first visit could take an hour or more.
If you have any questions or you're feeling nervous about anything, this is a great chance to discuss any little worries and put your mind at rest.
Source: https://www.smababy.co.uk/pregnancy/week-by-week/6-weeks-pregnant/