5 Weeks Pregnant: Positive Home Pregnancy Test

Because they're convenient and affordable, many women use home pregnancy tests as a first step in confirming that they're expecting. These tests work by checking your urine for the pregnancy hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). Some products claim they can be used a few days before your period is due, but for the most accurate results, experts suggest you wait until after the first day of a missed period. (Or, if you can’t wait, at least test again then!

On average, people in the U.S. learn they're pregnant at 5.5 weeks, although a recent survey published in the journal Contraception found that one in five people don't find out until after week 7. 

Right about now you might be thinking: Wait, I just missed my period. How am I suddenly several weeks pregnant? It's admittedly a little confusing, but once you're pregnant, your doctor will go back and start the clock beginning with the first day of your last period. This means that, if you have a regular menstrual cycle, you'll already be about 4 weeks pregnant by the time you miss a period.

In other words, you're technically not even pregnant during the first two weeks or so of pregnancy. During this time you'll have your period, and then you'll ovulate. Conception (also known as fertilization) will happen at some point after that. It's impossible to know precisely when, which is why due dates aren't an exact science. 

8 Weeks Pregnant: First Prenatal Visit

It's already time for a major milestone: Your first appointment with your ob/gyn, midwife, or whichever healthcare clinician you've chosen to help guide you through pregnancy and childbirth. At this visit, your practitioner will answer your questions and (exciting!) estimate your due date. They’ll also likely give you a physical checkup, including a pelvic exam,  collect urine and blood samples for screening - as well as make sure you are up to date on your vaccinations, Covid-19 and the flu shot, depending on the season. Rest assured that both are recommended by the CDC at any point in your pregnancy. 

You might also get your first ultrasound. (It depends on factors like your age and health history). This means you could find out if you're having multiples and may even see the heartbeat.

Most pregnant people will be scheduled for monthly prenatal visits from now until around week 28.

10-16 Weeks Pregnant: Genetic Screening Options

Genetic testing will be offered to you to include tests to evaluate for potential spontaneous genetic abnormalities. ’

NIPT (Noninvasive Prenatal Testing)

The current standard is known as NIPT or Noninvasive Prenatal Testing, all that is needed is a small amount of blood from a standard blood draw.  This will test the fragments of placental DNA that are floating around in your blood to look for signs of increased risk of Downs Syndrome, Trisomy 21, 18, or 13, and can determine the sex of your baby. The benefit of this test is that it does not require disturbing the placenta or amniotic fluid like the tests discussed below. 

Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS)

Done between weeks 10 and 13, this screen can detect certain genetic disorders like Down syndrome and cystic fibrosis. It can also confirm the sex of the fetus. A CVS test—which usually feels like a Pap smear—involves collecting a small sample of cells from the placenta via the cervix.

Nuchal Translucency Scan

This is a type of ultrasound done between weeks 11 and 13. It checks an area in the back of the fetus’s neck called the nuchal fold. Extra fluid in the nuchal fold could be a sign of a congenital heart condition or a genetic disorder such as Down syndrome. If your results are abnormal, your doctor will likely order more tests. 

Amniocentesis 

If the results of your NT Scan are abnormal, your doctor may recommend an amniocentesis.  During this procedure amniotic fluid and cells are removed from the uterus using a thin hollow needle that is guided by ultrasound to ensure there is no contact with the baby. The cells and fluid removed will be sent for testing to determine any spontaneous genetic abnormalities.

Carrier Screening

Carrier screening is performed on one or both parents to determine if they are carriers of any genetic diseases. Generally, everyone carries some abnormal genes and experiences no signs or symptoms, if both parents are carriers of the same abnormality, their child has an increased risk of being affected with a genetic disease.

13 Weeks Pregnant: Second Trimester

Welcome to part two! We can’t make any promises, but many pregnant people say they feel more energized and generally have an easier time of things compared to the first trimester.      Although you may be feeling more pregnant, and will soon start to feel your baby move, it may take some time before you start to “show”, unless you have already been pregnant before.  

Interested in taking classes to help prepare you for childbirth and childcare? This is a great time to start researching options. Same if you're considering hiring a doula to support you through labor and delivery, or a night nurse to help get you through those first few weeks with a newborn.

By the end of your second trimester, you should also start looking for a pediatrician. The hospital will usually ask for this person's info when you're admitted to give birth. The pediatrician may plan to meet you there to examine your baby shortly after it enters the world.

Last but not least (and also pretty fun): Most people have their baby showers at the end of the second trimester or the beginning of the third. Start compiling your registry now! 

20 Weeks Pregnant: Anatomy Scan

You're at the halfway point of your pregnancy, and it's time for another important—and emotional—milestone: the anatomy scan. This is an ultrasound typically done between weeks 18 and 22 to make sure fetal organs and other body parts are growing properly. 

While the ultrasonographer is busy taking measurements, you get to lie there and gaze at your baby in utero. You'll see tiny hands and feet; eyes, nose, and lips; the brain; the beating heart; and more. If the baby's sex hasn't already been determined and you want to find out, this scan can confirm it.

24 Weeks Pregnant: Glucose Test

Also called the Diabetes Scan, or Sugar Test, somewhere between weeks 24 and 28, you'll do this screening to check for gestational diabetes. You'll drink a sweet liquid and have your blood drawn. If the results are abnormal, you may need to go in for another, longer version of the test that requires you to fast. During pregnancy, even with healthy eating, sometimes your body is not able to metabolize sugar in the blood as efficiently which is why all women are screened.

28 Weeks Pregnant: Third Trimester

You're in the final stretch—woot! Your baby will start gaining weight quickly, and you'll likely go in for prenatal visits every two weeks. 

Vaccines

There are very important vaccines including TDAP and the RSV vaccine that will take place in your third trimester. TDAP protects against whooping cough (pertussis) and is recommended between 27 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.  Getting this vaccine while you’re pregnant protects your little one before they are even born. The RSV vaccine is recommended between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.  If you wait until you are 32 weeks pregnant, you could get both at once as long as your doc doesn’t see any concern with it

36 Weeks Pregnant: Group B Strep Test

Around week 36, you'll be screened for group B strep (GBS), which involves swabbing the vagina and rectum. GBS is a common bacterium that's naturally found on the human body and usually doesn't cause any symptoms or problems. In fact, for about 30% of women have GBS as part of their healthy microbiome, however, this colonization will lead to a positive test.     

But you can infect your baby with GBS during delivery, although the risk is small, this infection could be serious to a newborn, thus the importance of this test, and treatment. For that reason, if you test positive for GBS, you'll likely be given IV antibiotics during labor as a precaution.

37 Weeks Pregnant: Pack Your Hospital Bag and Install Your Car Seat

At this point in your pregnancy, you'll probably be going in weekly for prenatal doctor's visits. As we mentioned, due dates are only estimates—in fact, research has found that only about 5% of births in the U.S. happen on the due date. 

So use these final weeks to knock out any remaining to-dos. And don't put off important tasks like packing your hospital bag and getting your car seat safely installed. You'll want them to be ready to go when you are! 

Of course, if you have any questions during any week of pregnancy, your ob/gyn is there for you. Need to chat? Give them a call or set up an appointment. 

Screen Time

Yes, you’ll be poked and prodded quite a bit while pregnant. But it’s all for a good cause. Here are six types of tests you might get at the doctor’s office.

Pelvic Exam: Your clinician will examine you at 8 weeks, likely your first prenatal visit. 

Ultrasound: Many people get their first ultrasound at 8 weeks. You may hear your baby’s heartbeat…ba dum…ba dum.

Anatomy Scan: A type of ultrasound done around week 20 to assess the growth of the baby’s organs and body parts. If you haven’t found out the sex, you can now!

Glucose Test: You drink a special beverage, have your blood drawn, and are checked for gestational diabetes.

Genetic Tests: These screen for genetic disorders. They’re optional but offered to women 35 and older, as well as to people with a higher risk for conditions such as Down syndrome and cystic fibrosis.

Group B Strep Test: A swab of the mother’s vagina and rectum to look for GBS. It’s a common bacteria but can harm a newborn. If you test positive, your care team will take precautions during delivery.