Congratulations, you’re now 5 months pregnant and halfway through. Let’s answer any questions that you may have here.
In this article:
- How Far Along Are You in Weeks?
- What Are the 5 Months Pregnant Symptoms?
- What Does a 5-Month Pregnancy Look Like?
- What Does It Feel Like?
- What Happens in a 5-Month-Old Fetus Development?
- Where Is the Baby Positioned at 5 Months?
- What Should You Eat When You’re 5 Months Pregnant?
- What Should You Not Do When 5 Months Pregnant?
- Can a Baby Survive Outside the Womb at 5 Months?
- What Do You Need to Do When You’re 5 Months Pregnant?
Know What to Expect When You’re 5 Months Pregnant
How Far Along Are You in Weeks?
The fifth month of your pregnancy covers weeks 17 to 20. You are not technically pregnant at weeks one and two yet, so the onset of your fifth month is generally around the 20th week. You are still in the early part of the second trimester.
What Are the 5 Months Pregnant Symptoms?
Pregnancy symptoms at any stage vary in women. To many, the fifth month offers relief from morning sickness. You will find your appetite improving and you’re likely to binge, so watch out and slow down there. On the other hand, you will also start to feel some discomfort during this stage of your pregnancy, including:
- Changes in skin pigmentation and stretch marks
- Fatigue and breathlessness
- Constipation and flatulence
- White vaginal discharge and vaginal itch
- Swollen and achy feet
- Backaches or lower back pains
- Breast enlargement
What Does a 5-Month Pregnancy Look Like?
If this is your first pregnancy, it is likely you won’t look pregnant yet. The morning sickness and loss of appetite during the first trimester will add to that. But, around your fifth month, your appetite is expected to improve, and you will start to gain some weight. Other women may have developed a noticeable bulge in their bellies, while others don’t show at all. For those who’ve had multiple births, your belly easily expands and it could show at this stage.
What Does It Feel Like?
The fifth month will offer you some sort of a breather. The fifth month is an interesting stage in your pregnancy, a sort of calm before the storm. You will feel and experience some physical changes. The symptoms aren’t that distinct and bothersome, though. You will, however, start to feel fetal movements which are very similar to fluttery feelings, or butterflies in your stomach, which is called quickening.
What Happens in a 5-Month-Old Fetus Development?
Your baby will start to look like a newborn. He will have grown some hair called lanugo. It protects your baby’s skin, and it will shed at the end of the first week after your baby is born. Your baby is around 10 inches long, the size of a carrot. He also weights around a half of a pound.
Where Is the Baby Positioned at 5 Months?
Your baby is certainly mobile inside your womb. Over the months, he or she can change positions. They can either be in a breech (upright) or transverse lie position. At around five months, if the baby’s already in an anterior position (upside down or head pushing against your cervix), you will feel the need to visit the restroom more often.
What Should You Eat When You’re 5 Months Pregnant?
It’s a joy to finally make it to the fifth month of pregnancy. You don’t have to worry about throwing up, and you can now practically eat anything. Well, not everything since you need more than ever to be conscious about your diet now that you’re eating for two.
It’s okay to give in to that craving for pizza and ice cream once in a while, but you need to cut back on fatty food and sugar overall. Fizzy drinks and caffeine are highly discouraged. You can also check out this list of foods you have to avoid at any stage of your pregnancy. Other than that, as long as you follow a healthy and balanced diet, you’re good to go.
What Should You Not Do When 5 Months Pregnant?
At 5 months, your baby is still rapidly developing inside you. This might be a turning point in your pregnancy, so you will need to take extra precaution when it comes to your activities, diet, and medication. Exercise is important but avoid strenuous exercise and try a relaxing pregnancy yoga exercise instead. When it comes to medication, whether OTC or prescribed, always consult with your doctor.
Can a Baby Survive Outside the Womb at 5 Months?
Pregnancy is a miracle in itself from conception to childbirth. For a long time, babies born at around the fifth month have had little to no chance of survival. But, studies looked at a good number of cases where babies survive outside the womb at this very early stage with extensive medical attention. Follow this heartwarming story of baby boy Fontaine Dickey who was born prematurely at five months old.
What Do You Need to Do When You’re 5 Months Pregnant?
This stage is a pivotal moment in your pregnancy. Continue your regular prenatal checkups. Your doctor will also have you undergo some tests as necessary, including:
- Check urine, weight, and blood pressure
- Check fetal heartbeat
- Measure the height of the top of your uterus
- Measure the size and check the shape of your uterus
It is also good to keep records of your experience, how you are feeling, and other details. This way, you can provide your doctor with vital information in monitoring your health and your baby’s.
Watch this video from Glorious Lifestyle to learn more about what goes on in your body when you’re 5 months pregnant:
Being 5 months pregnant is a happy time in your journey to motherhood. It’s a turning point which provides a repose from the challenges of the 1st trimester and what is to come in the final trimester. Take a vacation and relax because you’re on your way to the final and more challenging third trimester. But don’t worry, as long as you stay healthy, your baby will be, too. Just a little more, mommy!
How far along are you and how is your pregnancy right now? Tell us all about it in the comments section below!
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