you're 6 weeks pregnant.
last revised · baby is about 0.4 cm (0.16") · 0.2 g (0.01 oz)
At 6 weeks pregnant, your baby is about 0.4 cm and 0.2 g — The embryo curls into a tiny crescent.
about the size of a…
The embryo curls into a tiny crescent. Eyes, ears, and limb buds start sketching themselves.
this week's highlights
- Facial features sketching
- Arm and leg buds emerge
- Heart has four chambers
- Strong morning queasiness common
how your baby looks
A C-curled shape with dark spots where the eyes will be, tiny pits for ears, and four small buds that will become arms and legs.
body in focus
- head
- Eye spots, ear pits, and nasal pits begin to appear.
- body
- Heart has four chambers; major blood vessels are forming.
- hands
- Tiny arm buds emerge from the body wall.
- feet
- Tiny leg buds emerge from the body wall.
what's happening in your body
Morning sickness can hit full force. Smells you used to love may now turn your stomach. Frequent peeing and bone-deep tiredness are common.
symptoms at 6 weeks
- Morning sickness
- Nausea often ramps up noticeably this week and, despite the name, can strike at any hour. Around seven in ten pregnant people experience it in the first trimester.
- Food aversions
- Coffee, meat, and previously loved foods can suddenly become repulsive. Aversions are hormone-driven and usually fade by the second trimester.
- Heightened sense of smell
- Everyday smells — a colleague's lunch, the fridge, perfume — can become overwhelming. This hypersensitivity often drives the nausea.
- Exhaustion
- Building a placenta is metabolically expensive, and this stretch is often the most tired you will feel all pregnancy. Rest is productive right now, not lazy.
- Sore, heavy breasts
- Breasts continue growing and the area around the nipple may darken. Tenderness tends to peak in the first trimester then ease.
- Vomiting that keeps nothing down — when to call
- If you cannot keep fluids down for 24 hours, are dizzy, or are losing weight, call your midwife or doctor. Severe sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum) is treatable and you do not need to simply endure it.
gentle tips
- Keep crackers by the bed for first-thing morning nausea.
- Try ginger tea or candies if smells are overwhelming.
- Skip raw seafood and deli meats — listeria risk.
- Schedule your first prenatal ultrasound for weeks 8–10.
- Walk for 15–20 minutes a day to boost energy.
your week 6 checklist
- Confirm your booking appointment is scheduled — chase it up if you have heard nothing
- Build a nausea toolkit: plain crackers, ginger tea, cold fizzy water, small bland snacks
- Switch to eating little and often rather than three large meals
- Ask your employer about sickness and flexibility policies if mornings are becoming difficult — you do not have to disclose the pregnancy yet
what to expect next
Limbs grow longer and the head starts to round out. By week 8 the embryo will look distinctly baby-shaped on ultrasound.
common questions at week 6
How big is the baby at 6 weeks?
At 6 weeks, the baby measures about 0.4 cm and weighs approximately 0.2 g (0.4 cm (0.16") · 0.2 g (0.01 oz)).
What is developing at 6 weeks?
A C-curled shape with dark spots where the eyes will be, tiny pits for ears, and four small buds that will become arms and legs. Eye spots, ear pits, and nasal pits begin to appear. Key milestones this week include: Facial features sketching; Arm and leg buds emerge; Heart has four chambers; Strong morning queasiness common.
What symptoms are common at 6 weeks pregnant?
Morning sickness can hit full force. Smells you used to love may now turn your stomach. Frequent peeing and bone-deep tiredness are common.
What should I do at 6 weeks pregnant?
Limbs grow longer and the head starts to round out. Keep crackers by the bed for first-thing morning nausea. Try ginger tea or candies if smells are overwhelming. Skip raw seafood and deli meats — listeria risk.
When does morning sickness peak and when does it end?
Nausea typically peaks between weeks 8 and 10, then eases for most people between weeks 12 and 16. A minority feel sick into the second trimester, and a small group throughout pregnancy. If vomiting is stopping you keeping fluids down, call your midwife or doctor — effective, safe treatments exist.
Is it a bad sign if I have no morning sickness at 6 weeks?
No. Around a quarter to a third of pregnant people never get significant nausea, and their pregnancies proceed just as healthily. Symptom levels vary hugely between individuals and even between pregnancies in the same person. Absence of nausea alone is not a reason to worry.
Can stress or lifting things cause a miscarriage at 6 weeks?
Everyday stress, normal exercise, lifting shopping or a toddler, and having sex do not cause miscarriage. The majority of early losses result from chromosomal differences present from conception, which nothing you did caused and nothing you do can change. If worry is weighing on you, say so at your booking appointment — support is part of the job.
helpful tools
- Due Date Calculator
Find your estimated due date from your last period or conception date.
- Baby Names
Start exploring names — an early, joyful ritual.
Medically aligned with guidance from WHO, NHS and ACOG. How we write.