Can you hear a Heartbeat at 5 Weeks? And more!

If you have a 5-week ultrasound appointment scheduled, you may be wondering if you will be able to hear your baby’s heartbeat.

If that is the case, then you have come to the right place.

This article will answer that question for you and more!

In this article:

• Baby’s Development at 5 Weeks Pregnant
• You at 5 Weeks Pregnant
• Why Would You Have an Ultrasound Scan at 5 Weeks Pregnant?
• How Can I Prepare for an Ultrasound Scan at 5 Weeks Pregnant?
• What will the 5 Week Ultrasound Scan Look Like?
• So, Can You Hear Your Baby’s Heartbeat at 5 Weeks Pregnant?
• Can You See A Heartbeat at 5 Weeks Pregnant?

 

Baby’s Development at 5 Weeks Pregnant

Congratulations on your pregnancy! If you know you are pregnant at 5 weeks pregnant, then it is likely that you have only recently received a positive pregnancy test.

At 5 weeks pregnant, your baby (or embryo) is a tiny 2mm long- about the size of an apple seed.

At this stage in early pregnancy, the foundations for the nervous system and its major organs have begun developing.

Heart

At 5 weeks of pregnancy, a basic heart shape has begun to develop- resembling a simple tube-like structure.

Blood Vessels

Your baby already has a circulatory system! Your baby has some of its own blood vessels (and the tiny tue-like structure that will become the heart mentioned above) and blood starts to circulate.

Umbilical Cord

Your baby is connected to you through its umbilical cord- a tiny string of blood vessels at this stage.

Neural Tube

In this week of pregnancy, the embryo’s outer layer of cells folds over to form a hollow tube called the “neural tube”. This neural tube is the foundation for your baby’s brain and spinal cord.

You at 5 Weeks Pregnant

It is around this time that most women have their first missed period and begin suspecting that they may be pregnant.

Once you find out you are pregnant, you should contact your GP so you begin to receive support, guidance and care straight away, and a date for your first appointment with your midwife.

If you are taking any medications, smoking or having any substance abuse problems, your midwife can give you the correct advise and specialised care you require.

In terms of supplements, it is recommended that you begin taking folic acid while you are trying for a baby (ideally 3 months before conceiving) and for the first 12 weeks of your pregnancy. If you are not taking folic acid already, you should begin taking it straight away.

Why Would You Have an Ultrasound Scan at 5 Weeks Pregnant?

Sometimes, women can get an early pregnancy ultrasound in their first trimester for the following reasons:

• To estimate the gestational age
• You have a history of an ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage
• You conceived via in vitro fertilisation (IVF)
• You are showing signs of a miscarriage, such as vaginal bleeding.

Signs of a miscarriage at 5 weeks include:

• Vaginal bleeding
• Cramping
• Suddenly no of symptoms of pregnancy at 5 Weeks (if you were experiencing them)
• 5 weeks ultrasound showed nothing
• Dizziness or fainting
• Shoulder pain

How Can I Prepare for an Ultrasound Scan at 5 Weeks Pregnant?

Before a 5-week ultrasound appointment, it is recommended that you drink lots of fluids and have a full bladder.

This will make it much easier for the sonographer to see your uterus.

It is important to note that the ultrasound will be a vaginal ultrasound, as opposed to an abdominal ultrasound.

If for any reason, you do not feel comfortable with having a transvaginal ultrasound, you should consult with your doctor.

What will the 5 Week Ultrasound Scan Look Like?

At a 5 weeks pregnant ultrasound appointment, you are likely just to see the gestational sac (a fluid-filled structure that encloses a developing embryo in early pregnancy) and the yolk sac (a tiny, membranous structure which provides nutrients to the embryo).

On the ultrasound scan, the gestational sac is the dark area and the small white circle is the yolk sac.

You can see an example of a 5 week ultrasound image below:

So, Can You Hear Your Baby’s Heartbeat at 5 Weeks Pregnant?

No, unfortunately, you cannot hear a fetal heartbeat at 5 weeks pregnant.

At 5 weeks pregnant, your baby’s heart is still developing (at this stage, just resembling a basic tube-like structure- not the four chambered organ we know of!), and your baby is very, very small right now!

You may be able to hear baby’s heartbeat at your dating scan- which typically happens between 8 weeks and 14 weeks of pregnancy with a fetal doppler.

Can You See A Heartbeat at 5 Weeks Pregnant?

No, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to see any fetal cardiac activity- such as a heartbeat- at this age.

When Will I Be Able to Hear Baby’s Heart?

To see the baby’s heartbeat, the crown-rump length must be at least 7mm long.

Your baby typically reaches the CRM at around 6 or 7 weeks pregnant, meaning at 6 or 7 weeks pregnant, you should be able to hear and see the fetal heartbeart!

However, it may take a little longer than 6-7 weeks to be able to hear the baby’s heartbeat, if:

• You are overweight – When you are overweight, the extra padding between the ultrasound wand and the baby can make it harder to detect the heartbeat.
• You have a retroverted uterus – Due to the positioning of your uterus, the baby can be further away and harder to detect.
• The due date is incorrect – Sometimes, your sonographer can predict that you are further along in your pregnancy than you actually are. If this happens, and you are too early in your pregnancy- you will not be able to hear a heartbeat

 

The Take-Away

It is still very early days, so whilst you may not hear a heartbeat right now, you will be able to hear and treasure your baby’s heartbeat later on in your pregnancy (from 6 or 7 weeks).

For information about ultrasound scans at other weeks, you can visit:

• 4 Week Ultrasound Scan
• 5 Week Ultrasound Scan
• 6 Week Ultrasound Scan
• 7 Week Ultrasound
• 8 Weeks Ultrasound Scan
• 9 Week Ultrasound Scan
• 10 Week Ultrasound Scan
• 11 Week Ultrasound Scan
• 12 Week Ultrasound Scan