6 Weeks Pregnant: First Heartbeat Flicker and Early Scans

At 6 weeks pregnant you are 6 weeks and 0 to 6 days from the first day of your last period, about four weeks after conception. You are in the first trimester, and 6 weeks pregnant is about one and a half months. The big moment this week: on an early ultrasound, your baby’s heartbeat can often be seen as a tiny flicker for the first time.

For many mums, week 6 is also when nausea and tiredness start in earnest. Here is what is developing, how to cope, and what to expect if you have your first scan around now.

Your baby at 6 weeks

Your baby is about 5 mm long, roughly the size of a pea or a single grain of uncooked rice turned on its end. These are averages, and every baby grows at a slightly different pace.

This week the embryo is changing shape quickly:

• Heart activity. The heart, still a simple structure, is beating fast, and a transvaginal scan can often pick it up as a flicker from around 6 to 7 weeks.
• Limb buds. Small bumps appear where the arms and legs will grow.
• Head and face. A larger bulge forms for the head, with tiny dents marking where the ears will be and darker spots where the eyes are developing.
• Brain and nerves. The neural tube has closed, and the brain is dividing into its main regions.
• Thin skin. A thin, see-through layer of skin covers the embryo.

The embryo is still curled, with a small tail-like end that will disappear in the coming weeks as the body grows.

Your body at 6 weeks

Pregnancy hormones are rising quickly, and many symptoms ramp up this week:

• Morning sickness, often worse when you first wake up or when your stomach is empty.
• Fatigue that can make an ordinary working day feel like a marathon.
• Sore, heavier breasts; a soft, non-wired bra can help, especially in the heat.
• Peeing more often, including at night, as blood flow to your kidneys rises.
• Headaches, mood swings and food aversions.
• Light spotting or period-like cramps, which are common but always worth mentioning to your doctor.

Coping in Singapore’s heat

Heat and humidity can make nausea, headaches and light-headedness worse. Sip fluids steadily rather than gulping, choose air-conditioned routes on hot afternoons, and keep a small towel and a fan in your bag. Cold foods smell less than hot ones, so chilled fruit, soya bean milk or yoghurt can be easier on queasy days. For more ideas, see our morning sickness remedies.

If your periods were irregular, your dates may be a little off, so your symptoms may not match “week 6” exactly. The dating scan will sort this out.

Checkups and tests around 6 weeks in Singapore

Many private gynaes like to see you from around 6 or 7 weeks. In subsidised care, the first hospital visit is often a little later, so a polyclinic or GP referral now is a good step. The first visit with a dating scan usually happens somewhere between weeks 6 and 10.

If you do have a scan at 6 weeks, it will usually be transvaginal, because the embryo is too small to see well through the tummy. It is safe and does not harm the pregnancy. The doctor will look for:

• A pregnancy sac inside the womb, which rules out most ectopic pregnancies.
• A yolk sac and an embryo, and its length.
• A heartbeat, if it is visible yet.
• Whether there is one baby or more.

Do not panic if the heartbeat is not seen yet. If your ovulation was later than average, the pregnancy may simply be a few days younger than your dates suggest. Doctors often ask you to return in 7 to 10 days for a repeat scan before drawing any conclusions. Our guide to pregnancy scans and tests in Singapore explains this and later tests, with typical costs.

Your due date may be adjusted based on the baby’s measurements. Our pregnancy calculator gives you a starting estimate.

Your 6-week checklist

• Confirm your first appointment, and get a polyclinic or GP referral if you want subsidised care at KKH, NUH or SGH.
• Keep taking folic acid. If your prenatal vitamin makes nausea worse, take it with food or at night, or ask about switching to plain folic acid for now.
• Bring your partner to the scan if you can; it is reassuring to have support, whatever the result.
• Note any spotting, pain or symptoms in your phone to share with the doctor.
• Stock up on bland, safe snacks at work and at home.
• Go easy on yourself: swap intense workouts for walking, swimming or prenatal yoga if you feel drained.

Spotting is common at this stage and often harmless, but it always deserves a call. Our guide to spotting during pregnancy explains the common causes and what to note down for the doctor.

The bottom line

At 6 weeks pregnant, your pea-sized baby’s heart is beating, limb buds are appearing, and you may see that first flicker on a scan. If the heartbeat is not visible yet, a repeat scan in a week or so is common and often reassuring. Catch up on 5 weeks pregnant, read ahead to 7 weeks pregnant, browse the full pregnancy week by week guide, or see our first trimester guide. The NHS has a useful 6 weeks pregnant overview too.