6 weeks pregnant: the heartbeat, nausea and your dating scan

You're 6 weeks pregnant, and this is often when it starts to feel real. Growth speeds up, the heart appears as a looped tube, and HealthXchange says the heartbeat can now be seen on a transvaginal ultrasound. For you, nausea often starts around now, and KKH says it usually peaks between weeks 8 and 10.

Your baby at 6 weeks

The heart is the first organ to show. KKH describes it as a loop that already moves blood and nutrients around the embryo, though it isn't fully working yet. In a couple of weeks, a Doppler ultrasound can pick up the heartbeat as a sound.

Arm and leg buds appear as small spots that will grow into limbs, and the brain and digestive system are developing. Until about now, KKH says, progress was judged by counting somites, the blocks of tissue that become segments of the body. From next week, doctors switch to measuring length.

What you might feel this week

KKH's list of week 6 symptoms:

• nausea and vomiting, which usually peak at weeks 8 to 10
• tender breasts and darker nipples
• tiredness
• needing to pee more often
• food cravings or aversions

Nausea is linked to rising hCG and doesn't usually harm the baby, even if you lose a little weight at first, KKH says. Small, frequent meals help, and our morning sickness remedies guide has more ideas. Some women escape it altogether.

If you're peeing more, KKH suggests cutting back on caffeine, which makes you produce more urine. Its limit in pregnancy is under 200mg a day. A mug of instant coffee has about 60 to 80mg, a mug of filtered coffee about 140mg, and a cup of tea 30 to 50mg.

Singapore checks for week 6

HealthHub says the dating scan can be scheduled anytime from week 6 to week 12. It checks the pregnancy is in the right place, shows the heartbeat and estimates your due date, and KKH says your due date can be corrected after it. Put your period dates into our due date calculator before the visit so you know what to expect.

If you haven't booked a first visit, do it now. A polyclinic or CHAS GP clinic can refer you to a public hospital as a subsidised patient; a private gynae can be booked directly. Our prenatal check-ups and scans guide lays out the whole schedule.

Once a doctor has confirmed the pregnancy, keep the record. MOM's protection against dismissal without sufficient cause during pregnancy needs the pregnancy to be certified before any notice, and at least 3 months' service with your employer.

When nausea is too much

Most nausea is miserable but harmless. KKH says to see your gynae if your vomiting is getting worse and you've lost 5kg or more. That can be hyperemesis gravidarum, severe morning sickness that may need anti-vomiting medicine, or a hospital stay with a drip.

Also get checked for:

• burning when you pee, because KKH warns an untreated urine infection can complicate pregnancy
• bleeding or tummy pain
• feeling faint, chest pain or shortness of breath

Where to go: KKH runs a 24-hour walk-in Urgent O&G Centre (Basement 1, Women's Tower) for pain and bleeding in pregnancies under 22 weeks. Milder bleeding or pain before 16 weeks can be booked into its Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit for the same or next working day. Other hospitals have their own O&G urgent services, so ask yours where to go.

Frequently asked questions

Can you hear the heartbeat at 6 weeks pregnant?

You may see it flicker on a transvaginal scan, HealthXchange says. KKH says a Doppler ultrasound can usually pick up the sound a couple of weeks later.

6 weeks pregnant is how many months?

About one and a half months, counted from the first day of your last period.

Is it normal to have no nausea at 6 weeks?

Yes. KKH notes that some women escape morning sickness, and for those who get it, it usually peaks at weeks 8 to 10.

How much coffee can I drink at 6 weeks pregnant?

KKH's limit is under 200mg of caffeine a day. That's about two mugs of instant coffee, or one mug of filtered coffee at about 140mg.

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