Being 6 weeks pregnant covers days 42–48 after the first day of your last period (6+0 to 6+6 weeks), and you are in the 2nd month of pregnancy. The baby's arm and leg buds appear, the heartbeat can be seen on a vaginal scan. For many women, nausea starts or gets worse around now.
About 1 month and 12 days have passed since the first day of your last period; 6 weeks pregnant is in the 2nd month of pregnancy.
According to the NHS, your baby is about 6 mm long this week, about the size and shape of a pea, and with its little tail it looks a bit like a tadpole. The arms and legs are starting to form as limb buds, and there are tiny dents where the ears will be. There is a bump where the heart is and a bulge where the head will be. The liver, brain and musculoskeletal system are developing, and the embryo is covered with a thin layer of see-through skin.
According to UpToDate, the limb buds appear by day 30 after fertilisation; the embryo's age is counted from fertilisation, so it runs two weeks behind gestational age. The heartbeat becomes visible on a vaginal scan around this time (see the ultrasound section below).
Nausea and tiredness are the most common complaints this week. Nausea usually starts at 5–6 weeks and is at its worst at around 9 weeks (UpToDate, 2026). Despite the name “morning sickness”, it can happen at any time of day, and for about 80% of women who have it, it lasts all day. The NHS notes it is often worse when you first wake up.
The NHS suggests:
NICE also suggests ginger as a non-drug option for mild to moderate nausea and says it is likely to settle before 16 to 20 weeks (NICE NG201, 2021).
Sore breasts, mood swings, headaches, a heightened sense of smell, needing to pee more often and cramps a bit like period pains are also common. According to the NHS, many women feel better once the first trimester is over, after 12 weeks.
If you have not had your first antenatal visit yet, now is the time to arrange it: the Turkish Ministry of Health guideline advises the first visit within the first 14 weeks, and NICE advises the first appointment by 10+0 weeks. What happens at the first visit is similar in both:
The blood and urine tests offered at the first visit, and how the organisations differ, are set out in a table on the 7 weeks pregnant page.
On a vaginal scan, seeing the heartbeat indicates a pregnancy of about 5.5 to 6 weeks. The embryo usually becomes large enough to measure at 6 to 7 weeks; the crown-rump length (CRL) measured up to 8+6 weeks is the best measurement for setting the due date, accurate to ±5 days (UpToDate, 2026).
If the heartbeat cannot be seen yet, some doctors record the measurement and repeat the scan about a week later to confirm the pregnancy is progressing (UpToDate). In England, the NHS notes that you are unlikely to be offered a scan at this stage unless you have had IVF.
| Symptom | Usually | Seek care if |
|---|---|---|
| Nausea and vomiting | It commonly starts at 5–6 weeks, can happen at any time of day and is often worse in the morning (UpToDate; NHS). | Go to the emergency department if you cannot keep food or fluids down for more than 12 hours, feel dizzy when standing, are very thirsty, have a racing heart or are passing much less urine (UpToDate). |
| Cramping or pulling in the pelvis | Cramps a bit like period pains are common in the first trimester (NHS). | Pain on one side, pain that keeps getting worse or pain with bleeding needs checking; for sudden severe pain, feeling faint or shoulder-tip pain, go to the emergency department. Ectopic pregnancy symptoms typically appear 6–8 weeks after the last period (UpToDate). |
| Headache | The NHS lists headaches among the common symptoms this week. | The Turkish Ministry of Health guideline lists a severe headache and blurred vision among the danger signs in pregnancy; seek care if you have them. |
| Spotting or bleeding | Bleeding is common in the first trimester and most women who bleed do not miscarry (UpToDate), but because it also occurs with miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy it is not treated as normal. | The NHS advises seeing a doctor for any bleeding; the cause is usually clarified with an ultrasound scan. |
Most of these are danger signs or emergency referral criteria in the Turkish Ministry of Health guideline; the ectopic pregnancy signs and the 12-hour threshold for severe vomiting are based on UpToDate (UpToDate, 2026). The NHS also advises seeing a doctor for any bleeding in pregnancy. Contact your doctor or go to the nearest emergency department without waiting; for sudden severe abdominal pain, fainting or shoulder-tip pain, go straight to the emergency department.
Being 6 weeks pregnant is about 1 month and 12 days since the first day of your last period, which counts as the 2nd month of pregnancy.
Often, yes. Seeing a heartbeat on a vaginal scan indicates a pregnancy of about 5.5 to 6 weeks (UpToDate, 2026), and the NHS also notes that the heartbeat can sometimes be picked up on a vaginal scan this week. If it cannot be seen yet early in the week, your doctor may repeat the scan about a week later.
According to the NHS, about 6 mm long, about the size of a pea. The embryo usually becomes measurable on ultrasound at 6 to 7 weeks (UpToDate, 2026).
The NHS suggests eating 6 small meals a day, keeping a snack by your bed, resting and drinking water. Ginger, sucking ice cubes and acupressure wristbands help some women. NICE also suggests ginger as a non-drug option for mild to moderate nausea. If you cannot keep anything down for more than 12 hours, go to the emergency department (UpToDate, 2026).
Mild cramps a bit like period pains are common in the first trimester (NHS). However, ectopic pregnancy symptoms typically appear 6–8 weeks after the last period, which is exactly this time. Seek care without delay for pain on one side, pain that keeps getting worse, pain with bleeding, sudden severe pain or feeling faint (UpToDate, 2026).
Last updated: . All sources have been confirmed with their latest versions. This content is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for a doctor's examination.