Week 5: When the queasiness creeps in

This week a tiny heart is beginning to form and will soon start to beat, while the neural tube — the foundation of the brain and spinal cord — takes shape. It’s an enormous amount happening inside something still only the size of an apple seed.

For many people this is when morning sickness arrives. It can strike at any time of day, not just mornings, and often comes alongside a suddenly powerful sense of smell and a tiredness that can floor you by mid-afternoon. It can feel rough, but it’s usually a sign your hormones are doing exactly what they should — and if you have no symptoms at all, that’s perfectly normal too.

Small, frequent snacks tend to help more than big meals, since an empty stomach can make queasiness worse. Many people find ginger settles things, cold foods smell less intense than hot ones, and plain options like crackers, toast and fruit are easier to face. Sip water through the day so you stay topped up.

A few more things take the edge off the queasy weeks. Acupressure bands (the kind sold for travel sickness) help some people, and your pharmacist or GP can suggest pregnancy-safe options, like vitamin B6, if you’re really struggling. Eat what appeals, even if it’s beige and boring for a while — your baby draws on your reserves, so a few weeks of plain food won’t harm them. And go gently on yourself emotionally: feeling miserable, irritable or weepy while also being told this is a “magical” time is a strange combination, and you’re completely allowed to find it hard.

It can help to remember this stage is temporary, even when it doesn’t feel like it — for most people the worst of the queasiness fades by the start of the second trimester. In the meantime, lean on whatever gets you through: easy meals, an earlier bedtime, and saying no to things without guilt. If work is a struggle, you’re entitled to look after yourself, and your GP can provide a medical certificate if you need a little time off.

Rest whenever you can — first-trimester fatigue is real, and needing to lie down is not a sign you aren’t coping. If you ever can’t keep any fluids down at all, don’t try to tough it out: your GP can help, and there’s safe support available.