Seven weeks into the pregnancy, you can now feel more of the signs and effects of carrying your soon-to-be baby in your womb. However, externally, there may still be no baby bump or other signs of pregnancy. You are 7 weeks pregnant now, and you’re nearing the completion of your first trimester. Below are bits of facts that could help you tread your way at seven weeks of pregnancy.
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How Big Is My Baby
At seven weeks, your baby is the size of a blueberry or around half an inch. While this may not be very big, think about this for a moment: at three weeks, your baby was smaller than a grain of salt. So growing from that size is already a huge development.
My Baby’s Development
Your baby is starting to develop its face. Spots for the eyes, nose, ears, and mouth become prominent. Aside from that, your blueberry-sized baby is also beginning to establish crucial body parts, like the heart and kidneys. Your baby is also starting to grow limbs—the hands, arms, shoulder segments, legs, knees, and foot segments.
What Is My Baby Doing?
At seven weeks, your tiny one is busy developing. Amazingly, your seven-week-old embryo is generating around 100 new brain cells every minute. The baby is also starting to move, but small as it is, you won’t feel it kick inside you yet.
Belly Ultrasound
If you have a low-risk pregnancy, your OB may not schedule you yet for an ultrasound. But should you take the imaging in this week, you’ll see your baby wrapped in a bubble that is the amniotic cavity. This environment is where your baby develops, and it is filled with amniotic fluid to protect him or her from external pressure on the abdomen. The developing neural tube, which will become the brain and the spinal cord later on, will also be visible.
My Changing Body - Week 7
Compared to the first few weeks of your pregnancy, you will experience fatigue more easily as your body starts to feel the weight of carrying the baby in your womb. As the weeks pass by, your breasts will be more tender and swollen than before. There could be more pain now, and you can feel plenty of cramping in your lower abdomen. You will also be more sensitive starting this week, especially in your lower body. Similar to last week, you may still experience spotting.
Common Symptoms
For one, you will feel the need to frequently pee because, at this point, blood flow has increased to your pelvic area. You will also notice excess saliva in your mouth. Nausea and vomiting can be stronger at week 7 of pregnancy as heightened levels of pregnancy hormones are in your body. Another obvious symptom is food craving or aversion. You will probably find yourself having an unexplainable urge to eat something you don’t like or suddenly hate the food you used to love.
How Is My Life Changing
The halfway point of your first trimester is a crucial time. So while it gets more exciting because your baby is already developing quickly in your womb, things also get riskier. You will need to be more cautious about your health. As a preggy mom, you may have to slow down on your daily grind for work and spare more time for rest. You also need to be more conscious of your health since your baby depends on you for nutrition. Things are going to change, so it’s best to start preparing for the things to come.
Week 7 Mommy Checklist
- Research and read up on prenatal tests so that you are more informed about what would happen during consultations. You will be facing a series of tests that would require various samples of bodily fluids.
- Ensure you are getting proper nutrition for you and your baby. Whenever you feel a food craving, try your best to stay eating healthy.
- Check which over-the-counter medicines are safe and take the appropriate, doctor-recommended medication that would supplement your food intake to ensure full nutritional value.
Tips For The Partners
Now more than in the previous weeks, you need to be more patient with your partner and what she has been going through. It takes a whole lot of understanding to be able to remain by her side through all of the changes and hullabaloos brought about by her journey towards the first trimester.
A Sneak Peek of Week 8
Next week, prepare for more changes in your body. Expect a heightened sense of smell that would make you hate even the slightest “disgusting” smell you encounter. You may also feel constipated, which happens to nearly half of all pregnant women at this stage. At eight weeks, your baby is now bigger than a blueberry, and the most awesome thing is that when you take an ultrasound, you can now hear your baby’s heartbeat! How exciting could that be?
