At 7 weeks of pregnancy, you may not yet have that much coveted baby bump.
Nevertheless, your body is undergoing numerous changes on the inside.
Hormone levels are surging, particularly hCG, progesterone, and oestrogen.
These hormones help support and maintain the pregnancy (but they also cause certain side effects).
Want to learn more about your body and baby during your seventh week of pregnancy? Read ahead.
Your Baby at 7 Weeks of Pregnancy
At seven weeks, your baby is still very small, about the size of a blueberry or a grape, roughly 1.25 cm in length.
This week is critical for development as the embryo begins to take on a more recognisable human shape.
Here are some key developmental milestones for your baby at 7 weeks of pregnancy:
- Formation of Facial Features: By week seven, your baby’s facial features are starting to form. Small depressions mark where the nostrils and eyes will eventually be, and the inner ears are beginning to develop.
- Brain and Nervous System: The baby’s brain is growing rapidly, producing approximately 100 new brain cells per minute. The brain’s two hemispheres are beginning to form, and the neural network is expanding.
- Arm and Leg Buds: Tiny buds that will grow into arms and legs are now visible. These will lengthen and form into limbs over the coming weeks.
- Heartbeat: Although still very small, the baby’s heart is beating strongly at around 100-160 beats per minute, nearly twice as fast as an adult’s. The heartbeat can often be detected via an early ultrasound around this time, providing reassurance that development is progressing normally.
Your Body at 7 Weeks of Pregnancy
At 7 weeks pregnant you’ll still experience all of the normal symptoms from the previous weeks.
As usual, nausea, morning sickness, breast tenderness, fatigue, cramping, light spotting, and headaches.
However, the mood swings that you have begun to feel since week 6 may start to intensify. You may jump from sadness to joy to anxiety to apathy within minutes.
On top of this, you may also experience these other symptoms if you haven’t already:
- Increased thirst: As your blood volume grows, you may experience more thirst throughout the day. Remember to stay hydrated.
- Discharge: You may experience some clear or white (often odourless) discharge during this time. This fluid is caused by a rise in oestrogen levels as a result of the cervix creating more mucous to protect the pregnancy.
- Pigmentation: Some women already begin to experience some facial pigmentation or chloasma (some studies show that oestrogen may be to blame). However, this symptom will be more apparent in your third semester. Don’t forget to use sun protection to minimise this effect.
- Bloating: As progesterone rises, the smooth muscles in your body relaxes and loosens, including the ones in your digestive tract. This results in slow digestion, which in turn causes gas buildup, burping and upset stomach.
- Food aversions: If you haven’t had any strong dislike of foods before, you may by this week. This is caused by your heightened sense of smell and may contribute to a worsening of your morning sickness and nausea.
Not all pregnancy symptoms are bad though. By the 7th week of pregnancy, some women report shinier and most luscious hair.
Many women may already be somewhat familiar with their pregnancy symptoms by now.
However, it is also not rare if you don’t experience any of these symptoms at all.
Healthy Habits to Cultivate
At this point in your pregnancy, you would have already found out and confirmed that you are pregnant (unless you have something called cryptic pregnancy).
If you haven’t started making positive and healthy changes in your lifestyle, now is the time to do so.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help ease some symptoms and promote your baby’s development.
Here are some recommendations:
- Balanced diet: Focus on eating a varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Foods high in folic acid, iron, calcium, and vitamin D are especially important now.
- Hydration: Staying well-hydrated is essential, as it can help with fatigue and even alleviate some morning sickness. Aim for eight glasses of water a day, but listen to your body’s signals.
- Exercise: Light exercises like walking, stretching, or prenatal yoga can improve mood, boost energy, and support healthy blood flow. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise routine.
A Long Way to Go
At 7 weeks of pregnancy, you still won’t look pregnant but your baby is growing fast. That said, it will still be months before your due date.
Understanding what’s happening in your body and what to expect in the coming weeks can help make this journey more manageable.
These early week of pregnancy are training wheels to help you slowly ease into the reality of motherhood, in all its ups and downs.
References
- Moussavi, L., & Keramati, M. (2022). Metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells: Role of metabolic enzymes and non-coding RNAs. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 10, 813654. Retrieved November 12, 2024 from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10096982.
- Tseng, H. T., Lai, L. S., & Su, C. H. (2020). The role of the gut microbiome in metabolic diseases: Pathogenesis and therapeutic implications. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 11, 588085. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9342740.
- National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). (2020). Introduction to the microbiome. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved November 12, 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563181.
- National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). (2020). Cell signaling pathways in cancer. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved November 12, 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556135.
- National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). (2020). Vitamin D and calcium: A review of the literature. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved November 12, 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459271.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
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