When you’re 7 weeks pregnant, there are too many things to be expected, perhaps not when it comes to the size of your belly, but there are many more things happening on the inside that you cannot see but soon to feel!
By week 7 pregnancy, your baby is almost the size of a blueberry, you might be having some weight loss due to morning sickness or you might be facing some trouble with fitting on your pants due to bloating, or even to fit on your bra as they grow bigger during pregnancy.
Symptoms of Week 7 Pregnancy
As your baby starts to form and grow, you will be going through a few changes, whether you’ve already experienced it knowing you are pregnant or you suspect a pregnancy at its early stages, if you face those symptoms, make sure to visit your doctor to check for early pregnancy.
- Vomiting
- Darker areolas
- Tender breasts
- Mild pelvic cramps
- Nausea
- Frequent urination
- Occasional spotting
- Constant fatigue
- Food aversion
Baby’s Growth and Development by Week 7
Up until the sixth week of pregnancy, everything was about the baby’s heartbeat. When you reach week 7, you’ll have even bigger updates to be excited about, for instance, your baby starts developing physical and facial features for the first time! More changes include:
- By the 7th week of pregnancy, your baby is now ⅓ to half an inch long, which is about the length of your smallest fingernail.
- Your baby’s face becomes more defined by your 7th week of pregnancy as your baby’s nostrils, ears, and mouth start to develop.
- The lenses of your baby’s eyes start to form and the color of the iris is now visible.
- Big developments start happening such as the formation of your baby’s arms, legs, hand, feet, and shoulders and you get closer and closer to the early formation of toes and fingers.
- During the 7th and 8th week of pregnancy, your baby’s neck starts becoming more straight and his body becomes even longer.
- Most importantly, your baby’s brain starts to become more complex as the skull grows to protect it and at this point, it is still transparent.
Your Body Changes During Week 7 Pregnancy
During the 7th week of pregnancy, your body has to go through a few stages to support your constantly growing baby, those stages include:
- You might be going through the normal stages at this point such as getting tender breasts, feeling nausea, or fatigue.
- Your hormones production increases rapidly during your 7th week.
- You might go through some mood swings that feel like PMS (premenstrual symptoms) accompanied by what we call an emotional rollercoaster.
- A mucosal plug blocks the cervical canal by week 7 of pregnancy to prevent germs from reaching the uterus.
How to Make the Best of Your 7th Week of Pregnancy
You aim to have a healthy progressive week so that your baby can go through those stages easily with no problems to be faced in the future. The pregnancy at this point is still very new however, it is never too early to start practicing good healthy habits to kick start your 7th week!
Schedule a Prenatal Visit
Your very first prenatal visit will be around the 7th or 8th week of pregnancy which would be the most extensive visit of them all. During this visit, your doctor will need to have a full health history profile for you to determine an approximate due date.
As well as doing a full check-up to identify any pregnancy risks, on top of doing a physical exam and a pelvic exam using a Pap smear. Blood pressure and weight will be part of the checks in addition to urine and blood tests.
Begin Prenatal Workouts!
Prenatal exercises are a great way to keep your body active and to help you go back to your normal body stage faster after you give birth. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists supports dedicating 30 minutes of your day to prenatal workouts.
Simple workouts such as swimming, yoga, and walking are all great ways to start however be careful of heavy workouts such as running or lifting weights or intensive cardio as those kinds of activities need your doctor’s approval after looking into your health history and your physical state.
Quit Unhealthy Habits
By the 7th week of pregnancy, you will need to cut out many habits as they might affect your unborn child. Habits such as smoking or drinking as they can cause very serious complications during and after pregnancy.
Those complications could lead to premature labor and low birth weight, both could lead to serious issues after birth. If you feel like you have a problem with quitting, contact your doctor for immediate help.
When to Call Your Doctor
Your first trimester is going to be a bit tricky as many things can occur including miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, an ectopic pregnancy is what happens when the baby forms outside the uterus, inside one of the fallopian tubes for instance.
Ectopic pregnancy could be a life-threatening situation for the mother. You might have normal pregnancy symptoms without realizing that the fetus is being developed outside the womb.
An ectopic pregnancy cannot be completed, and if it was left untreated, the area surrounding the embryo will eventually rupture. Make sure to consult a doctor immediately if you face the following symptoms:
- Constant low blood pressure
- Shoulder pain
- Feeling sudden nausea or dizziness
- Extreme vaginal bleeding
- Sharp or severe pelvic pain
Miscarriages can still happen during the first trimester and up to 20 weeks! However, if you passed the first 12 weeks safely, then the chances of having a miscarriage are very low. A miscarriage can happen due to many issues including a gene problem or a uterus issue.
If you face any of the following signs, make sure to contact and visit your doctor as soon as possible:
- Pieces of tissue passing through the vagina
- Abdominal severe pain
- Faintness or constant dizziness
- Bleeding or blood spots
- Vaginal pink fluid gushing out
Even though any woman can have a miscarriage, most women can have a normal healthy pregnancy late after a miscarriage occurs.
Final Thoughts
Your 7th week of pregnancy is a very exciting point of your 9 months journey as at this point many main features start to shape, it is as well the start of a healthy pregnancy as you can start planning your doctor visits and your exercising routine. Be alert for any unusual signs and make sure to contact your doctor if anything abnormal occurs.