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Week 7
How Big is the Baby at
Seven Weeks Pregnant?
During pregnancy week 7 your baby will grow
tremendously, up to 13 mm in length! Your baby is much closer to the size of a
large blueberry or small grape by 7 weeks pregnant than a pea.
Your Baby's Growth and Development
At 7
weeks pregnant facial features become more prominent in your newborn. Upon close
investigation you may be able to discern a mouth and even a tongue (you actually
can't see the tongue, but it is forming inside your baby!). During pregnancy
week 7 your baby's eyes will also start to become more fully formed, and now
have a retina and lens attached.
The major muscle systems in the body
also continue to develop during pregnancy week 7, and your baby begins to
produce his own blood type. Your baby's movements will be uncoordinated at best
at this point during pregnancy, but rest assured your little one is squirming
about his new home.
If you were to look directly at your baby you would
still be able to see slight webbing in the fingers and toes during pregnancy 7
weeks.
Teeth are also starting to form on the inside of your baby's
mouth, and thin veins start to peer out from beneath your baby's skin. Your
baby's intestines and appendix should be formed by now. By this time your baby's
liver is working diligently to start producing red blood cells. Your baby should
be bouncing right along in his comfy and warm home!
Your Growth and Development
You still
aren't showing much if at all by 7 weeks pregnant, though you might start
noticing a small pooch look to your lower abdomen. You may find that your
favorite pair of jeans is much less comfortable during pregnancy at 7 weeks than
your worn pair of baggy sweatpants. You might start thinking about maternity
clothes. Still, by and large most people will not be able to detect your
pregnancy yet as you won't start really showing until many weeks in the future.
Though it may seem like an eternity waiting for changes to come, know
that they will come with time! Before you know it your belly will be as big as a
watermelon, so enjoy the last few weeks that you can still see your toes! They
won't last very long.
Changes in
You
Undoubtedly you have started feeling more and more pregnant by
pregnancy at 7 weeks. You are probably still experiencing morning sickness. If
you are prone to migraine headaches, you may find they are worse or better
during pregnancy. While some women experience an almost complete relief of their
migraine symptoms during pregnancy, others find that migraines come on with
greater regularity.
Fortunately this will probably change as you follow
your pregnancy week by week. Some women actually experience their first migraine
during pregnancy.
Migraines are generally caused by blood vessels that
dilate in the brain. A migraine headache may start out like an ordinary
headache, with dull pain or throbbing, but typically progresses and gets worse
as time goes on. A constant pulsating sensation on one or both sides of the head
is often a symptom of a migraine. Unfortunately a migraine is no ordinary
headache. They are often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Some people
experience what is called an aura during a migraine. This is wavy lines, or
flashing lights before their eyes.
Migraines are usually not dangerous
during pregnancy. If however your migraine is accompanied by other symptoms
including fever or blurred vision, you should report your symptoms to your
healthcare provider immediately! Know that there are certain triggers that may
impact your susceptibility to migraines. These include the following:
- Stress
- Lack of
sleep
- Chocolate
- Cheeses
- Wine
- Coffee
- Hormones
- Smoke
- Strong odors
While
you can't control the hormonal changes that are occurring in your body, you can
do some natural things to help relieve your discomfort. Some women find that a
cold towel or frozen bag of peas on the head helps relieve the aching associated
with a migraine. Others simply prefer lying down. Meditation and yoga may
actually prove beneficial during pregnancy. While it is generally considered
acceptable to take Tylenol during pregnancy to help relieve pain, other forms of
pain relief including ibuprofen and aspirin should be avoided.
If your
headaches are truly severe be sure to report them to your healthcare provider.
There are some prescriptions that might be taken if the condition warrants it,
and if the benefits of taking the medicine outweigh the risks associated with
them. Know that this too in time shall pass, and when you are holding your
bundle of joy in your arms any discomfort that you felt in the early months will
be quickly forgotten.
Health
Tip
During pregnancy week 7 everything you place in your mouth has
the potential to affect your unborn baby. Make sure you learn what foods to eat
and what foods to avoid during pregnancy. Many women start having cravings
during pregnancy. Cravings are a perfectly natural part of pregnancy, but taken
to the extreme can lead to excessive weight gain during pregnancy.
The
most die-hard vegetarian may find themselves craving steak and other meat
products during pregnancy. They may also find it difficult to eat many of the
things they used to love, including leafy greens. Much of this is hormone
related. Cravings may also be an indication that your body is deficient in
certain nutrients. You may for example need more calcium if you are craving
products with milk in them.
Cravings
It is fairly common for your
taste preferences to change significantly during pregnancy. This may be a result
of your body's increasing metabolic demands and needs for additional calories.
Some studies show that a woman's cravings change from trimester to trimester.
Some of the more commonly reported cravings include pickles and salty snacks,
though fruit is actually one of the most common cravings among women. Salty
cravings may indicate that you need to incorporate more sodium into your diet
(though you'll definitely need to drink more water if you crave salt, the excess
salt can lead to bloating).
You may tend to gain more weight if you
start eating foods that were formally 'off limits'. A vegetarian for example
that starts indulging in T-bones and ice cream may find they gain weight more
rapidly than a woman who has always eaten these things. The good news however,
is that you can indulge your cravings to some extent without packing on an
excessive amount of weight. The key is to allow yourself small indulgences
without going overboard. If for example you have a craving for chocolate,
consider having a mini chocolate bar rather than devouring the entire chocolate
cake you made for your neighbor's birthday party.
Incorporating many
different types of food into your diet may also help combat and satisfy
cravings.
Some women actually have very unusual cravings during pregnancy.
Some common examples include paint chips, dirt or starch. This is actually a
situation where you should not indulge your cravings and you should consult with
your healthcare provider. You may have a condition known as pica. This condition
is often linked to nutritional deficiencies.
Other cravings that may be
harmful during pregnancy include cravings for raw products such as raw fish or
eggs. Be sure you avoid any substances that might prove dangerous or harmful for
you and your baby, and you should be able to manage the cravings that accompany
pregnancy beautifully in the long run.
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