Your pregnancy at 7 weeks
During week 7 of pregnancy, your baby will continue to develop quickly. The vital organ systems are continuing to grow, and most development now will be in the head and face regions.
In fact, your baby is making about 100 new brain cells every minute.
Your baby has already gone through three sets of kidneys by week 7, but this week they will start developing their final set which will be ready for waste management.
In the next few weeks, your baby will start to produce urine which will form part of the amniotic fluid.
This MNT Knowledge Center feature is part of a series of articles on pregnancy. It provides a summary of each stage of pregnancy, what to expect, and insights into how your baby is developing.
Take a look at the other articles in the series:
First trimester: fertilization, implantation, week 5, week 6, week 7, week 8, week 9, week 10, week 11, week 12.
Second trimester: week 13, week 14, week 15, week 16, week 17, week 18, week 19, week 20, week 21, week 22, week 23, week 24, week 25, week 26.
Symptoms
At this stage of pregnancy, you may not feel very different, because there are little if any visible physical body changes.
You may, however, begin to experience physical symptoms such as:
nausea and vomiting, sometimes called "morning sickness"
weight gain or loss
excess saliva
food aversions and cravings
heartburn and indigestion
a need to urinate more often
fatigue
mild pelvic cramping
occasional vaginal spotting
Breast changes include:
enlargement
tenderness
tingling
nipple erection or nipple sensitivity
darkening of the areola, the part around the nipple
the presence of areolar bumps, which are actually sweat glands, known as Montgomery tubercles
From weeks 6 to 24, there is a higher risk of urinary tract infections. If symptoms are not only from the pregnancy, and you suspect an infection, speak with your health care provider about treatment.
Hormones
Throughout pregnancy, you will experience variations in certain hormones. These contribute to many of the symptoms you may experience.
Following implantation of the fertilized egg, your body begins to secrete human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), which is the hormone that will be detected in a pregnancy test.
HCG is responsible for regulating estrogen and progesterone. It contributes to frequent urination.
Progesterone is initially produced by the corpus luteum. It rises throughout pregnancy and continues to do so until the delivery.
In early pregnancy, progesterone is responsible for increasing uterine blood flow, establishing the placenta and stimulating the growth and nutrient production of the endometrium, or the lining of the uterus.
It also plays a vital role in fetal development, preventing premature labor and lactation, and strengthening the pelvic wall muscles to prepare your body for labor.
In addition to progesterone, the placenta is vital in secreting vital hormones during your pregnancy.
These include:
Human placental lactogen: This hormone is believed to handle mammary gland growth, which will be important for breastfeeding after delivery. It also plays a role in increasing nutrient levels in your blood. This is vital to the growth and development of your baby.
Corticotrophin-releasing hormone: This hormone is responsible for determining how long you will be pregnant and for your baby's growth and development. Later in pregnancy, the rise in both corticotrophin-releasing hormone and cortisol not only complete fetal organ development but also provide the mother with a surge of cortisol. This has been linked to maternal attentiveness, increasing the mother-baby bond.
Relaxin: This can cause physical symptoms such as pelvic pain, balance difficulties, and constipation. This is because it relaxes the mother's muscles, ligaments, and joints.
Estrogen
Another vital hormone in pregnancy is estrogen. This is responsible for fetal organ development, placental growth and function, and mammary gland growth, which will be important for lactation following the birth of your baby.
Additionally, estrogen is needed for regulation of other hormones produced during pregnancy.
The rise in progesterone and estrogen can trigger some less pleasant pregnancy symptoms, such as mood swings and nausea.
Baby's development
At 7 weeks pregnant, there are many changes in your baby's development.
These include:
continued brain development
continued facial feature formation, including the nostrils, mouth, tongue, and eye lenses
continued limb development, as limb buds continuing to mature resembling paddles
hands, arms, and shoulders are forming
continued spinal cord development
continued heart, lung, and intestinal development
gonad formation
The knees and ankles are taking shape, and the legs are now in proportion to your baby's size. Toenails are also starting to form.
Muscle development continues, with additional growth and strength.
Although the kidneys are maturing and beginning to function, urination will not normally start until next week.
Baby's size
At 10,000 times larger than at the time of conception, your baby now measures approximately 13 to 18 millimeters (mm), or around the size of a large blueberry.
The embryo has distinct, slightly webbed fingers and toes. It is like a jumping bean, moving in fits and starts.
Things to do
Even though it is early on in your pregnancy, your task list is beginning to grow throughout your first trimester.
This is a good time to schedule a prenatal visit. Your health provider will examine you and obtain necessary tests to confirm your pregnancy and evaluate your health.
The following tests may be done:
pap smear, if necessary
blood tests, to check for blood type, Rh factor, iron levels, measles and German measles immunity, and so on
in some cases, genetic and ethnicity-related genetic disease testing
tests for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
urine testing to assess glucose (sugar), protein, bacteria and red and white blood cells
Lifestyle changes
You will soon find out that there are many lifestyle modifications that need to be made during pregnancy and even after delivery.
General health
During pregnancy, you will need to take care of yourself and your developing baby.
Be sure not to drink alcohol or smoke during pregnancy, and avoid all other toxic substances such as drugs during this time.
Discuss all medications you are taking with your health provider, to ensure that you should continue use during your pregnancy.
To nourish yourself and your baby, make sure you eat a healthy diet and take a good prenatal vitamin, as recommended by your health provider.
Another way to maintain your health during pregnancy is to get 30 minutes per day of exercise such as yoga, walking or swimming.
Speak with your health provider about your current or desired exercise regimen to make sure it is safe.
Beauty
Using permanent hair color is not recommended during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Instead, consider using a semi-permanent dye.
Food
Is safe to eat fish during pregnancy, but you should limit your intake to 2 to 3 servings, or between 8 and 12 ounces of fish and shellfish per week.
Some fish have higher mercury levels, such as grouper, halibut, or Albacore tuna, or white tuna. You should limit these to one serving a week, or no more than 6 ounces.
Fish that are not safe to consume during pregnancy include king mackerel, marlin, shark, swordfish, and tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico.
These have high levels of mercury, which can be harmful to your baby's brain and nervous system.
Concerns
If you have questions regarding your pregnancy, be sure to contact your health care provider.
Call your doctor if you are experiencing symptoms that could indicate an ectopic pregnancy or loss of pregnancy.
These include:
vaginal bleeding or passage of tissue
leaking vaginal fluid
feeling faint or dizzy
low blood pressure
rectal pressure
shoulder pain
severe pelvic pain or cramping
During week 7 of pregnancy, your baby will continue to develop quickly. The vital organ systems are continuing to grow, and most development now will be in the head and face regions.
In fact, your baby is making about 100 new brain cells every minute.
Your baby has already gone through three sets of kidneys by week 7, but this week they will start developing their final set which will be ready for waste management.
In the next few weeks, your baby will start to produce urine which will form part of the amniotic fluid.
This MNT Knowledge Center feature is part of a series of articles on pregnancy. It provides a summary of each stage of pregnancy, what to expect, and insights into how your baby is developing.
Take a look at the other articles in the series:
First trimester: fertilization, implantation, week 5, week 6, week 7, week 8, week 9, week 10, week 11, week 12.
Second trimester: week 13, week 14, week 15, week 16, week 17, week 18, week 19, week 20, week 21, week 22, week 23, week 24, week 25, week 26.
Symptoms
At this stage of pregnancy, you may not feel very different, because there are little if any visible physical body changes.
You may, however, begin to experience physical symptoms such as:
nausea and vomiting, sometimes called "morning sickness"
weight gain or loss
excess saliva
food aversions and cravings
heartburn and indigestion
a need to urinate more often
fatigue
mild pelvic cramping
occasional vaginal spotting
Breast changes include:
enlargement
tenderness
tingling
nipple erection or nipple sensitivity
darkening of the areola, the part around the nipple
the presence of areolar bumps, which are actually sweat glands, known as Montgomery tubercles
From weeks 6 to 24, there is a higher risk of urinary tract infections. If symptoms are not only from the pregnancy, and you suspect an infection, speak with your health care provider about treatment.
Hormones
Throughout pregnancy, you will experience variations in certain hormones. These contribute to many of the symptoms you may experience.
Following implantation of the fertilized egg, your body begins to secrete human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), which is the hormone that will be detected in a pregnancy test.
HCG is responsible for regulating estrogen and progesterone. It contributes to frequent urination.
Progesterone is initially produced by the corpus luteum. It rises throughout pregnancy and continues to do so until the delivery.
In early pregnancy, progesterone is responsible for increasing uterine blood flow, establishing the placenta and stimulating the growth and nutrient production of the endometrium, or the lining of the uterus.
It also plays a vital role in fetal development, preventing premature labor and lactation, and strengthening the pelvic wall muscles to prepare your body for labor.
In addition to progesterone, the placenta is vital in secreting vital hormones during your pregnancy.
These include:
Human placental lactogen: This hormone is believed to handle mammary gland growth, which will be important for breastfeeding after delivery. It also plays a role in increasing nutrient levels in your blood. This is vital to the growth and development of your baby.
Corticotrophin-releasing hormone: This hormone is responsible for determining how long you will be pregnant and for your baby's growth and development. Later in pregnancy, the rise in both corticotrophin-releasing hormone and cortisol not only complete fetal organ development but also provide the mother with a surge of cortisol. This has been linked to maternal attentiveness, increasing the mother-baby bond.
Relaxin: This can cause physical symptoms such as pelvic pain, balance difficulties, and constipation. This is because it relaxes the mother's muscles, ligaments, and joints.
Estrogen
Another vital hormone in pregnancy is estrogen. This is responsible for fetal organ development, placental growth and function, and mammary gland growth, which will be important for lactation following the birth of your baby.
Additionally, estrogen is needed for regulation of other hormones produced during pregnancy.
The rise in progesterone and estrogen can trigger some less pleasant pregnancy symptoms, such as mood swings and nausea.
Baby's development
At 7 weeks pregnant, there are many changes in your baby's development.
These include:
continued brain development
continued facial feature formation, including the nostrils, mouth, tongue, and eye lenses
continued limb development, as limb buds continuing to mature resembling paddles
hands, arms, and shoulders are forming
continued spinal cord development
continued heart, lung, and intestinal development
gonad formation
The knees and ankles are taking shape, and the legs are now in proportion to your baby's size. Toenails are also starting to form.
Muscle development continues, with additional growth and strength.
Although the kidneys are maturing and beginning to function, urination will not normally start until next week.
Baby's size
At 10,000 times larger than at the time of conception, your baby now measures approximately 13 to 18 millimeters (mm), or around the size of a large blueberry.
The embryo has distinct, slightly webbed fingers and toes. It is like a jumping bean, moving in fits and starts.
Things to do
Even though it is early on in your pregnancy, your task list is beginning to grow throughout your first trimester.
This is a good time to schedule a prenatal visit. Your health provider will examine you and obtain necessary tests to confirm your pregnancy and evaluate your health.
The following tests may be done:
pap smear, if necessary
blood tests, to check for blood type, Rh factor, iron levels, measles and German measles immunity, and so on
in some cases, genetic and ethnicity-related genetic disease testing
tests for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
urine testing to assess glucose (sugar), protein, bacteria and red and white blood cells
Lifestyle changes
You will soon find out that there are many lifestyle modifications that need to be made during pregnancy and even after delivery.
General health
During pregnancy, you will need to take care of yourself and your developing baby.
Be sure not to drink alcohol or smoke during pregnancy, and avoid all other toxic substances such as drugs during this time.
Discuss all medications you are taking with your health provider, to ensure that you should continue use during your pregnancy.
To nourish yourself and your baby, make sure you eat a healthy diet and take a good prenatal vitamin, as recommended by your health provider.
Another way to maintain your health during pregnancy is to get 30 minutes per day of exercise such as yoga, walking or swimming.
Speak with your health provider about your current or desired exercise regimen to make sure it is safe.
Beauty
Using permanent hair color is not recommended during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Instead, consider using a semi-permanent dye.
Food
Is safe to eat fish during pregnancy, but you should limit your intake to 2 to 3 servings, or between 8 and 12 ounces of fish and shellfish per week.
Some fish have higher mercury levels, such as grouper, halibut, or Albacore tuna, or white tuna. You should limit these to one serving a week, or no more than 6 ounces.
Fish that are not safe to consume during pregnancy include king mackerel, marlin, shark, swordfish, and tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico.
These have high levels of mercury, which can be harmful to your baby's brain and nervous system.
Concerns
If you have questions regarding your pregnancy, be sure to contact your health care provider.
Call your doctor if you are experiencing symptoms that could indicate an ectopic pregnancy or loss of pregnancy.
These include:
vaginal bleeding or passage of tissue
leaking vaginal fluid
feeling faint or dizzy
low blood pressure
rectal pressure
shoulder pain
severe pelvic pain or cramping
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