Tiny Fingers And Toes Form

At 7 weeks pregnant you will most probably go for your first prenatal doctor’s visit. So it’s a good thing to keep a list of questions ready to ask your doc. Also brace yourself up for the preliminary round of blood and urine tests and an ultrasound too.

Read:Diagnostic Tests in Pregnancy

Your Baby at Week 7

Though your baby is growing at an astronomical rate, it hasn’t added much to your weight yet. However, your 7 weeks pregnant ultrasound will show that your uterus has doubled in size now and your baby has doubled in size since last week and is 10,000 times bigger than it was at conception one month ago!

• Your baby is about the size of a blueberry and technically still an embryo. Some of the big developments in this week:
• Baby’s tiny fingers and toes are just beginning to form this week. The arms and legs grow longer and can even flex at the joints.
• The eyes are becoming more obvious because they’ve begun to develop pigment in the retina.
• The intestines are getting longer and there isn’t enough room for them in the baby’s abdomen, so they protrude into the umbilical cord until week 12.
• Baby has a permanent set of kidneys now which will begin to function shortly
• By now, the beginnings of the buds that will develop into your baby’s genitals have appeared, though they’ve not developed enough to reveal the sex of your baby.

Read: Pregnancy Snacking

Week 7 Pregnancy Symptoms

Pregnancy symptoms become prominent for those who haven’t yet started experiencing them. These include:

• Nausea/Vomitting
• Frequent urination
• Food cravings and aversions
• Fatigue
• Mild Spotting
• Mood Swings
• Tender Breasts
• Darkening of the Areola

Important things to do this week

• Schedule your pre-natal appointment with your doctor, if you already haven’t. This visit may stretch a bit, as your doc will have to review your medical history and do a complete physical examination while checking your pelvic, blood pressure, weight.
• Don’t forget to discuss about your health issues (like diabetes, asthma, high/low BP, allergies), if any. Also, remember to tell the doctor if you are on any medication. She will advice you accordingly – if it’s safe to continue or not.
• At seven weeks pregnant, it is a good idea to start pre-natal exercises. So, if you’re feeling up to it you can do low intensity exercises like walking and yoga. However, for cardio exercises like running, cycling and weight lifting, you need to get an approval from your doc.

Read: Obesity and Pregnancy

• If you’re a smoker, it is extremely important that you quit. Smoking increases the chance of miscarriage and pre-term labor. It can also cause low birth weight and other complications in your baby.