At 7 weeks pregnant, despite your baby actually only being around 3 weeks into development, you’re halfway through the first trimester. That may seem a silly milestone–unless you’re suffering from some seriously not-fun pregnant symptoms, being that most of those begin to diminish as the first trimester closes. Unfortunately, those same symptoms may peak in the next 2 to 3 weeks.
What’s going on with your baby at 7 weeks pregnant?
This week your baby becomes more humanoid in appearance– though he/she still has a tail and a very large head (about 1/3 of your baby’s size right now is noggin’). Your baby is also now forming hand plates, finger nail beds, a mouth, nostrils, and teeth buds. Vital organs continue to form with the lungs, liver, and digestive track finishing up. The genital tube is also now complete, though even with an ultrasound gender won’t be visible yet. Your baby now weighs about as much as a chocolate chip and is 7 to 9 mm in length (think the size of a blueberry). Food comparisons aside, that may seem pretty small, but it’s 1000 times larger than the original fertilized egg! Your baby has really grown, and that tiny heart that began beating last week is circulating blood through your baby’s body. A body that can, at this point, move in response to cell communication due to brand spanking new nerve channels and muscle connections.
What’s going on in your body at 7 weeks pregnant?
Your hormones are going to continue to go crazy in week seven, which may even cause acne flare ups, but the biggest issue you’re likely to face at 7 weeks pregnant is vaginal discharge. A mucus plug is forming in your cervix which will keep your new baby safe and sound in your uterus. As it forms, you’ll see an increase in yellowish, thick mucus. Increased discharge is likely to continue throughout your pregnancy. You may find thin panty liners, frequent underwear changes, and daily showers helpful to keeping things clean and comfortable down there.
You may also start to notice your waist line widening, though some women don’t begin to gain weight this early. Your uterus is now twice the size it was before you became pregnant, but this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be showing. If you’re experiencing cravings which are adding to that growing waistline, try changing the brand of your prenatal vitamin. Pregnancy cravings are the body’s way of obtaining vitamins and minerals it’s missing.
When will I start showing?
If you take a look at belly pictures at 7 weeks pregnant, you’ll see a pretty wide range of baby bumps. How early you begin to show depends on a lot of things, such as muscle tone, skin elasticity, uterus shape, placenta location, and baby position (later on). As a result, its hard to say just when you’ll be able to tell you’re pregnant by looking in the mirror. At 7 weeks pregnant though, unless this isn’t your first belly fruit, chances are you might have gained some weight, but it’s not obviously baby weight yet.