Changes During Pregnancy - Week 7

Mother

You may be realising that you have an increased appetite than before. Hardly surprising considering the number of changes your body is going through. Just make sure you eat healthy, nutritious food and stick to your weight gain plan. One of the major changes to the body during pregnancy is the increase in the volume of blood. This is necessary now that you have a small baby growing inside you and your needs are greater than before. Infact, during pregnancy the volume of fluids (including blood, amniotic fluid, fluids in the placenta) in the body is increased by 6.5L. This can lead to some minor discomforts down the road which have to be managed.

Source: Ed Uthman, MD

You may experience bouts of migraine because the blood vessels in the brain get dilated and the hormone levels fluctuate rapidly. This may not be a cause of worry, but do consult your doctor if they persist often and are accompanied by fever or blurred vision. You can also avoid migraine causing food such as chocolate, cheese, wine and coffee. Other triggering factors are smoke, stress, lack of sleep and strong odours. Usually, the migraines will become very faint and stop completely as pregnancy progresses.

If you are an avid gardener or a pet lover, do remember to wear gloves if you are gardening or playing with your pets. Also, wash your hands regularly.

Baby

The baby is about 6 mm in size now. The head and brain grow much faster in correlation with the rest of the body. The cardiovascular system continues to develop. The spinal cord grows with the formation of the ribs. The kidneys are starting to grow. The liver has started to produce blood.

You can see your baby's eyes and ears. However, do not be alarmed as they are not yet in their normal positions. His nose and internal organs have begun to develop. He moves around in the amniotic sac. However, you will not be able to feel the movements at this point of time. His little fingers and toes are webbed and grow along with his arms and legs. You can see a mouth taking form with a tiny tongue inside it. The gums in his mouth start developing tiny teeth within them.

The umbilical cord is formed and connects the baby to you throughout the pregnancy. It also provides the oxygen for your baby to breathe, your baby's nourishment and also helps in disposing your baby's wastes. Your baby's digestive tracts and lungs continue forming. His muscles, bones, intestines and appendix continue developing.

7 Weeks Pregnant (5 Weeks after Fertilisation)