Week 7 of Your Pregnancy
Baby’s development
This week marks the first huge growth spurt for your developing baby. Its size will increase rapidly, upward to 0.44 to 0.52 inches in seven days. If last week your embryo was a BB pellet, by the time week seven draws to a close, it will be roughly the size of a small raspberry.
Your baby’s organs continue to grow and this week marks the arrival of intestines and an appendix. The heart and lungs are developing nicely and a brain and spinal cord starts to grow from the neural tube. The little arms and legs that appeared previously are taking on a fin-like appearance however, as digital plates that will become the hands and feet start to make them look a little more human.
Your embryo is getting a mouth! Beneath the dark spots that will one day be your little one’s eyes and nose, a black line is appearing that will develop into a mouth. In terms of eyes, their development increases and retinas and lenses start to form.
The cardio vascular system is the first to develop in your embryo and in the seventh week, your baby starts to produce his or her own blood type! If you could look closely, you’d be able to see little veins appearing under its thin skin with its very own blood, newly created by its liver, pumping through them. It’s amazing to think that your baby’s blood is already circulating inside of you, all within seven short weeks!
Your body and emotions
Your system is pumping out a huge amount of pregnancy hormones this week and you’re probably feeling the effects. Like it or not, your placenta won’t be developed enough to take over the job until the second trimester and until that point, you’re the one who has to endure the side effects.
Tired? Some women respond to the increase of hormones and the monumental work their body is doing in the first trimester by experiencing zombie like exhaustion. One woman confessed to locking her classroom and sleeping under her table during her breaks to get a few extra minutes rest. If you are still working, you may start to feel like some tasks are insurmountable! Don’t despair…this exhaustion will pass. Until that point, get as much rest as you can. If you already have little ones wandering around, lie down for story time or nap with them. There’s no shame in giving your body what it needs.
The hormones that are turning you into the walking dead are also responsible for the changes you may be seeing in your skin. Some women get the stereotypical glow and enjoy the best skin of their lives at this time and throughout their nine months. Others are plagued with acne worse than when they were teenagers. Be careful with the treatment you choose if you are suffering from terrible breakouts. Check all ingredients online and be sure that they are graded as safe for humans during pregnancy. You may simply have to endure some months of terrible skin until your placenta gets to work…
Dad’s Tips
Did the two of you used to love eating as many Buffalo wings as you could on a Friday night and now she turns green at the thought of them? Was your woman an avid salad eater and militant vegan and now she can’t get enough ultra hot pepperoni? Welcome to the wonderful world of food cravings and aversions. Chances are she’s not doing a lot of cooking lately and you may in charge of dinner/take out. Trying to tempt her appetite may be impossible or you may not be able to keep enough food in the house. Either way, it’s just her body dealing with the huge amount of hormones that it’s producing. Try to be sensitive to her needs at this point. For example, don’t cook onions or bacon and fill the house with the smell if it makes her sick. Don’t hang around the bathroom, eating your cheesy pizza while she’s dealing with her nausea. Like all the fun things that you used to do together (drinking, fast food, smoking) you might want to save your indulgences until you’re with your friends. |
