Pregnancy Week Seven

Pregnancy week seven is important for both mother and child. So we will divide week seven article into two portions; changes for the mother and changes seen in the baby.

Pregnancy week seven what to expect in the form of maternal changes?

Firstly, the skin may show variations in color and texture. On one hand, your skin may become beautiful and of a healthy color due to the increase in hormones. On the other hand, you may have a really bad outbreak of pimples.

The mother may also become constipated. This is for two reasons; firstly because of increased levels of the hormone progesterone which produces constipation, and secondly because of the unaccustomed activity going on in the abdomen due to the increased blood supply. However, you can remedy constipation by drinking eight glasses of water a day, and add fiber to your diet by eating raw fruits or vegetables.

Pregnancy week seven, is not the week when mothers start to ‘show’ the bulge in their abdomen. The mother may have lost or gained few pounds, but the basic weight is almost similar to what it was before pregnancy. However, it must be known here that the initial weeks including the seventh week are not the times for dieting. In these weeks, a woman should eat regular amount of food, in order to provide adequate nourishment to herself and the baby.

Changes seen in the baby at seven weeks:

The baby is still only 1/3rd of an inch in size or approximately, as big as a grain of rice. However, the reader might be surprised to know that even then, the basic organs of the baby have formed, and few organs such as the brain and intestine are growing. The pituitary gland and the pancreas are also in the rapid growth phase during this period. The intestines in particular, will begin the journey of moving from the umbilical cord, to its original placement.

The seventh week also initiates the formation of the reproductive system. Still, the sex of a baby cannot be determined, because during this time, there is only a genital tubercle which is common to both male and female. The specialization in this tubercle and further organ formation is in the weeks to come.

This week is also known as the week of facial feature formation. The baby’s face is developing rapidly, along with the formation of nasal pits and the development of the ear will be completed by the end of week seven. In the eyes, the lenses are being formed at this stage.

When seen in an ultrasound, the baby’s fetal development has just begun to show itself. However, if you are having twins, you can identify them on an ultrasound at this stage.

These are the highlights of the seventh week of pregnancy. Pregnant women are advised to stay away from alcohol, smoking and other types of harmful social addictions during this period, because these addictions can adversely affect the baby’s development