Seventh week of pregnancy: What to Expect

Your body is building a baby. That’s why, in the seventh week of pregnancy, you may well feel like you’re slowing down. This leaden tiredness is one of the typical pregnancy niggles in the first trimester. Tiredness will therefore be one of your faithful companions when you are 7 weeks pregnant.

In the 7th week of gestation, your baby is slowly getting its little face. Your body is doing hard work for the mini-dweller.

Read what happens in the 7th week: signs of normal development of your little one and how not to be thrown off track by circulatory and blood pressure escapades.

The embryo (7th week) develops visibly, especially in the head region: the head grows strongly in the 7th week, which is related to the rapid development of the nervous system. The face begins to form slowly, eye cups and eye vesicles, as well as nose and ear pits, are formed. The spinal cord is closing completely.

It is also exciting that the sexual organs are now beginning to differentiate – until now, the embryo still had both, even though it was already genetically determined whether it would one day be a girl or a boy.

The spinal cord of the embryo now closes completely

The spine and arms and legs have developed further. The baby’s hands and feet still look like little paddles. Not long now, the little fingers and toes will start to form. The digestive tract, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, brain, and circulatory system are developing. Therefore, during the seventh week of pregnancy, try to avoid any risk that could negatively affect the baby’s development.

Another milestone moment:

During the seventh week of pregnancy, the embryo begins to move – or rather, to twitch in an uncoordinated way. Of course, you can’t feel this yet.

7th-week ultrasound: what you can see

In the 7th week, the embryo is about 5-10 mm in size. This is about the size of a peanut. On the ultrasound, you can already see the facial features of your baby in the 7th week. The nostrils and a small mouth are already formed.

The eye sockets are also becoming more and more visible. Your baby can’t see or hear anything yet, but the predispositions for the later development of these senses are already present.

What is the risk of miscarriage in the 7th week of pregnancy?

The first third of pregnancy is particularly important for the development of the embryo. About 80% of miscarriages occur before the 12th week. Some of them so early that it even goes unnoticed. The reasons for a miscarriage can be many and varied. Fertilization, implantation, and the formation of the placenta are extremely complex processes.

If complications occur during implantation, this can lead to a miscarriage. With each increasing week of pregnancy, the probability of abortion – the scientific term for a miscarriage – decreases.

You can recognize a miscarriage by these symptoms:

• Bleeding
• Severe abdominal pain
• Unusual discharge
• Fever

If you experience any of these symptoms, we advise you to contact your doctor or go to the hospital as soon as possible. Suffering a miscarriage is a tragic loss. If you find that you are at a loss or feel lost, it is always advisable to talk about it. You can share your worries with your partner, family, or friends. Professional help can also be very helpful in this situation.

“God, I’m so tired” – in the 7th week, you could only sleep? That’s good, it means that everything is on track. The hormone progesterone, which has a calming effect, is responsible for the level of tiredness that you may have been completely unaware of until now. Give in to the need for rest and gather strength. Sleeping will help you cope better with any discomforts such as nausea and dizziness.

Sleeping whenever you can, by the way, is also important because your night’s rest may not be true “rest” now. The growing uterus can press on your bladder and drive you out of bed at night. What’s more, the breasts begin to tighten and ache. From the 7th week, this can prevent you from lying comfortably on your stomach.

Your circulation also has to cope with a lot during the 7th week of pregnancy. Your resting pulse rate increases to 80 beats per minute, which is about ten beats more. The blood volume increases by 30 percent so that the baby in your belly can be well supplied. This is why circulation problems and high or low blood pressure are common symptoms in the 7th week of pregnancy.

You can get your circulation going with

• Alternating showers and cold leg casts
• Exercise in the fresh air
• Avoiding standing for long periods of time and getting up quickly
• Wearing support stockings
• Drink plenty of fluids (2.5 liters/day)

Discuss any complaints with your gynecologist if you are unsure, and/or have your blood pressure professionally determined at the pharmacy. If you already had high blood pressure before pregnancy or if you suffer from diabetes mellitus, you should definitely see a doctor. In these cases, particularly close monitoring is required to rule out serious illnesses for mother and child.

How to support your body during the 7th week of pregnancy

To create a good foundation for your pregnancy in the 7th week, you can do a few things. We have summarized for you what is particularly important now.

The right diet

A healthy and balanced diet during pregnancy is important, because vegetables, fruits, proteins and proteins support your body during this exciting and exhausting time.

For the development of the nervous system, the embryo needs especially much folic acid in the first weeks of pregnancy.

Doctors and midwives recommend about 550 mg of folic acid per day during pregnancy.

These foods contain particularly high amounts of folic acid:

• Cabbage
• Leaf spinach
• Salads
• Tomatoes
• Fruit (e.g. oranges)
• Whole grain products
• Legumes
• Nuts
• Sprouts
• Wheat and soy germs
• Dairy products

Since the required amount can hardly be taken from food, many doctors and midwives advise folic acid supplements.

Source: Folic Acid and Pregnancy

Sport

Exercise during pregnancy keeps you, relaxed and can relieve pregnancy discomfort. Safe sports include:

• Swimming and aqua fitness
• Cycling
• Yoga and Pilates*
• Nordic walking

*Important: Beginners should only do exercises under supervision, otherwise there is a risk of injury.

You should avoid these sports, as there is a particularly high risk of falling and injury:

• Squash
• Tennis
• Handball
• Basketball
• Skiing
• Horse riding
• Martial arts

During your pregnancy, you should not take any medication without consulting your doctor. This also applies to homeopathic remedies.

In addition, stay away from alcohol and nicotine. A healthy diet is important in the 7th week of pregnancy to ensure a good foundation for your pregnancy.

Also, important: Look out for a midwife now. In fact, you can never start early enough. Finding a midwife who is a good fit for you is not that easy.

7th week of pregnancy: Your symptoms

You are now 7 weeks pregnant and at this latest, the first signs of pregnancy start to appear in most women. Some typical signs might be:

• Constant urge to urinate. Your body is now flooded with hormones and your blood circulation is particularly stimulated. Both of these things cause your body to produce more fluids. In addition, the growing uterus presses on the urinary bladder. As a result, you will have to go to the toilet more often. However, it is important that your body continues to be well supplied with fluids. You should therefore drink more water than usual throughout the course of your pregnancy.
• Discharge. Your vagina also now has more blood flow than usual. Increased secretion may lead to more discharge than usual. However, if you are concerned or if you experience other symptoms such as itching or burning, don’t hesitate to see your doctor.
• Changes in skin color. You may notice your areola darkening, your breast veins becoming more prominent, or you may suddenly discover a line between your belly button and pubic bone. Moles and freckles may also darken. This change in pigmentation is normal and nothing to worry about.
• Abdominal pain. As in the previous weeks, you may also experience abdominal pain in the 7th week of pregnancy. Due to the pregnancy hormones, your muscles and ligaments are now loosening and stretching, which can lead to this discomfort.
• Fatigue. Especially in the first trimester of your pregnancy, the pregnancy hormone progesterone causes fatigue. It also stimulates your metabolism and causes you to burn more energy, which can contribute to overall fatigue. Low blood pressure and increased blood production can also cost energy – as can the emotional ups and downs you may be going through at the moment.

Don’t be concerned, however, if you don’t feel any signs during your 7th week. You’re probably just one of the lucky ones who can enjoy your pregnancy from the beginning without any symptoms. If you are still worried, simply make an appointment with your gynecologist.