You may find that time has been moving so slowly in the last few weeks as you're itching to catch a glimpse of your new baby for the first time. By week 7 you're almost ready for that all important first ultrasound, and you should expect to receive your appointment notification around this time.
Now you're well and truly into your first trimester you may be starting to get more accustomed to being pregnant, and to those early pregnancy symptoms, but it's OK if you're not! Having a baby is life changing, and it's only natural that it takes some time to get used to.
Baby: What's Happening?
Your baby will double in size this week to about the size of a small grape. Between now and 20 weeks, your baby will continue to grow at a rapid rate as it develops all the necessary organs and limbs, before finally slowing down and just "gently simmering" for the second half of pregnancy.
At 7 weeks, your baby still looks more fish-like than human-like as it still has a disproportionately large head and a little bit of a tail. Fortunately, the tail will disappear in the next week or so, and the head growth will slow down, allowing the body to catch up (a massive head is often one of the most daunting aspects of giving birth, and for good reason!).
During this week, your baby's teeth buds will start to form, although the first teeth usually won't descend out of the gum until roughly 6 months of age. All babies begin the teething process at different times, so your baby may cut its first tooth at 3 months, or it could be as late as 12 months.
Bizarrely, some babies are even born with teeth! Natal teeth are uncommon, occurring only once in every 2000 to 3000 births. It's unclear why this happens, but it most cases it's completely harmless. Natal teeth are usually not very secure, and are often removed shortly after birth to prevent problems with breastfeeding and reduce the risk of the tooth coming loose and being swallowed.
During week 7 your baby will also start to develop eyelids, the appendix and the pancreas, and the tiny arm and leg stumps will become longer and may even begin to bend. Your baby's nose will start to form, and can usually be seen on an abdominal ultrasound. The brain and heart become more complex around now, and are continuing to grow.
You: What's Happening?
The main change for you this week is the rapid growth of your uterus. Normally about the size of a clenched fist, your uterus is about double that size by week 7. Your baby may just be one centimeter long, but your uterus also needs to accommodate the placenta and the amniotic fluid.
As your uterus grows, you may be feeling a bit of stretching and very mild cramping around your abdomen, perhaps slightly off center (many women report feeling stretching to the left of their navel). This is completely normal, but if you have any pain, severe cramping or bleeding, it's always worth popping in to see your Doctor just to get the all clear.
With extra hormones racing around your system, you may find that morning sickness is in full swing at this time. About half of all pregnant women will experience morning sickness as a response to increased hormone levels, and may feel nauseous all day long. Fortunately, most women begin to feel much better after the first trimester, although an unlucky 5% will have to endure this nasty side effect right through until the end.
Handy Hints
If you're suffering badly with morning sickness, try not to let your stomach get too empty. This isn't an excuse to eat for two though! Low blood sugar can aggravate nausea, so try keeping some plain biscuits to hand or, even better, ginger biscuits.
Ginger helps to calm the digestive system, and many women swear by ginger products during the first few weeks of pregnancy. Keep some by your bedside and have a nibble before you get out of bed in the morning. Crystallized ginger is also thought to work well.
Traveling may also make morning sickness worse, so if you've usually got a long and warm commute to work, perhaps have a chat with your boss and see if you can arrange to start work earlier or later to avoid the slow and busy rush hour traffic.