When you are 7 weeks pregnant, your embryo is starting to get the features that will soon make him or her look a bit human, with tiny arm and leg buds, small thickenings for the eyes, and dimples for the ears. The tail is still there, though, but is slowly getting smaller.
The hormonal changes that occur will make mom tired, sensitive or moody, and possibly nauseated, to mention some of the more common pregnancy symptoms. Eating healthy and avoiding some foods is now very important.
This article will cover your baby’s development, how big your baby is, what month you are actually in, and what’s happening with your body, Mom.
Let’s dive in!
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What to Expect at 7 Weeks Pregnant
In this article…
How Many Months is 7 Weeks Pregnant?
Counting weeks and months during pregnancy can be quite confusing. What makes it difficult is that pregnancy is calculated from the first day of your last period and not from the day of conception itself.
When being 7 weeks pregnant, fetal age is around 5 weeks since your child didn’t exist before ovulation.
Currently, you are in the first trimester, between the first and second months of pregnancy.
Although pregnancy is popularly known to last for 9 months, a full pregnancy reaches up to 40 weeks! In reality, giving birth at the right time (and not prematurely) takes a minimum of 37 weeks, which is 9 months and one week. This is why most doctors prefer to talk about pregnancies using weeks!
You can read more about how to calculate pregnancy months and weeks here.
Your Baby at 7 Weeks
What Does my Baby Look Like at 7 Weeks Pregnant?
PinWhen you consider that your little one has actually only existed for a few weeks, it is quite amazing how much has already developed! But as you can see, your baby does not look exactly human yet.
However, this week, his or her arms and legs are starting to form! Miniature bumps along that small body will grow to form muscles and bones.
Your baby will still have some semblance of a tail, but that will disappear in the next few weeks.
If you are curious about what your baby looks like during this early stage of pregnancy, the book A Child Is Born by Lennart Nilsson. has detailed photos of 7 weeks embryos (and from the rest of the pregnancy too), showing the tiny “hands”, “eyes” and much more. It’s a wonderful book!
You can also watch several fetal development videos here.
How Big is My Baby at 7 Weeks?
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PinYour baby is still tiny! Once you hit 7 weeks, your baby is now the size of a blueberry or a coffee bean, ranging in length from 1/3-3/4 of an inch long (0.6-2.0 cm).
You’ll find a handy (and cute!) chart for baby size by pregnancy week here, with more detailed measures and fruit comparisons.
Even if your baby is growing quickly, his or her weight is too small to be accurately measured at all!
Fetal Development in Week 7
Here are some cool development facts about your baby:
- The brain of your baby is developing rapidly, with a lot of neurons undergoing multiple cell divisions to create up to 100 new brain cells every minute. The head grows much faster than other organs of the body.
- Your baby’s face is more defined this week than before, with the beginnings of a face being formed around the mouth. Your baby has small earbuds and eyes, and the eyelids are starting to form
- Arm and leg buds are now visible even though they resemble paddles more than human arms. The arm buds are capable of bending at the elbows now, while the leg buds bend at the knees. You will soon be able to see full-grown arms and legs and feel all of the movement from the limbs right within your own belly.
- The umbilical cord now becomes more visible; this is the lifeline that feeds your baby oxygen and nutrients from your placenta.
- The heart may be beating as high as 150-180 beats per minute – isn’t that magical?!
- At week 7, the lungs have expanded to create small branches of airways called bronchioles. The lungs are preparing for breathing movements, which start even before birth.
For anyone (everyone..?) worried about miscarriage at this stage, read about miscarriage statistics by week here. The risk is falling rapidly!
Mom’s Body When 7 Weeks Pregnant
How Does my Belly Look at 7 Weeks?
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Your uterus is now double the size compared to when you first got pregnant, and it is expanding quickly.
Your belly is, however, not likely to show very much yet, at least not with your first baby.
If this is your second or third pregnancy, you might actually feel that you are already showing. This is likely due to weaker abdominal muscles coming from previous pregnancies.
It is possible that your body is a bit swollen and you feel bloating. Your belly might also feel a bit hard due to lots of stretching on the abdominal muscles.
Maybe you have also already put on an extra pound or two? This can also make your belly look a bit bigger, although the typical baby bump is not there yet.
Do you have a picture of your 7 weeks pregnant belly? Share it in the comments, below! There is a lot of variation, but most of the time, that’s normal!
Pregnancy Symptoms in Week 7
Several pregnancy symptoms may now kick in.
During this rapid growth, you may experience some mild cramping or twinges.
Morning sickness is now real for many pregnant women! Unfortunately, the name of this pregnancy nausea is very misleading – morning sickness can occur at any time of the day.
If it helps, research has actually found some benefits of morning sickness that you can read about here. And this article covers which remedies for morning sickness that actually work (and not).
Mood swings – One of the major effects of pregnancy hormones is experiencing mood swings; you could be ecstatic one moment with the growing life within you, while the next moment, you may want to burst into tears at the slightest thing. This is a very normal part of pregnancy, and you are not alone with your emotional roller coaster ride.
Weird dreams – The hormones responsible for your moods may also result in weird, vivid dreams at night. Don’t worry if you start to have weird dreams about your child and pregnancy or even dreams unrelated to anything normal. Anxiety about becoming a new parent can creep into your subconscious and directly affect your nighttime dreams, regardless of your pregnancy trimester.
Feeling exhausted – It is very common to feel completely exhausted in early pregnancy. How about you? This is again due to all the pregnancy hormones kicking in.
Make sure you give yourself plenty of rest but also time outside. Make sure to drink plenty of water too! But above all – take time to sleep!
Many women go to bed really early in the evening during early pregnancy. They simply need more sleep for a while. This is not going to last your whole pregnancy, so if you can, give yourself some extra sleep now if you are very tired.
You can read about more early pregnancy symptoms in this article. And this survey is where +4600 fellow moms have already answered which pregnancy symptoms they experience. Go check it out!
Miscarriage Risk in Week 7
The possibility of miscarriage is still very real, especially within the first three months of pregnancy. It’s a big stress for many pregnant women. It can be a very difficult time, especially since you have just gotten used to the idea of being a parent.
In most cases, even if you have had one miscarriage before, you are still certainly more likely to carry your baby to full term without complications.
If you feel very stressed about the situation, you may ask for an early ultrasound. I asked for that in my third pregnancy, which was a great relief.
There is no miscarriage if the doctor or midwife can see an embryo with a beating heart and at the right size.
You can find information on miscarriage risk by week in this article.
What to Do this Week
In addition to simply taking care of yourself, here are some things to do when 7 weeks pregnant to take good care of yourself and your baby-to-be.
- Buy a nice water bottle, keep it close to you and use it!
- Learn what foods to eat and avoid during pregnancy if you haven’t already
- Buy high-quality prenatal vitamins, and make sure to take them.
Week 7 Pregnancy Video
Diary of a Daughter
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What’s it really like being 7 weeks pregnant…? Here’s a true diary from a 7-weeks-pregnant mom (Me..!)
Hungry! Nauseated every second day. Coffee tastes awful. Otherwise, everything is just as usual.
Are you also 7 weeks pregnant? Let’s create a pregnancy diary together. Share your experiences and thoughts by leaving a comment below!
Read Next About The First Trimester
- Effective remedies for morning sickness (and not)
- The exciting signs of being pregnant
- Miscarriage statistics week by week
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Research References:
- Mood instability across the perinatal period: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study
- The Basics of Brain Development
- Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
- Joanne Stone MD and Keith Eddleman MD, The Pregnancy Bible: Your Complete Guide to Pregnancy and Early Parenthood
- Nilsson, L; Hamberger, L. A Child Is Born
- Soderberg, L., Mammapraktika. B Wahlstroms.
Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing are based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.
Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians who assist in reviewing and writing articles.
Morning sickness & fatigue got me a way right now😴😴
This is not a BABY, this is not even a FETUS: this is an EMBRYO and what it most looks like is a deformed tadpo
True. But still quite amazing, don’t you think? :-)