Can you believe your baby has doubled in size since last week? By
week 7 your little one now measures half an inch long! Also during week
7, your baby's arms and legs are developing and teeny tiny hands and
feet are beginning to appear. He also has an appendix, intestines, a
pancreas and liver. Both hemispheres of your baby's brain are growing.
Nasal pits are forming. Overall it's a big week for growth!
This week your baby's eyes will also start to become more fully
formed and now have a retina and lens attached. Thin veins will also
begin to appear underneath your baby's translucent skin.
You may have heard that embryos have something like a small tail.
This is true! It is an extension of the collarbone and each week it is
becoming smaller and smaller, until in a few short weeks, it will
disappear entirely.
And though your baby's genital tubercle is present, and his or her
sex was determined at conception, it is still too early to determine
whether you are having a girl or a boy just by sight.
I'm spotting, should I be worried?
Finding spots of blood in your underpants or on toilet paper after
urinating can be common in the early stages of pregnancy. It can occur
in a normal pregnancy, but it can also be the first sign of a
miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. If you have noticed any spotting or
bleeding, it is best to call your healthcare provider.
Your Body
You may feel like you are developing a split personality.
Fluctuating hormones in pregnancy are responsible for these changing
emotions. You can also thank these fluctuating hormones for your tender
and swollen breasts and any acne breakouts you may experience.
Your uterus has doubled in size and you may find yourself needing to
urinate more than usual. This is due to your increased blood volume and
your growing uterus's pressure on your bladder. This means that as your
uterus continues to increase in size, so will your number of bathroom
breaks! If you are experiencing morning sickness, hang in there, most
women who experience morning sickness will begin to feel relief by 14
weeks.