At just over 7 weeks pregnant, you are beginning to experience many early pregnancy symptoms, but probably aren’t sporting a baby bump just yet. With 33 weeks of pregnancy to go until your due date, you and your little one will both experience many changes in the next several months!
During this early pregnancy stage, your baby has grown a lot since conception but is still very small. At 7 weeks of pregnancy, your little one is only about 1 centimeter in length. That’s about the size of a small blueberry!
In terms of your baby’s development, your baby is beginning to form leg buds and limb buds, which will later grow into fully formed arms and legs. Their fingers and toes are beginning to form on the hands and feet, although they are still fused together. At this stage of fetal development, your baby’s mouth, tongue, and kidneys are also beginning to form at this stage. Your baby may also begin sucking their thumb at this stage!
At 7 weeks and 1 day pregnant, your little one’s heart is beating rapidly, around 90 - 120 beats per minute. That might seem fast but is very normal for a developing fetus. Your little one might also start to move around a bit at this stage, but you most likely won’t begin to feel their movements until later on in your second trimester.
At this point in your first trimester, you may be feeling many different things. As those pregnancy hormones more through your body, you may start to feel new physical symptoms and sensations, like morning sickness, excessive saliva, weird food cravings, or even food aversions. Other early pregnancy symptoms that you might see are things like swollen or tender breasts, heartburn, fatigue, and weight gain.
Cramping can be relatively common in your first trimester and shouldn’t be a cause for concern, but if you experience extreme cramping or cramping that is accompanied by contractions, dizziness, or neck pain, it’s a good idea to reach out to your healthcare provider.
At this point in your first trimester, you should begin thinking about some important visits to have with your healthcare provider. The first prenatal visit typically takes place between weeks 6 and 8 of pregnancy. At 7 weeks and 1 day pregnant, if you haven’t already had your first prenatal visit with your doctor, you should definitely schedule that now.
To prepare for your first prenatal visit, you’ll want to make sure to have some key information to share with your doctor, including your medical history, your mental health history, your gynecological history, any medication that you take, and any health conditions that are common in your family or your partner’s family. Having this important information will help your healthcare provider provide the best possible care for you and your little one.
Your first prenatal visit will also be a time to gather important information from your healthcare provider. If you find that you have a lot of questions about your pregnancy, plan to ask them at this appointment. It may even be helpful to write your questions down before your appointment so you can be sure to get all of the information that you need.
Your first prenatal visit with your doctor will be one of your longer prenatal appointments, but for good reason! This important appointment will help your doctor ensure that you and your baby have a safe and healthy pregnancy.
At your first prenatal visit, your doctor will confirm your pregnancy with a urine test and a blood test. The blood test will be able to measure the amount of HCG hormone in your blood and is a bit more accurate than the urine strip test you probably took at home, as it can detect HCG at much lower levels. Your doctor will also give you a general physical to check the health of your heart, lungs, and other important organs. Your doctor will also perform a pelvic exam to check on your cervix and uterus.
Your doctor will most likely perform several other tests to check on your health, including genetic screening, STD tests, a blood sugar test, and a pap smear. Performing an ultrasound at this stage can also help your doctor more precisely measure how far along you are in your pregnancy.
The timing of your first prenatal ultrasound will depend a lot on what your specific doctor prefers to do. While some healthcare providers perform a prenatal ultrasound at the first prenatal appointment, others prefer to wait until a bit later in the pregnancy when there’s more to see. Talk to your specific healthcare provider to see what they recommend.
Whether or not you’ve had your first prenatal visit with your healthcare provider to confirm your pregnancy, you should begin to treat your body as if you are pregnant. Begin to take a prenatal vitamin or supplement and try to exercise in a way that feels good for your body.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that pregnant women avoid consuming any alcohol, especially in their first three months of pregnancy as alcohol consumption can lead to brain and birth defects. You should also do your best to avoid coming into contact with people who may have communicable diseases, as they can be dangerous for both you and your baby.
It’s also important to think about your mental health at this stage of pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones can bring about all different kinds of emotions and mood swings. Be sure to take care of both your body and your mind as you prepare to welcome your little one into the world. If it becomes too much to bear on your own, don’t be afraid to reach out to a therapist or counselor for additional support in coping with this life transition.
Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.
Subscribe