In 7th week of pregnancy

You and your baby at 7 weeks pregnant

Your baby at 7 weeks

By 7 weeks, the embryo has grown to about 10mm long from head to bottom. This measurement is called the crown-rump length.

The brain is growing rapidly and this results in the head growing faster than the rest of the body. The embryo has a large forehead, and the eyes and ears continue to develop.

The inner ears start to develop, but the outer ears on the sides of the head will not appear for a couple more weeks.

The limb buds start to form cartilage, which will develop into the bones of the legs and arms. The arm buds get longer and the ends flatten out – these will become the hands.

Nerve cells continue to multiply and develop as the brain and spinal cord (the nervous system) starts to take shape.

You at 7 weeks

Your womb has grown to the size of a lemon by the time you're around 7 or 8 weeks pregnant.

You're probably feeling tired. Your breasts might feel sore and enlarged, and you may need to pee more often than usual.

You may start to feel sick or tired, or have other minor pregnancy problems for a few weeks around this time.

In most cases, feelings of nausea and vomiting (morning sickness) start to improve after around 14 weeks of pregnancy.

Some infections can harm a pregnancy. It's important to let your doctor or midwife know if you think you may have an infection so they can give you the right care as early as possible.

Find out about infections that may cause problems in pregnancy

You may have bleeding or sore gums when you're pregnant. Good mouth hygiene and regular dental care, to keep your teeth and gums as healthy as possible, is the best way to avoid or care for gum problems.

Dental care is free during pregnancy and until 1 year after your due date. Ask your midwife or doctor about how to apply for free dental care.

Things to think about

find out about midwives, obstetricians and other healthcare professionals who may provide your pregnancy (antenatal) care
what to expect from your NHS pregnancy journey
your first midwife appointment

Start4Life has more about you and your baby at 7 weeks of pregnancy

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Video: What will happen to my body during pregnancy?

In this video, mothers talk about how they dealt with some of the physical changes during pregnancy.

Media last reviewed: 20 March 2017
Media review due: 20 March 2020

Page last reviewed: 12 October 2021
Next review due: 12 October 2024

7 Weeks Pregnant | Pregnancy

When you're pregnant, you have lots of questions. Our week-by-week pregnancy guide is packed with lots of useful information. From what's happening inside your body, to how your baby is developing, and tips and advice on having a healthy pregnancy – this is your one-stop pregnancy guide!

1st trimester
2nd trimester
3rd trimester

Our week-by-week pregnancy guide is full of essential information. From early pregnancy symptoms to how your baby is growing and developing, you'll find it all here.

Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12

Have you started to share the news yet? When you start telling friends and family is entirely up to you. Legally you do not have to tell your employer until the 15th week before the baby is due, which is about 4 months away. Maternity Action explains more about your maternity rights.

What's happening in my body?

There's more blood pumping around your body than there was 7 weeks ago. As you go through your pregnancy, the volume will increase by up to 50%. The extra blood will feed your uterus (womb) with all the oxygen and nutrients that your baby needs. This can make you feel thirstier than usual. Try to drink 8 medium glasses of fluid a day (such as water, fruit tea, fruit juice, skimmed or semi skimmed milk).

Meanwhile, your womb is now about the size of a lemon, while your baby is the size of a grape and growing very quickly.

If it's your first pregnancy, you may not start looking pregnant until around week 12. If you have had a baby before, you may look pregnant earlier than you did last time, as your womb and stomach muscles will be more stretched.

Early pregnancy symptoms (at 7 weeks)

Being 7 weeks' pregnant can feel quite challenging if you are feeling sick, tired and experiencing mood swings. Your symptoms could also include:

a metallic taste in your mouth
sore breasts
headaches
new food and drink likes and dislikes
a heightened sense of smell
a white milky pregnancy discharge from your vagina
light spotting (see your doctor if you get bleeding in pregnancy)
cramping, a bit like period pains
darkened skin on your face or brown patches - this is known as chloasma or the "mask of pregnancy"
thicker and shinier hair
bloating (read about bloating on week 16's page)

See week 6 for morning sickness remedies.

Read Tommy's guide to common pregnancy symptoms.

Don't ignore any strange symptoms, like feeling itchy all over. The chances are that those aches or pains are just signs of a normal pregnancy, but talk to your midwife or doctor, just in case.

What does my baby look like?

Your baby, or embryo, is around 10mm long from head to bottom, which is about the size of a grape. The brain is growing faster than the rest of the body, so they have a large forehead. There are small dimples where the nose and ears will be. The eyelids are beginning to grow and cover the eyes.

The little limb buds are starting to form cartilage which will make the bones for the arms and legs. The arm buds are getting longer, and the flattened ends will soon become tiny hands.

The baby's brain and spinal cord are taking shape at a fast pace. Your embryo is generating around 100 new brain cells every minute. Remember to take your folic acid as it can help prevent defects in your baby's development.

Action stations

Share the news with your GP or ask for an appointment with a midwife at your doctors' surgery. Alternatively you can refer yourself to your local hospital – look for contact details on their website.

You'll need to arrange a booking appointment. This usually takes place between weeks 8 and 12 and takes around an hour. You can talk about the options for your pregnancy and the birth. You will also be offered screening tests for infectious diseases, and conditions such as Down's syndrome. You could ask about the Maternity Transformation Programme and how it could benefit you.

You will be offered your first dating scan at 8 to 14 weeks.

If it's your first pregnancy you will probably have around 10 appointments and 2 scans in total.

Ask your midwife or doctor about online antenatal classes – they may be able to recommend one. The charity Tommy's has lots of useful information on antenatal classes and preparing you for birth.

Antenatal classes will give you the chance to meet other people and prepare you for parenthood. The NCT offers online antenatal classes with small groups of people that live locally to you.

Take prenatal vitamins. You're advised to take 400 micrograms of folic acid, every day, until at least week 12. This helps your baby's nervous system to form and offers some protection from conditions such as spina bifida.

To keep bones and muscles healthy, we need vitamin D. From late March/early April to the end of September, most people make enough vitamin D from sunlight on their skin. However, between October and early March, consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement because we cannot make enough from sunlight.

Some people should take a vitamin D supplement all year round, find out if this applies to you on the NHS website. You just need 10 micrograms (it's the same for grown-ups and kids). Check if you're entitled to free vitamins.

Do you think you or your partner could have a sexually transmitted infection (STI)? If so, get checked out, as this could affect your baby's development. Talk to your midwife or GP, or visit a sexual health clinic.

It's recommended that you do 150 minutes of exercise a week while pregnant. You could start off with just 10 minutes of daily exercise - perhaps take a brisk walk outside. Check out Sport England's #StayInWorkOut online exercises (scroll to the pregnancy section). Listen to your body and do what feels right for you.

There's no need to eat for 2. If you pile on the pounds, you could put you and your baby at risk of health problems such as high blood pressure. Eat healthily, with plenty of fresh fruit and veg, and avoid processed, fatty and salty foods. You may be able to get free milk, fruit and veg through the Healthy Start scheme.

If you have a long-term health condition, then let your specialist or GP know that you're pregnant as soon as possible. Do not stop taking any regular medication without discussing it first with your doctor.

How are you today? If you're feeling anxious or low, then talk to your midwife or doctor who can point you in the right direction to get all the support that you need. You could also discuss your worries with your partner, friends and family.

You may be worried about your relationship, or money, or having somewhere permanent to live. Don't keep it to yourself. It's important that you ask for help if you need it.

You and your family should follow the government and NHS guidance on coronavirus (COVID-19):

read government guidance on how to stay safe from COVID-19

get NHS advice about COVID-19

use the NHS COVID-19 app for England and Wales – it's the fastest way of knowing when you've been exposed to COVID-19

To find out about about COVID-19 and pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, have a look at advice on the:

NHS website

Breastfeeding Network

World Health Organization

Want to know when the baby's due?

Use the NHS's pregnancy due date calculator. You'll get a more accurate date from your doctor or midwife when you have a dating scan (usually at 8 to 14 weeks).

Go back to week 6

Go to week 8

7 weeks pregnant after conception

Fetal development. 7 weeks pregnant

Compared to last week, the embryo has grown twice, and in the coming weeks the growth rate will only increase! Starting from the seventh obstetric week, he becomes like a man, the tail decreases, and the body grows, although the head is still disproportionately large. The baby's arms and legs lengthen, feet and palms appear. Eyes can already be distinguished on the head, lips and even teeth are beginning to form. The brain and spine are actively developing. The digestive system also develops: it is at the 7th week of pregnancy that the esophagus, the anterior wall of the abdomen and the pancreas are formed, and the small intestine is laid. The intestinal tube forms the rectum, bladder and appendix. Your baby is already moving in the womb, but you can’t feel the movements yet - the embryo is too small.

7 weeks. Development of pregnancy

By the seventh obstetric week of pregnancy, your uterus has doubled its normal size and your blood volume has increased by 10%. You may be urinating more often than before. Most likely, the increased urge to urinate will haunt you until the end of pregnancy, and even increase in the third trimester.

7 weeks pregnant: a critical period for the development of the placenta. It is very important to be more attentive to yourself at this stage of pregnancy, since the placenta is still very sensitive to adverse external factors.

Toxicosis at 7 weeks pregnant

According to statistics, about 50% of pregnant women are subject to toxicosis. If you are unfortunate enough to be one of them, then by the seventh week the symptoms will develop in full force. If you experience drowsiness or slight dizziness for a period of 7 weeks, be aware that they can also be signs of toxicosis, such as a change in taste preferences.

If you experience nausea and vomiting more than five times a day, or if you experience it every day, at any time of the day, be sure to contact your doctor. He will tell you what steps to take to avoid dehydration. If the situation is not critical, try to eat something immediately after waking up, without getting out of bed, eat small portions, get plenty of rest, drink enough water.

If you experience drowsiness or slight dizziness at 7 weeks of pregnancy, know that these can also be signs of toxicosis, such as a change in taste preferences.

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How is the obstetric 7th week of pregnancy from conception

A woman's pregnancy is still hardly noticeable, but it happens that a woman unconsciously strokes her tummy. The body continues to adapt to new conditions. The uterus at this time increases to the size of an orange.

Seventh week of pregnancy: signs and sensations

This period is often associated with a deterioration in the well-being of a pregnant woman. Most often, these are mood swings, disturbances in appetite and sleep.

Here are the most common complaints of women and their feelings during the seventh week of pregnancy:

Sleep problems, anxiety.
Incomprehensible and prolonged fatigue, apathetic state.
Morning sleepiness - especially characteristic of the seventh week of pregnancy.
Women begin to complain about a change in the condition of the skin: it can become loose, oily, or, conversely, dry and flaky. But the hair most often acquire a healthy look, gain volume. However, hormonal failure in some cases leads to hair loss.
Nausea, vomiting in the morning. Provided that vomiting does not stop for a long time, this can threaten the health of the mother and child. Sometimes even hospitalization is required.

What are the physiological changes in the body at the seventh week of pregnancy?

For a woman:

During this period, mucus forms in the cervix. She will clog it and the so-called cork before childbirth will come out. Gynecological examination is not recommended this week.

The amount of calcium in the blood decreases due to the formation of bones in the child. It is necessary that this trace element is enough in the pregnant woman's menu. May aggravate hemorrhoids.

Increased progesterone relaxes the intestines, leading to constipation and bloating.

In the fetus:

The fetus has the rudiments of almost all organs and resembles a little man with a tail. It is impossible to distinguish a boy from a girl, since the genitals are rollers that look the same.

The skeletal system is actively developing.
Teeth are laid.
The most important thing happens in the endocrine system. The thymus gland begins to work, so T-lymphocytes appear in the blood of the fetus. Their life activity can last for decades, and sometimes for a lifetime.
The adrenal medulla begins to develop.

The baby begins to distinguish between emotions and stress. Therefore, it is very important for the mother to remain calm.

Fruit size 11-13 cm. Weight approximately one gram.

Symptoms in the seventh week of pregnancy

Vaginal discharge during the seventh week of pregnancy should be of particular attention. Any color and consistency is an abnormal sign. Also abnormal itching, irritation, pain in the vagina. Do not delay with a consultation with a doctor if you find yourself with the above symptoms.

Here are some other changes in the body: frequent urination, excessive salivation, digestive difficulties, discoloration of the labia.

In some cases, skin pigmentation changes: nipple halos darken or a stripe appears on the abdomen.

Some women notice a slight increase in temperature - this is how the body reacts to the changes that have occurred.

7th week of pregnancy: the belly can not only grow, but also hurt a little. Light tingling and tolerable pain should not cause alarm. This is due to the enlargement of the uterus, so the abdominal muscles are stretched. But if the stomach hurts a lot, high fever and brown discharge - this is the reason to immediately respond and consult a doctor.

Seventh week of pregnancy: tests

Having passed tests at the time of admission to the antenatal clinic, tests are necessary, so you can take a break from them for a while. Only on the condition that the previous results were not very good or there are genetic features in the family, the gynecologist will suggest consulting with other specialists.

If a woman decided to register this week, here is a list of necessary tests:

general analysis of urine, blood;
blood test for group, Rh factor, sugar;
analysis for syphilis, toxoplasmosis, for antibodies to herpes, cytomegalovirus;
tests for HIV, hepatitis;
coagulogram;
necessarily, in order to detect infections of the genital tract, the gynecologist takes a sample of vaginal discharge.

Seventh week of pregnancy: examinations

This week is often the first ultrasound. An ultrasound photo at the seventh week of pregnancy will show the following:

Confirm that you have a child.
Make sure there is no ectopic pregnancy.
Assess the condition of the fetus, uterus and corpus luteum.
It is possible to identify pathologies that will prevent carrying a child.

Week 7 Nutrition

Increase your daily calorie intake from 300 to 800 kcal. Lots of lean meats, vegetables, fish and dairy products.
Drink plenty of pure water, do not forget about fresh fruits - it is advisable to eat apples every day.
Avoid allergenic foods, especially if the pregnant woman has a reaction to them.
Eat a balanced diet.
Preservatives, dyes may adversely affect the health of the baby in the future.
Excessively spicy, salty food is not recommended for consumption.
There may be a lack of calcium due to the beginning of the growth of bones and teeth in the fetus. If food cannot replenish the vitamin supply, add vitamin D supplements.

7th week of pregnancy: complications

The seventh week of pregnancy after conception is not without problems. According to statistics, it is often during this period that fetal fading can occur. So listen carefully to your body. This anomaly is diagnosed by the level of hCG in dynamics. And a woman should know the following signs: