It’s week seven of pregnancy, and you may have shared the news with people in your life. This week a lot is going on with both your body and your baby.
What’s happening with your body?
One common symptom of pregnancy is morning sickness. Of course, morning sickness is not really accurate since nausea can occur at any time of the day. The exact cause of nausea in pregnancy is not fully understood. But doctors think it may be due to hormonal changes.
Whatever the cause, it can occur in varying degrees. For example, some women may never feel queasy while others throw up their breakfast or lunch every day.
Keep in mind, an increased sense of smell that sometimes develops during pregnancy, may also be contributing to nausea. If you have started to experience morning sickness, you know how miserable it can make you feel. Eating small meals throughout the day may be easier on your tummy than larger meals. Bland foods, such as toast and baked potatoes, maybe your best bet during this phase.
Some women also develop food aversions, which can contribute to nausea during pregnancy week 7. Try to eat healthy, but if you can’t manage certain foods because you have an aversion, just steer clear of them.
You might find sucking on hard candies or sipping ginger ale or ginger tea decreases nausea. You can also talk to your doctor about other ways to reduce nausea. Some women get relief with seasickness bands. If you are unable to keep most foods and liquid down, call your doctor.
Your body is changing in other ways. For instance, your breasts may look a little unfamiliar. While you may already be dealing with an increase in size, there may be a few other breast changes going on this week. You might notice your nipples are sticking out more. Also, the area around your nipple called the areola, is becoming darker and larger. You might also be developing Montgomery tubercles, which are little bumps on your areola.
Although breastfeeding is still a ways off, these breast changes are occurring to prepare your body to nurse your baby. If you don’t really dig your new look, you’ll be happy to know most of the changes go away after you wean your baby.
What’s happening with your baby?
She also has a liver that is producing red blood cells. Her leg and arm buds are growing and diving into sections that will become her hands, arms, legs and feet. More facial features are also starting to take shape including your baby’s mouth at week 7.
If you could see your baby at week seven, you may spot something surprising. At this stage, your embryo has something that resembles a small tail. But it’s just an extension of his tailbone. No need to worry, it disappears in a few weeks.
Tips for 7 weeks pregnant women:
If you have not shared the news of your pregnancy with friends, family or co-workers, you may be wondering when the right time is. Some women tell everyone they know as soon as they get a positive pregnancy test. You may be bursting with excitement and tell everyone from your boss to your parents and even a few strangers in line at the grocery store.
For other women, they decide only to share the news with a few people, such as their parents or best friend. If that’s not your style, that’s fine too.
Maybe you prefer to keep things private between you and your partner at this stage. Some women want to wait to make the announcement until after the risk of miscarriage has gone way down, which is after the 12th week.
The bottom line is, there is no perfect time to tell the people in your life you’re pregnant. Whenever you feel ready to share the good news and who you choose to tell, is entirely up to you and your partner.