Table of contents:
- Embryo growth
- How is the development of the fetus at 7 weeks of my pregnancy?
- The baby's placenta is already formed
- The face, arms and legs begin to form
- Head shaping
- The fetus already has a kidney
- Changes to the Body
- How is the change in the mother's body at 7 weeks of pregnancy?
- The breasts start to swell
- Appetite changes
- Maintain fetal development at 7 weeks of pregnancy to stay healthy
- Visit to Doctor / Midwife
- What should I discuss with my doctor at 7 weeks of pregnancy?
- Tests that may be needed at fetal development at 7 weeks of pregnancy
- Health & Safety
- What do I need to know to maintain a healthy fetal development at 7 weeks of pregnancy?
- 1. Eat more fruit
- 2. Stay away from cigarette smoke
- 3. Eating fish
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Embryo growth
How is the development of the fetus at 7 weeks of my pregnancy?
At 7 weeks pregnant, your baby is the size of a green apple seed and doubled in length last week to 1.27cm.
The baby's placenta is already formed
According to the Baby Center, at 7 weeks of pregnancy, your baby is struggling to adapt to life in the womb.
Within this week, the placenta that connects you to your baby during pregnancy has formed. This placenta will provide oxygen, nutrients, and excretion of waste to the baby. In addition, the lungs and digestive system of the baby are slowly forming.
The face, arms and legs begin to form
You may be looking forward to seeing your baby's face when he is born. This moment is still long in coming.
However, at 7 weeks of gestation the baby's face is in the process of shaping. The contours of your baby's eyes, nose, mouth, ears and other parts of your baby's face will start to take shape this week.
At the development of the fetus at 7 weeks of pregnancy, the baby's arms will start to grow stronger.
It splits into hands, shoulders, feet and knees. Because at this gestational age, the prospective baby will appear to have a small paddle.
Head shaping
At 7 weeks gestation, most growth is centered on the head and brain. What to Expect said, the speed of growth of brain cells is no joke, namely 100 brain cells per minute.
The fetus already has a kidney
The kidneys are formed at 7 weeks of pregnancy. This one body organ is ready to start its role in managing your baby's nutritional intake, which is channeled through the placenta. One of the roles that has been carried out is producing urine.
Changes to the Body
How is the change in the mother's body at 7 weeks of pregnancy?
In this phase, there will be changes in your cervix (cervix). Reporting from the Kids Health page, during this week, your uterus will continue to enlarge and a collection of cervical mucus will form.
This collection of cervical mucus serves to protect the uterus and control the opening and closing of the uterus. The cervical mucus will remain until your cervix opens and you are ready to give birth.
The breasts start to swell
Even though at 7 weeks of pregnancy the baby is still about the size of blueberries, your breasts have started to swell.
You will start to feel uncomfortable with a bra that is usually used and can even feel sore. This is caused by the pregnancy hormones, namely estrogen and progesterone.
Your nipples feel very sensitive, tender, and more prominent, so they will feel sore to the touch.
Not only that, at this time, the areola color will also turn darker and wider for the next few months. This change is very important so that children can breastfeed more easily when they are just born.
Appetite changes
At 7 weeks of pregnancy, your appetite will change even to the point of losing your appetite. No need to worry, this is a common reaction.
To work around this, find a substitute food, for example, do not like the smell of meat, can be replaced with tofu or tempeh for protein replacement.
This is done so that you and your baby's nutrition is still fulfilled at 7 weeks of gestation.
Maintain fetal development at 7 weeks of pregnancy to stay healthy
If you have been pregnant before, your stomach may be bigger than in previous pregnancies.
Simply put, it is like a rubber ball which will be easier to blow and get bigger after the second or third time. Likewise with your stomach.
Your uterus will be more prone to stretching and enlarging if you've been pregnant before. Your abdominal muscles and ligaments have stretched before, so this time it will be easier to do it again.
However, an enlarged uterus for a short time can cause symptoms such as pelvic pressure and back pain. These pregnancy symptoms usually start to be felt since the beginning of pregnancy rather than when the first pregnancy.
Visit to Doctor / Midwife
What should I discuss with my doctor at 7 weeks of pregnancy?
When you consult your doctor about fetal development at 7 weeks of pregnancy, ask about the best time for you to announce to friends and family that you are pregnant. This needs to be done because there are many factors to consider.
Your health condition and fetal development may determine when you can share this good news with everyone.
Tests that may be needed at fetal development at 7 weeks of pregnancy
At 7 weeks of pregnancy, your doctor will check:
- Weight
- Blood pressure
- Urine
- Measure your waist circumference
- Check the position of the fetus
- Listening to the baby's heartbeat
If necessary, the doctor will monitor any complications that can arise in the fetus so that they can be treated immediately.
Health & Safety
What do I need to know to maintain a healthy fetal development at 7 weeks of pregnancy?
Some things that you should pay attention to in order to support the development of the fetus at 7 weeks of pregnancy are:
1. Eat more fruit
Quoting from What To Expect, pregnant women are advised to eat lots of fruits and vegetables so that nutrition is well maintained. You can choose fruit that has striking colors, such as apples, melons, watermelons. This fruit is high in vitamins A and C and is important for fetal development.
2. Stay away from cigarette smoke
Smoking or inhaling the smoke causes placental complications that will reduce the baby's birth weight and affect the baby's IQ.
Scientists have not found any evidence that secondhand smoke can lead to the same complications or not.
However, we all know that tobacco is dangerous, so to be safer, be careful and avoid exposure to cigarette smoke so that the development of the fetus at 7 weeks of pregnancy is not interrupted.
3. Eating fish
Can pregnant women eat fish? The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) encourages pregnant women to keep eating fish, but still choose fish that do not contain mercury.
Some things that need to be considered in consuming fish, namely:
- Eat two to three servings of fish a week with a variety of fish
- Avoid fish high in mercury
- One meal, it is recommended that fish weighs only 6 ounces
Fish that are high in mercury are very dangerous for fetal development, as they interfere with the baby's nervous system and brain growth.
So, what will your fetus develop next week?