Week 07: Your pregnancy
Your baby’s growth: Fetal digestion system, umbilical cord
This week the embryo will more than double in size, growing from about four millimeters long to about half an inch. She still has a lot more growing to do: The average newborn is 18 to 21 inches long and weighs six to nine pounds.
Right about now the fetal digestive system is beginning to develop. Your baby's most important prenatal connection to you, the umbilical cord, has started taking shape. This ropelike cord contains two arteries and a vein. It brings oxygen and nutrients to the embryo and carries waste products away.
You can now see your little embryo on an ultrasound, which might show some of the following:
- Facial features. Tiny nostrils and a minuscule mouth have started to develop.
- Ears. Indentations are appearing where ears will be.
- Eyes. Your little one is developing more distinct eyes, with pigmented irises.
- Head. Your baby's head is still much larger than the rest of the body, but her body will grow rapidly this week.
- Heart. A quickly beating heart (about 150 beats per minute) with two chambers is developing.
- Airways. Bronchial tubes are developing to carry air through the lungs and carbon dioxide out of the lungs.
- Mouth. Tooth buds and palate are just beginning to grow.
- Skin. Your baby has paper-thin skin with clearly visible veins.
What’s happening with you
- Weight gain. It's not quite time for maternity clothes since you're still not showing. But you may have gained a few pounds if you haven't been too nauseated to eat.
- Morning sickness. During this first trimester, many women complain of morning sickness, caused in part by pregnancy hormones.
- More bathroom breaks. Another change you may notice is frequent urination. As your enlarging uterus presses on the bladder and hormones affect your fluid balance, you'll probably need to use the bathroom more often than before.
- Increased energy. If you're getting enough rest, you may begin to have more energy now.
Products
GERBER® SEAL 'N GO® Breast Milk Storage Bags
Presterilized and self-standing with an innovative leak-proof zipper seal.
Learn More