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In this seventh week of pregnancy, your baby's development reaches a new milestone: it moves for the first time. Some other wondrous things are also happening in your belly. Your body is working hard to provide the best conditions for this new life. So it's no wonder that you often feel tired and exhausted. In the seventh part of our pregnancy calendar, you can find out what signs appear in this 7th week of pregnancy, how the little embryo is developing and what you should look out for.
At the beginning of the 7th week of pregnancy, your baby is about the size of a pearl at around 5 millimetres. It has made itself at home in your uterus and is lying there like in a protective shell. Your little one now wants to get bigger quickly and grows about one millimetre per day.
It will still be a few weeks before you feel the first nudges of your baby inside you, and yet it is moving for the first time in this seventh week of pregnancy. The movements are still completely uncontrolled. The reflex movements of your embryo serve to build up the newly formed muscles.
Your baby is still so small and yet most of the organs are already in place. Some organs, such as the heart, have already started working and are now harmonising with each other. The liver, kidneys and lungs are also continuing to develop. The reproductive organs are also beginning to differentiate. Although it has been clear since fertilisation whether your baby is a boy or a girl, there have not yet been any gender differences.
Now the neural tube with the spinal cord inside closes completely. To ensure that no malformations occur, you should continue to 400 micrograms of folic acid per day take to you.
Your baby's head grows the most in this seventh week of pregnancy. The front part of the embryo is now significantly larger than the back. The size ratio will gradually adjust. However, even when your baby is born, its head is still very dominant compared to the rest of the body. For example, the size ratio between head and body is 1:4 in a newborn, but only 1:8 in an adult. The reason for the rapid growth of the front pole is the development of the brain.
However, it is not only the brain that grows and thus influences the growth of the head. Your baby's face is also gradually forming. A small mouth, nostrils and eye sockets can already be recognised this week. At the same time, the outer ear is forming.
The buds of the upper and lower extremities also develop. The arms grow a little faster than the legs. This week of pregnancy is also characterised by the presence of an embryonic tail. Don't worry, your baby will not be born with a tail. Your little embryo will take on the shape of a human baby in no time at all. However, the embryonic tail will recede again from the 8th week of pregnancy.
Practical help for you:
Emergency service midwife Katharina explains the most important things about the maternity pass online.
As the concentration of pregnancy hormones continues to rise, you will probably experience more signs and symptoms this week - from tiredness and nausea to mood swings. If you have your first antenatal appointment with your gynaecologist this week, you may be rewarded with the sight of your baby's beating heart. A truly magical moment that will shower you with feelings of happiness.
"It's the hormones' fault" - you're sure to hear this phrase more often during your pregnancy. It's a time of great emotions, triggered by a variety of different hormones. These messenger substances are produced by your body's own glands, the placenta and your baby. They control the child's development and ensure the necessary changes in your body. In doing so, they perform true feats - but can also have an impact on your well-being. The following hormones play a special role during pregnancy:
Just a few days after fertilisation, hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is produced by the trophoblast and later by the placenta. It is regarded as the pregnancy hormone par excellence, as its level in the urine is decisive in determining whether a pregnancy test is positive or negative. At the same time, it is probably the trigger for the infamous morning sickness. Although this is anything but pleasant, hCG is of great importance for maintaining the pregnancy. The hormone stimulates the corpus luteum to produce progesterone and oestrogen.
The progestogen progesterone produced in the ovaries is known as the corpus luteum hormone. It causes the ligaments and tendons to relax and the uterine muscles to relax. This allows the uterus to grow and at the same time prevents premature contractions. It also loosens the connective tissue so that the breasts and stomach can grow. This general calming effect also has effects on other areas of the body. It reduces the movement of the bowel, which is why many pregnant women suffer from constipation. Another side effect is an increased urge to urinate. So don't be surprised if you are constantly looking for a toilet in the first few weeks of pregnancy.
Like many other hormones, oestrogen is of great importance even before fertilisation, as it ensures that the egg matures. Together with progesterone and prolactin, it prepares the breast for milk production. It also promotes the cardiovascular system and blood flow to the organs. Oestrogen supports the growth of the uterus.
The release of prolactin causes the glandular tissue in the breast to grow. This prepares your body for breastfeeding. It is particularly important after the birth. Together with the bonding hormone oxytocin, it is released when your baby sucks on the breast and stimulates milk production. Prolactin also has an effect on your brain. It helps you to familiarise yourself with the care and nurturing of your future baby.
As you can see, a variety of different hormones are at work during the first few weeks of your pregnancy. So it's no wonder that your emotions are on a rollercoaster and you notice more and more pregnancy symptoms every day. Due to the rising hCG level, nausea increases in week 7 of pregnancy. Thanks to progesterone, constipation and frequent urination are typical symptoms in the first trimester. As progesterone has a very calming effect, your eyes may close even faster when you're watching a series on the sofa and your need for rest increases. Your body needs sleep to cope with the special challenge of the first few weeks of pregnancy. So give yourself plenty of breaks.
You may also suffer from circulatory problems and dizziness. Your resting heart rate now rises to around 80 beats per minute and your blood volume begins to increase. This means more work for your heart, which has to pump the increased blood volume through hormonally loosened veins. Low blood pressure is often the result. Remember to drink enough and get as much regular exercise in the fresh air as possible.
You may often notice a pulling sensation and slight abdominal pain. These symptoms are usually harmless and are caused by the uterus growing and the ligaments loosening. However, if you experience other symptoms such as bleeding, fever or cramp-like pain in week 7 of pregnancy, please contact your midwife or gynaecologist as this could indicate a miscarriage.
As a rule, your baby can already be easily recognised on the ultrasound in the 7th week of pregnancy. For this reason, this is a good time for your first visit to the gynaecologist. During this week, there is still a good chance that the ultrasound will be able to determine the period of development relatively accurately. The embryo is around 5 to 8 mm in size. With a high-resolution ultrasound device, the beginnings of the arms and legs can already be seen and two black dots can be seen where the eyes will later be located.
At the same time, there's a good chance you'll be able to experience your baby's heartbeat. Your heart is sure to beat faster too! Enjoy this moment. For many women, this makes the pregnancy a little more real and they can now really imagine that there really is a little person growing in their belly.
Check-ups, antenatal classes, on-call midwife - it's worth asking your statutory or private health insurance provider early on what services are covered for pregnancy and birth.
A midwife is a valuable companion during your pregnancy. She will support you with all your questions and worries about becoming a mum, prepare you for the birth, take care of the check-ups and postnatal visits (aftercare). With the exception of the ultrasound imaging examinations, the midwife can carry out all the pregnancy check-ups and take care of the postnatal visits. Maternity passport to issue. Unfortunately, there are shortages of midwives in many regions. Therefore, look around as early as possible for a midwife that suits you. The following tips can help you in your search:
If you have not found a local midwife or would like additional support, you are welcome to take advantage of our online services. Whether Individualised supportfree workshops such as "Online prenatal care" and "Starting your pregnancy" or Online birth preparation courses - You are in the best hands with midwife Katharina.
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