You are 7 Weeks Pregnant!
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH YOU
Rapid acceleration of hormones can cause your face to break out. Wash your face twice a day with a gentle cleaner and drink plenty of water. If you are taking vitamin B6 to help with nausea, you may find it also improves the condition of your skin.
Your waist may already be expanding, causing your clothes to feel snug. You may experience constipation and have occasional bouts of indigestion. Some women also feel a bit dizzy or lightheaded at times. (Of course, any persistent symptoms that concern you should be immediately reported to your practitioner.)
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY
Your baby-to-be is the size of a small bean, measuring in at approximately 9 to 11 millimeters, crown to rump. Dark spots, mark the early formation of the eyes. Pits indicate the formation of nostrils and ears. Your baby’s brain is developing rapidly, and limbs and facial characteristics are now forming. Your baby’s heart now has a right and left chamber. An ultrasound may be able to detect heart motion. The esophagus and trachea are changing and differentiating into separate tubes, with lungs positioned on either side.
EATING FOR TWO
Cravings and food aversions are very common during the first trimester. Most of these reactions will disappear by the time you near your fourth month of pregnancy. Contrary to popular belief, craving certain foods does not necessarily indicate that your body is demanding that particular item. So, you may not want to indulge in daily helpings of rocky road ice cream. A good rule of thumb is to indulge in all cravings that are healthy and seek alternatives for your more unhealthy cravings. Perhaps plain yogurt with strawberries can be substituted for strawberry ice cream.
Also if you can’t stand the taste of particular food and avoid it, be sure to fulfill your nutritional requirements with a food of similar nutritive value.
FACT OF THE WEEK
Eating healthy is extremely important when it comes to the well-being of your fetus. One study showed that women who ate nutritiously throughout their pregnancy had healthy babies 95 percent of the time. Of the women who ate very poorly, only 8 percent of their babies were in good or excellent condition.