Czy the seventh week of pregnancy it's time to stomach started to round? How fast it grows himself embryo w 7 weeks and how can the exact age of pregnancy be determined on the basis of ultrasound? What is worth knowing about supplementation - not only in the 7th week, but throughout the first trimester of pregnancy?
Around the 7th week of pregnancy, the first "pregnancy" visit to the doctor is recommended. The size of the embryo it should exceed 1 cm and its heart rate may be as high as 160 beats per minute. Future mothers are mainly interested in what can be seen on ultrasound in the 7th week of pregnancy and whether you can already hear the heartbeat of the future baby. They also check what ailments and symptoms are the most typical for this stage of pregnancy and what tests should be done at that time.
7 weeks of pregnancy on ultrasound
The seventh week of pregnancy is the middle of the first trimester. It is still too early for a trans-abdominal ultrasound - it would show an inaccurate image. In the 7th week of pregnancy, an ultrasound performed with the vaginal method shows a rapidly growing, though still very small, embryo. It is still not referred to as fetus, but he gains even 1 mm in length every day - at the beginning of the 7th week the size of the embryo, or more specifically the parietal-seat length (CRL), is 6 mm, and at the end it is 9 mm. Based on the ultrasound in the 7th week of pregnancy, we can determine the exact age of pregnancy to the day by measuring the CRL of the embryo. This method is more accurate than the time elapsed since the first day of your last period.
First trimester ultrasound helps to confirm or correct the actual age of pregnancy, especially in the case of irregularly menstruating women with delayed or faster ovulation. Usually, the age of pregnancy determined and corrected during the XNUMXst trimester ultrasound does not change.
Week 7 changes: not only the size of the embryo
What exactly shows on ultrasound in the 7th week of pregnancy? Although the embryo is only a dot in this picture, it grows very fast. The magnification would show its limbs - which at this stage look more like fins (first, the hands develop, then the legs), as well as the ears. The digestive and urogenital systems are distinguished. Pregnancy bubble is already from 11 to 18 mm, and the yellow body still takes up a lot of space in it. A placenta is formed, which will later take over the feeding function of the fetus.
7 weeks of pregnancy i heartbeat on ultrasound
The seventh week of pregnancy is often the first opportunity to see on the screen during an ultrasound heartbeat the embryo. It cannot be heard yet because the Doppler test, which produces the sonic effect, should not be performed at this stage. Pulse (FHR, from fetal heart rate) it should be between 120 and 160 beats per minute. A lower one could mean a risk of miscarriage or malformations. Observing the activity of the embryo's heart is not only joy and emotions for the expectant mother - FHR control takes place during each subsequent visit to the doctor in charge of the pregnancy and may be a source of information important for the further course of pregnancy.
An appointment and tests are recommended for the seventh week of pregnancy
According to the guidelines for the schedule of medical checks during pregnancy, the first visit is recommended between the 7th and the next week. During this visit, the doctor routinely measures the pressure, examines the breasts and weighs the patient, and orders a set of tests necessary at the beginning of pregnancy. In addition to the general analysis of urine and blood count along with the determination of the blood group, these include:
- Measure blood glucose and TSH (thyroid regulating hormone) levels.
- Test to rule out toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegaly, hepatitis B and C (hepatitis B and C).
- Syphilis screening and HIV testing.
- Testing the microbiological purity of the vagina (vaginal biocenosis) - allows you to exclude infections that could spread to the baby and cause complications in the later stages of pregnancy.
- Pap smear test - recommended for women who have not had a smear test for half a year before pregnancy, they can come for a smear test.
As you can see, there is a lot of research - if the expectant mother in the 7th week of pregnancy is not yet behind her, it is better not to delay any longer - especially since you sometimes have to wait for free dates.
Seventh week of pregnancy - what symptoms?
Symptoms for expectant mothers in the 7th week of pregnancy include:
- pain when touching your breasts
- nausea,
- excessive salivation,
- tiredness,
- changeable moods,
- urinating more often than usual.
All the above-mentioned symptoms in the 7th week of pregnancy are perfectly normal. They are mainly associated with hormonal changes and should not worry the future mother, although they are often very burdensome. Frequent visits to the toilet - even every several minutes - which occur in the 7th week of pregnancy, are a symptom of blood production for the needs resulting from the pregnancy and the development of the embryo. The blood must be constantly filtered by the kidneys, hence their greater load and, as a result, more frequent feeling of pressure on the bladder. However, if you experience symptoms such as when urinating in the 7th week of pregnancy burning or pain, this may be evidence about cystitisthat will require treatment.
Embryo size and abdominal pain
In the 7th week of pregnancy, many women take any signals from the body, such as abdominal pain, very seriously. As long as they are not sharp, they should not be a cause for concern. Many pregnant women feel this way "Pulling" or a slight pain in the lower abdomen. The embryo itself, which is barely visible on ultrasound in the 7th week of pregnancy, is still too small to be able to "bulge" in the abdomen, causing pain or discomfort in this area. However, the uterus is already beginning to enlarge and the ligaments that support it are stretching to prepare for the further growth of the embryo. Hence the pain in the abdomen in the 7th week of pregnancy.
Is pregnancy visible in the belly at week 7?
The 7th week is the time when the mum-to-be's belly can - slowly and to a very small extent - start to lose its previous shape. Most women, however, do not see at this stage that an embryo is growing inside, from which the fetus will later develop. In the seventh week, therefore, there is nothing to count on a typically rounded pregnancy belly, but it is possible that a slight pregnancy may appear. protrusion below the navel. If we are not overdoing it, it is not yet a phase of weight gain - energy demand in the first trimester increases by less than 100 kcal per day compared to the period before pregnancy.
However, in the area of the abdomen in the 7th week of pregnancy, it fits however, the clothes may start to tighten. It is worth starting to take care of skin elasticity by using nourishing creams or lotions. In this way, you can to some extent reduce the occurrence of stretch marks and the laxity of the abdominal skin - remember, however, that it is largely genetically determined. Cosmetics used during pregnancy should have a mild effect - too high concentration of active substances or stronger fragrances are then not recommended.
What is worth knowing about supplementation in pregnancy?
Pregnancy means increased demand for many nutrients - the increase may be different at different stages of the pregnancy. Ingredients important for the body, including vitamins as well as micro- and macroelements, should be supplied primarily in food, thanks to a varied and balanced diet. Supplementation is often necessary for difficult access to natural sources of vitamins or minerals, problems with their absorption or specific diseases or health problems. Future mothers should be encouraged to take supplements after consulting the doctor in charge of the pregnancy, who will select the right dose and, if necessary, order additional diagnostics to determine the causes of any deficiencies. In the first trimester of pregnancy, according to the guidelines of the Polish Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics, supplementation is recommended:
- DHA, i.e. docosahexaenoic acid - in an amount of min. 200 mg daily;
- vitamin D. - in the amount of 1500-200 IU per day;
- folic acid - in the amount of 0,4-0,8 mg per day (folic acid supplementation is also recommended at the stage of pregnancy planning).
The micronutrients whose supplementation may be indicated in the first and subsequent trimesters of pregnancy include iodine and iron. However, due to the negative impact of both the deficiency and excess of these elements on the course of pregnancy, the decision regarding supplementation and its dose should be consulted with a doctor for each future mother based on the results of blood tests.
Consultation:
Ph.D. n. med. prof. IMID Tadeusz Issat - Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic at the Institute of Mother and Child;
Maria Krowicka-Wasyl - resident physician in the course of specialization in gynecology and obstetrics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Institute of Mother and Child.
Źródła:
Fetal Size and Dating: Charts Recommended for Clinical Obstetric Practice, ULTRASOUND, August 2009, Volume 17, No. 3
Estimating Fetal Gestational Age, Radiology Key
