Is the seventh week of pregnancy the time for your belly to start to round out? How quickly does the embryo grow in the seventh week , and how can an ultrasound determine the exact gestational age? What's worth knowing about supplementation — not just in the seventh week, but throughout the entire first trimester?
Around the 7th week of pregnancy, the first "pregnancy" visit to the doctor is recommended. The embryo should be over 1 cm in size, and its heart rate can reach up to 160 beats per minute. Expectant mothers are primarily interested in what can be seen on an ultrasound at 7 weeks of pregnancy and whether the baby's heartbeat can already be heard. They also investigate the most common ailments and symptoms associated with this stage of pregnancy and what tests should be performed.
7 weeks of pregnancy on ultrasound
The seventh week of pregnancy marks the halfway point of the first trimester. It's still too early for a transabdominal ultrasound – it would provide an inaccurate image. In the seventh week of pregnancy, a transvaginal ultrasound reveals a rapidly growing, though still very small, embryo. It's still not considered a fetus , but it grows by up to 1 mm in length each day – at the beginning of the seventh week, the embryo's size , or more precisely, its crown-rump length (CRL), is 6 mm, while at the end, it's 9 mm. Based on a seventh-week ultrasound, we can determine the exact gestational age by measuring the CRL . This method is more accurate than the method based on counting the time elapsed since the first day of the last menstrual 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 can be seen on an ultrasound at 7 weeks of pregnancy? Although the embryo is just a dot on this image, it develops very rapidly. Magnified, its limbs would be visible – which at this stage are more like fins (arms develop first, then legs), as well as ears. The digestive and urogenital systems are developing. The gestational sac is now 11 to 18 mm in size, and the corpus luteum still occupies a significant amount of space within it. The placenta, which will later take over the function of nourishing the fetus, is forming.
7 weeks of pregnancy i heartbeat on ultrasound
The seventh week of pregnancy is often the first opportunity to see the fetal heartbeat on the screen during an ultrasound . It can't be heard yet, as Doppler ultrasound, which produces an audible effect, shouldn't be performed at this stage. The fetal heart rate (FHR ) should be between 120 and 160 beats per minute. A lower rate may indicate a risk of miscarriage or developmental defects. Observing the fetal heartbeat is not only a joyful and emotional experience for the expectant mother – FHR monitoring is performed during every subsequent visit to the obstetrician and can provide important information regarding the future course of the pregnancy.
An appointment and tests are recommended for the seventh week of pregnancy
According to the guidelines for medical checkups during pregnancy, the first visit is recommended between the seventh and the following week . During this visit, the doctor routinely measures blood pressure, examines the breasts, and weighs the patient. A full set of tests necessary at the beginning of pregnancy will be ordered. In addition to a general urinalysis and complete blood count (CBC) with blood type testing, 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 are a lot of tests - if the future mother in the 7th week of pregnancy has not yet had them, it is better not to delay any longer - especially since sometimes you have to wait for available appointments.
Seventh week of pregnancy - what symptoms?
Symptoms experienced by 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 of the symptoms mentioned in the 7th week of pregnancy are perfectly normal. They are primarily related to hormonal changes and shouldn't worry the expectant mother, although they can be quite bothersome. Frequent visits to the bathroom—even every few minutes—that occur in the 7th week of pregnancy are a sign of blood production for the needs of pregnancy and the developing fetus. Blood must be constantly filtered by the kidneys, which puts more strain on them and, as a result, causes a more frequent feeling of urge to urinate. However, if you experience symptoms such as burning or pain when urinating in the 7th week of pregnancy, it may indicate a cystitis , which will require treatment.
Embryo size and abdominal pain
During the 7th week of pregnancy, many women take any bodily signals, such as abdominal pain, very seriously. Unless they are severe, they shouldn't be a cause for concern. Many pregnant women experience a "pulling" or mild pain in the lower abdomen . The embryo itself, which is barely visible on an ultrasound at 7 weeks, is still too small to be able to "push" through the abdomen, causing pain or discomfort in this area. However, the uterus is already beginning to enlarge, and the ligaments supporting it stretch to prepare for the embryo's continued growth. This may be the cause of abdominal pain in the 7th week of pregnancy.
Is pregnancy visible in the belly at week 7?
Week 7 is the time when a mother-to-be's belly may slowly and very slightly begin to lose its previous shape. However, for most women, at this stage, it's not obvious that an embryo is growing inside, which will later develop into a fetus. Therefore, in week 7, don't expect a typically rounded pregnancy belly, but it's possible that a slight bulge below the navel will appear . As long as you don't overeat, this isn't the weight gain phase yet – energy needs in the first trimester increase by less than 100 kcal per day compared to the pre-pregnancy period.
However, around the belly area, in the 7th week of pregnancy, tight-fitting clothes may begin to feel tight . It's worth focusing on skin elasticity by using nourishing creams or lotions. This can help reduce the appearance of stretch marks and abdominal skin laxity to some extent – remember, however, that this is largely genetically determined. Cosmetics used during pregnancy should be gentle – too high a concentration of active ingredients or stronger fragrances are not recommended.
What is worth knowing about supplementation in pregnancy?
Pregnancy increases the need for many nutrients – this increase may vary at different stages of pregnancy. Essential nutrients, including vitamins, trace elements, and macronutrients, should be obtained primarily through food, through a varied and balanced diet. Supplementation is often necessary when access to natural sources of vitamins and minerals is limited, absorption is impaired, or specific medical conditions or health issues arise . Expectant mothers should be encouraged to take supplements after consulting with their obstetrician, who will select the appropriate 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 during specialization in gynecology and obstetrics, Clinic 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
