The 7th and 8th weeks of pregnancy are when women start noticing significant differences brought about by their pregnancy. The body is beginning to change, and the fetus inside the uterus is growing rapidly. If women haven’t visited a doctor yet, then now is a good time to consider the first prenatal visit.
What happens during week 7 of pregnancy?
By pregnancy 7th week, the embryo would have grown to a size of about 10mm. The brain continues to develop rapidly, and the head is noticeable as it is much bigger than the body. The eyes would start forming in the face along with tiny buds, which will eventually become the ears. The spinal cord and internal organs also start developing. The embryo is now inside the amniotic sac- a bag-like membrane that envelops the embryo. The placenta is developing and starting to attach to the uterus to derive oxygen and nutrients from the blood. The heart is also developing and beating at a rate of 150-180 beats per minute.
Women are still learning to settle in as they experience pregnancy 7th-week symptoms such as mood swings, irritability and feeling tired. They would also notice changes to their breasts, such as the areola becoming darker with little bumps showing up around the nipples. A maternity bra at this stage would relieve some of the discomforts because of the changing breasts. Some women also experience constipation during the early stages of pregnancy. It can be relieved by eating fibrous foods and drinking plenty of fluids.
What happens during week 8 of pregnancy?
As women move to the eight-week pregnancy, the embryo gas grown bigger to about 13mm, however, it still looks like a tadpole, and the tail will gradually disappear. The head is developing more distinct features such as the eyes and nose, and ears. Inside the head, the tongue, jaw and the roof of the mouth are all coming together. The buds that will eventually become arms have hands growing out with webbed fingers.
The embryo’s reproductive organs are starting to develop, but it is still too early to determine the sex as the features are not yet distinct. The amniotic sac covers the embryo, and the nutrients are being delivered through the yolk sac as the placenta is still developing and yet to attach to the wall of the womb.
Although the embryo is still very small, the uterus would have grown to the size of a tennis ball and starts putting pressure on the urinary bladder. This creates a need to urinate frequently, and women will go to the toilet more than normal. Week eight is also when the morning sickness is experienced the most as women are still used to the hormonal changes in the body. While some women may feel weak irritable, and lethargic during this period, others may be glowing with a lot of energy.
Wrapping up
Weeks seven and eight bring about significant changes to the body of a woman as the embryo grows at a fast rate. Morning sickness, tiredness and sore breasts are common symptoms in these weeks, and it is the right time to make a first appointment with the doctor for a prenatal visit.
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