Week 7

Your Baby's Development
Now at a length of 0.2 to 0.52 inches (5 to 13 millimeters) from crown to rump and a weight of 0.03 ounces (0.8 grams), your baby is constantly adapting to life inside the uterus. This week the umbilical cord, which provides nourishment and disposes of the baby's wastes, develops from the implantation site of the blastocyst. In addition, the baby's digestive tract and lungs continue to form.

Are you waiting impatiently to see your baby's face on his or her birth day? You have a long way to go until then, but in the meantime, your baby's face is taking shape. The mouth perforation, miniature nostrils, ear indentations, and the pigmentation in the irises of the eyes are some of the changes taking place this week.

Dreaming of a son or daughter to play ball with? The arm bud that developed just last week is already divided into shoulder segments and hand segments, which look like tiny paddles.

Your Body
Pregnancy causes many changes in your cervix. This week you'll develop a mucous plug, which forms in the opening of the cervical canal and seals off the uterus for protection. Eventually you'll lose this plug as your cervix dilates in preparation for labor.

You may experience slight cramping and spotting of blood during this week as the embryo implants firmly into the wall of the uterus. Some women even mistake this "breakthrough bleeding" for their missed periods. Talk to your health care provider if you are concerned about the amount of blood or if the cramping is severe.