In 10th week pregnancy, there is no doubt whether your baby should be referred to as embryo or a fetus, seeing that she has completed most of the development of her vital organs and tissues. From week ten onwards there is no major new growth taking place but your baby will continue to mature to be ready for world outside the uterus.
Technically you are reaching a great milestone of your pregnancy as you enter week 12. This will be the last week of your first trimester. From the next week, you will be entering a less stressful second trimester, which is known as honeymoon period of your pregnancy.
The past few weeks may have made you feel that this phase is never going to end. Here is some good news for you this week. Normally, this is the time when your early pregnancy symptoms like nausea, fatigue, dizziness and vomiting will start to wane.
As you step into week 8, you are still at the mercy of hormones which have increased your sense of smell, your bust size, and have compelled you to run to empty your bladder quite often; sometimes also making you want to throw up almost everything.
By now, the mood swings may have come down a bit, however, it differs from woman to woman. If you are one those women who do not coast through their pregnancies as though they were on a luxury cruise, you are not going to be a happy woman dealing with these bodily changes taking place. The only comfort for you must be that these symptoms are a proof that you are going to be mommy soon, and fortunately they do not have any adverse effects on your baby.
You may start feeling the pressure and a tightness around your lower abdomen during the eighth week as the uterus is fast growing to accommodate all the needs of your baby. The uterus will be at present pressing against your bladder, which makes you urinate often. It may also cause a cramping pain in your abdomen which may scare you initially. In addition, your breasts are growing and getting ready for lactation, though your baby is just the size of raspberry at this stage. Most women increase a cup size or two during their first pregnancy. Do not panic if you see dark veins known as varicose veins show on the skin of your breasts. This happens as a result of increased blood supply to the arteries of your breasts.
You can see the change in the skin color of the areolas as well, which darken due to increased blood circulation. The nipples and small glands on the areola become quite prominent and may begin to secrete colostrums – a yellowish thick substance which is also referred to as ‘high octane milk’.
The list of symptoms you may experience in the 8th week of pregnancy may go as below:
You would be glad to know that your lovely baby is fast losing its tail and no more resembles a tadpole. The neural pathways are forming in the brain and her nerve cells are branching out to form connections with other nerve cells.
The stubs of limbs now have webbed fingers and toes to show. The eyelids have developed fully and protect her beautiful eyes. Her lips, taste buds, nose, legs and back continue to develop fast approaching the human shape and form. The trachea and the lungs are developing to aid in breathing of your baby.
Your baby’s heart is fully functional and beating at the rate of 150/pm. This is nearly double the heartbeat of a normal adult human.
By now your baby has all the functional organs and tissues it requires to function as a human, though they have to develop further. You are the end of the embryonic stage of your pregnancy and entering the fetal stage now. The baby will be addressed as a foetus hereafter and not an embryo.
Your body is the protective case in which your baby grows. Though you are destined to be two separate individuals in future, at preset your bodies are intricately intertwined and connected to each other. What goes into your mind or body enters your tiny foetus. You may at times consciously or unconsciously expose your baby to harmful substances. Habits die hard.
Let us discuss the ill effects of tobacco, alcohol and caffeine on your baby this week. Awareness will make it easy for you to give up those bad habits, especially if you that your baby is involved in the risk you take.
As you have just gone through some adverse effects of tobacco, alcohol and caffeine on your baby, try to avoid that as much as possible in your home. Even though you are not carrying the baby in your womb, you can cause harm by making your partner a passive smoker; in addition you are tempting her to smoke a cigarette or two.
If your wife is trying to give up on coffee and alcohol, try to be there and support her by giving up the habits yourself. This is not just good for you baby but will help you maintain your own health as well.
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Article by Farida Rizwan
Congratulations, you are moving past the first half of your 1st trimester! This might be the best time to go for an ultrasound scan and announce to the world about the good news.
But some couples prefer to declare the grand event to friends and family at the earliest, whereas others wait till the end of the first trimester. It’s completely your choice!
Even if you don’t, more often the pregnancy symptoms like frequent urination and morning sickness will let the cat out of the bag. If you are eager to have a look at some external signs of pregnancy showing on your tummy, get ready to be disappointed. There is nothing much happening on that front as yet. Though your uterus has doubled up in its size by week 7, you cannot see any signs of growing uterus or baby from outside. All you can do is stand in front of the mirror and puff your tummy a bit to see how it will look in another few months time.
When you are 7 weeks pregnant, having a scan is very essential. Check out our guide for your Ultrasound Scans:
The 7th week is considered to be an ideal time for getting your first ultrasound scan. The sonographer can do an accurate assessment of your pregnancy to predict gestational age of the embryo growing in your womb. At this stage the embryo is going through the defining characteristics of development which is unique to the specific week.
At fetal stage, it is not that easy to guess the gestational age of the fetus since by then, individual genetics would have taken over the growth which may differ from one individual to other. The early dating scan can get you the most accurate gestational period of your pregnancy. Apart from predicting the due date, a scan in 7th week of pregnancy can reveal certain things about your pregnancy which you should know. An ultrasound scan in early stage of pregnancy can
Don’t let your expectations and hope run high, as there is very little you can see during the first early stages of pregnancy. The embryo and the pregnancy sac are too tiny to make any sense to your unprofessional eye.
Check out what changes that occur in your body and 7 weeks pregnant symptoms and tips below:
You may have already finished your prenatal checkup which will rule out any abnormalities in your pregnancy or presence of STDs, anemia or rubella immunity to rule out any problems you may face in future.
It is also important to know your blood type and blood count, as pregnancy is a delicate period for you and this will come handy in emergencies.
Though on the outward you cannot see the changes, internally there is a lot that’s happening to your body. Your uterus has doubled in size by the 7th week. The one major change which will strike you is the growth of your breasts. The pregnancy hormones allow your breast to reach their maximum size.
Unfortunately they also make your breasts tender and sensitive. Your body cannot wait to breast-feed your baby; hence it is increasing the blood flow and building of fat in your breasts so that they will be ready for the little hungry mouth in 8 months time.
Many pregnant women tend to throw up constantly in the early stages of pregnancy, though there are some lucky ones who are not bothered by nausea and vomiting at all. Even though this is an obvious sign of pregnancy, the doctors will usually do the necessary check-up to rule out any other causes for it.
Vomiting can be a sign of viral infection, food poisoning, and intolerance to certain medications, gastro-intestinal disorders and many more which are unrelated to your pregnancy.
Typically, the doctors will not prescribe medications for you during your pregnancy as they come with certain side-effects. It is only if you are having tough time keeping anything you eat down at all that the doctor will prescribe some anti-emetic medicine for you. You can try natural remedies like, lemon water, ginger ale or peppermint which can help you to a great extent.
Have smaller meals more often which helps you get enough nourishment for self and your growing baby.
It is fairly common for pregnant women to complain about shortness of breath during the first trimester and in some cases the later stages of pregnancy as well. Though the hormonal changes could also be responsible for the condition, the main culprit is seen to the bodily changes that elevate the diaphragm, which restricts it downward movement.
Hence it is difficult for you to expand your lungs fully, leading to shortness of breath. This should not be a matter of concern to you, as you fine and able to breathe, though you may feel otherwise. Just relax and take few breaths. If you panic the condition may worsen. If you suffer from any pulmonary tract diseases or asthma, then you should take precaution to control them. This could be the time when they will be exacerbated, hence be ready for them.
First thing to know about heartburn is that it has nothing to do with your heart. It is all about the food you eat and indigestion you may have in your tummy. Though you may have faced the problems earlier, heartburn and indigestion becomes a regular feature during your pregnancy.
Keep an eye on what and when you eat. Soon, you will know what food is worsening your condition and you can avoid the food that gives you heartburn. Typically, it is the food that increases the gastric acid production that will lead to this uncomfortable in your body. Avoid eating heavy meals or spicy food just before hitting bed or having a daytime nap. Even if you don’t like it, try to eat bland and healthy food for some time. And drink plenty of the magic potions called plain water.
There are almost 100 new brain cells generated per minute the growing embryo at this stage. No wonder there is amazing growth seen in the head of your baby. Along with the brain, the baby’s heart is now performing more complex functions and developing at a faster rate.
The arms and legs sprout out as little buds on the torso whereas the tiny mouth will take shape with a tongue taking form inside it. This is also the time when the joints of your baby’s limbs develop. Your baby is getting ready to pee as the kidneys are almost ready to get going with their job. This is just the beginning of stage of the hundreds of diapers you are going to change.
The eyelids have partially formed and cover those would be gorgeous eyes now which show some signs of color. The tiny tip of nose is also showing up proudly. At present the liver performs the duty of bone marrow to produce red-blood cells. The appendix and pancreas are developing so that they can produce insulin to aid in her digestion. The umbilical cord which will supply nutrients and oxygen to the baby until her birth is also starting to show up now.
Overall, you can say this is an amazing development taking place in your baby. If you just stop to ponder over and give it a thought of how fast things have developed in your baby, you will know this is nothing short of miracle.
At this stage, the limbs and yolk sac are included in the measurement of your baby. It is measured from the top of its head to the bottom where the tail is fast disappearing now. The CRL measurement of your baby in the 7th week is somewhere between 5 -12mm or about ½ an inch which is the size of a blueberry. Your baby may weigh less than a gram at this stage, but know that she is now nearly about 10,000 times the size she was at conception.
The food aversions and nausea can start taking toll on your health. You should take care not to be malnourished now, because your health is important not just for your safety but also for the safety of your baby. Make your food boring for a while. Not a good advice, but eating simple and bland food will keep heartburn away, and also it is not that bad to throw it up once in a while. On the other hand spicy food can be tormenting when you throw it out.
Keep yourself well hydrated by taking plenty of fruit juices and water. Avoid alcohol, coffee or other harmful drinks though.
Wear a good supporting bra to help the tenderness and swelling in your breasts. Now that you are aware of 7 weeks pregnancy symptoms and tips, now here are some tips for dad.
It must be tormenting for you to watch your partner retching and throwing up most of the time. She will be tired and moody during this period. Bring out the best in you and support her as best as you can. Try to keep your home safe and hygienic. Take up the task of cleaning and using harsh chemicals around your home, for this could be harmful to your would be baby and pregnant wife.
Being there and listening to your wife of how miserable she is feeling will help her in dealing with the havoc the hormones are creating in her body.
If you fear the idea of being a dad, don’t worry that it is sign of bad parent. Most of the men go through the fear of being a responsible parent, but once the baby arrives, you will learn the skills.
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Article by Farida Rizwan
As you enter your 6th week of pregnancy, you are reaching a milestone of being halfway through of your first trimester. Whew! There are 5 such phases left to go.
If you have been a woman who is proud of being in control, this could be the time to shed the pride. Your mood may spring from one extreme to other making you feel embarrassed of yourself. But don’t be; it is not you but the upheavals in the hormones that are causing all the changes in your mood and your body.
Are you pregnant or are you not? If that’s the question that has been troubling you since long, it will be put to rest finally. You are now nearing the time of revelation of the great news. In some cases, the women may have discovered about their pregnancy before the 5th week whereas some may have to wait for another week or two.
The week 4 begins like any other week. This is because there is some more time left before you know whether you have missed your period. Though, on the outside everything looks normal, your body is undergoing great changes to accommodate the growing baby in your womb.
By this time the ovulation and fertilization of the ovum has either taken place or is going to happen soon enough. The end of 2nd week and beginning of 3rd week is a very high fertile period for woman. If you are not one of those lucky couples for whom pregnancy happened naturally; this would be the time to try your luck.
