7 Weeks Pregnant

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Here's what's happening during Week 7 of your pregnancy:

Your Growing Baby

The head is about 1∕3 the size of the entire embryo. The brain and face are developing rapidly, and nostrils and lenses of the eyes begin to form. Arm buds become paddle-shaped; hands begin to form. Length: about 1∕3 inch.

Your Growing Belly

The mucus on your cervix is thickening, forming a plug that will keep your uterus sealed until you give birth. You may not notice any difference in your body, or you may notice that you're beginning to lose your waistline.

Every pregnant woman's body changes at a slightly different pace. If you've had a child before, you may start to look pregnant sooner than you did with your first child. You might be feeling tired, achy, and cranky--or not. You might be feeling queasy, or you may never feel queasy. A lack of symptoms doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with you or the baby. If you are already feeling sick, it may comfort you to know that lots of symptoms mean that pregnancy hormones are working hard to support your pregnancy.

Tips & To-Do's

Expecting Improvement

Sure, pregnancy can be a nine-month gripefest—about aching backs, swollen ankles and barf-athons—but as I experienced, it can also be a time of unexpected and wonderful changes, both physical and emotional. “Some medical conditions improve during pregnancy, and for a lot of women, it’s a time of remarkable health and happiness,” says Stuart Fischbein, M.D., an OB-GYN in Camarillo, Calif. How pregnancy may boost your health and happiness >>

Things to think about this week

Before the first trimester is over, visit your company's human resources department to find out how much maternity leave you'll have and whether it will be paid, unpaid or a combination of both. The working women's guide to pregnancy >>

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