Week 7
Your Body
Even if you're not telling anyone you're pregnant yet, your baby's certainly telling you. Not in so many words but in so many pregnancy symptoms. Like that nagging pregnancy nausea that follows you around day and night, or all that excess saliva pooling in your mouth (am I drooling ?). And then there's that other early pregnancy sign you certainly can't miss (especially when you struggle to button your blouse): those changes in your breasts (are these really mine?).
Your breasts are likely swelling to proportions you never imagined possible (some women have grown a full cup size at this stage) and are becoming uncomfortably tender, tingly, and achy ? mostly because of the increased amounts of that hormone duo, estrogen and progesterone. Fat is also building up in your breasts, and blood flow to the area is increasing. Your nipples may be sticking out a little more than usual ? and though they may look good enough to touch (better than ever, perhaps), they're so sensitive and tender, you'd probably prefer that they weren't. The areola, the dark area around the nipple, has already gotten darker and larger ? and will continue to grow and deepen in color over the months to come. On a less attractive note, you'll also notice little goose-bump-like spots on the areola. These bumps, called Montgomery tubercles, are sweat glands that supply lubrication to the areola. And in case you're wondering why all these changes are taking place, here's your answer: They're getting your breasts ready to feed your baby in about 33 weeks.
Your Baby
How does your baby grow? Pretty fast, actually. Your baby's length is approximately a quarter of an inch ? the size of a blueberry. Sounds pretty tiny still? Consider this for a little perspective: Your baby is 10,000 times bigger now than it was at conception a month ago.
The biggest fetal growth this week is your baby's head (the better to store all those smarts in), with new brain cells being generated at the rate of 100 cells per minute. How's that for a budding genius?
And talking about buds, your baby is going out on a limb this week as his or her arm and leg buds begin to sprout and grow longer (and stronger), dividing into hand, arm, and shoulder segments ? and leg, knee, and foot segments (though the limb buds look more like paddles than hands or feet at this early stage).
Also forming this week are your baby's mouth and tongue. And although your embryo is just one month old, it's already gone through three sets of kidneys. The ones in place now are the permanent set and are poised to begin their important work of waste management. In about a week, your baby will start producing urine. Lucky for you, there's no need for diapers (yet). As your baby matures inside you, much of that urine will be excreted into the amniotic fluid, swallowed again by your baby, and then excreted again in a continuous cycle.