You’re now in the thick of your first trimester, and your hormones are flying everywhere. Things are progressing rapidly, and by now you’ve probably had time to soak up the enormity of what’s happening inside your belly – in less than nine months you are about to become a mom! Your baby is growing daily, and while it’s still tiny, it’s already a remarkable 10 000 times bigger than four weeks ago and has doubled in size from last week.
Your Baby
Your little one is now the size of a blueberry and measures around 13mm. At seven weeks most of your baby’s growth takes place in the head. New brain cells are being generated at a rapid rate – 100 new brain cells every minute. Another exciting development is the hand and feet buds begin to sprout (and before you know it, those little buds will be fully fledged limbs that will be punching and kicking you later in the pregnancy to remind you that they’re there). Their little mouth and tongue are also starting to form, and very soon their permanent set of kidneys will be up and running.
Your Body
Nausea may be in full force, your saliva production may have increased, and frequent trips to the bathroom have become standard practice. This is because your uterus has doubled in size, putting pressure on your bladder. Your kidneys have kicked into overdrive to clean out your system, and the Hcg hormone triggers an increase in blood flow to the pelvic area – which causes you to produce more urine. A bout of ‘teenage’ acne may also be rearing its ugly head, which probably won’t do anything to help your already emotional state – just blame the hormones. Although your bump isn’t really showing yet, your breasts are probably starting to give your secret away. By now they could have grown a full cup size in just seven weeks. They may also be incredibly tender and itchy as the skin stretches to accommodate the larger size. You may also notice that your areolas have already gotten darker and larger – all in preparation for breastfeeding.
Sensible tips
- Now would be a good time to give your medical aid a call to see what they cover during pregnancy and labour.
- Take some time to review both you and your partners family medical history, as your caregiver will ask about any genetic or chromosomal disorders within the family. This just helps guide them during prenatal tests.