At 7 weeks pregnant, you may feel like you’re expecting, but you don’t quite look like it yet. You may have gained a couple of pounds or even lost some weight due to morning sickness. You may be “glowing” or struggling with acne. But, no matter your outward appearance, there are certainly some big changes happening inside.

Your Baby’s Development at 7 Weeks

At 7 weeks, a baby is a little more than 1/3 of an inch long (about 1 centimeter). That’s about the size of a standard blueberry.

7 Weeks Pregnant Is How Many Months? 1 month and 3 weeks

Still so tiny, by the end of this week your baby-to-be will be about doubled the size of last week. Body systems and physical features continue to develop.

  • While the development of the baby’s mouth, nostrils, ears, and eyes kicked into high gear last week, this week they are starting to look more and more defined.
  • The eyelids and tongue are beginning to form.
  • The umbilical cord is taking shape. This lifeline connects the baby to the placenta to carry oxygenated blood and nutrients to your baby while taking away waste.
  • Your embryo is likely on their second set of kidneys. Babies go through three sets or stages of kidney development while in the womb.

Explore a few of your baby’s week 7 milestones in this interactive experience.

Your Common Symptoms This Week

As for you, morning sickness and frequent urination may continue or begin this week. Along with these symptoms, you may also notice changes in your skin, vaginal discharge, and sense of smell.

Stay Calm Mom: Episode 3

Watch all episodes of our Stay Calm Mom video series and follow along as our host Tiffany Small talks to a diverse group of women and top doctors to get real answers to the biggest pregnancy questions.

How Will Pregnancy Change My Body?

Remember, every person and every pregnancy are different. You may experience one, some, many, or all of these symptoms.

Cervical Changes

Your cervix gets a lot of attention at the end of pregnancy when you’re waiting for it to efface and dilate. But, there’s actually a lot happening in this area right now. The uptick in hormones and blood flow during pregnancy increases the production of cervical mucus, dubbed leukorrhea. You may notice it as a thin, milky-white, odorless discharge.

This cervical mucus gathers and clumps together to become your mucus plug. It is exactly what you think it is: a plug made of mucus. Its job is to seal the opening of the cervix to protect you and your growing baby by preventing bacteria from getting into the uterus.

Pregnancy Glow

You know that famed pregnancy glow people are always talking about? That might be your only outward sign of pregnancy right now. More blood flowing to your face can give you a rosy glow while pregnancy hormones can make your skin more oily and shiny than before.

Constipation

While that telltale baby bump has yet to arrive, you might be feeling bigger than normal thanks to gas, bloating, and constipation. You can credit the increase of progesterone for that. Progesterone relaxes smooth muscle cells, making the small and large intestines move more slowly resulting in more water absorption and firmer stools.

What Experts Say

“The glow is not a myth. While not everyone gets it, if your cheeks have a rosy glow, it’s likely caused by the great increase of blood flow during pregnancy.”

Super Sense of Smell

Pregnancy can turn your sense of smell into a superpower. It’s an interesting symptom that some believe helps an expectant mom avoid danger. But, it can be trouble if you’re struggling with morning sickness and the slightest whiff of an offending odor can send you running to the bathroom.

Self-Care Tips

Eating well (or doing your best to while managing nausea), drinking enough fluids, resting, and taking some time for yourself are constants on the list every week. In addition, this week you may want give your skin and digestive tract some extra attention.

Get Ahead of Constipation

To help deflate your distended belly and ease discomfort, continue to drink plenty of water, get a little exercise, and eat more insoluble fiber, such as whole wheat, flax, fruit with skins, vegetables, brown rice, and lentils.

Care for Your Skin

The pregnancy glow may be due to the increase in blood flow, but pregnancy hormones may also have a hand in it. Hormones might be causing the glands on your skin to pump out more oil. Oil can give you a sheen, but it can also lead to prenatal acne.

“Because it easy to get sick of drinking plain water all day, I like to recommend hot water with squeezed lemon, or tossing fresh ginger, mint, cucumbers, berries, or any fruit into your glass."

If your glow goes the way of acne, care for your skin by washing with a gentle cleanser every day and using an oil-free moisturizer. Some topical treatments such as benzoyl-peroxide and certain antibiotic creams or solutions are considered safe, but salicylic acid, Retin-A (tretinoin), Accutane (isotretinoin), and others are not. Your best bet is to check with your healthcare provider before treating breakouts.

Advice for Partners

It’s natural for a pregnant parent-to-be to feel out of place in their own skin right about now. They’re expecting, but they don’t look like it yet, and they may feel bigger even though there’s no baby bump to speak of. Meanwhile, their breasts and skin are experiencing changes, too.

Your Week 7 Checklist

  • Continue taking prenatal vitamins.
  • Drink enough water to stay hydrated.
  • Add some fiber to your daily diet to combat constipation.
  • Keep up with skincare.
  • Call your doctor if nausea and vomiting are severe.

You—perhaps the only one who is aware of the pregnancy—might want to show that you notice the little changes. But be gentle. Know that even well-intended positive comments can make your pregnant partner feel self-conscious and anxious. Listen to your partner and how they are speaking of the pregnancy and their body so you can offer the best support.

Special Considerations

Nausea and vomiting are common in 70% to 80% of pregnancies. Severe nausea and vomiting are much less common but can be dangerous for an expecting parent and developing baby.

Upcoming Doctor Visits

You may have had your first prenatal visit as early as last week (week 6), or you may have it in the next few weeks. This appointment is a longer-than-average appointment where a lot gets done. For instance, your healthcare provider will take a blood and urine sample, you might have a Pap smear, and possibly an ultrasound to confirm that your baby is growing and thriving.

After your first prenatal visit, you typically see your health care provider for prenatal check-ups about once a month until 28 weeks (7 months). Then, you will go more often.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Hyperemesis gravidarum is prolonged, extreme nausea with uncontrollable vomiting that can lead to dehydration and weight loss. It affects up to 2.3% of pregnancies. The symptoms typically begin early in pregnancy, peak around week 9, and subside by week 20. If you suspect you may have hyperemesis gravidarum, talk to your healthcare provider.

A Word From Verywell

During week 7 of your pregnancy, you may be dealing with a full set of early pregnancy symptoms. Just remember that it’s just as normal to have a lot of symptoms as it is to only to have a few, and it’s always OK to call your doctor to ask about any symptoms if you’re worried.

Your early pregnancy discomforts continue next week, along with the rapid growth and development of your baby. During week 8, your tiny embryo is beginning to look more and more like a little human.