Baby Care and Parenting Tips

The first few weeks of pregnancy brings about many changes, but not all women will experience them in the same way. While the baby continues to grow rapidly, many women will not feel pregnant for weeks to come.

During the seventh week of pregnancy, the embryo is about the size of a blueberry, measuring one half-inch long. Despite his or her size, however, the embryo is already developing arms and legs along with a small tail, which will later disappear. The hemispheres of the brain develop during this week, as do the liver, appendix, and pancreas. The liver produces red blood cells until bone marrow forms, while the appendix and pancreas prepare to develop insulin, which will later regulate digestion. The umbilical cord is delivering oxygen nutrients to the embryo through the blood vessels that have already developed in the tiny embryo.

For the mother, week seven of pregnancy can mark the beginning of morning sickness. While not all women experience morning sickness, more than half who do will stop feeling nauseous by week fourteen of pregnancy; for others, it can continue throughout the pregnancy, even into the third trimester. The uterus is already twice the size that it was before pregnancy, and blood volume increases by 10 percent. Pressure on the bladder leads to more frequent urination, which will only get worse as the weeks go on.

Week seven of pregnancy can signal the beginning of the rough patch, as the first trimester is notorious for morning sickness and other unpleasant symptoms. However, most women will find relief as time passes.

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Many women who are experiencing pregnancy for the first time are not sure what the symptoms of morning sickness are. Some will even dismiss what they are feeling because they envision it to be something more extreme. The truth is that not all symptoms are severe and that what you feel may indeed be morning sickness.

One of the first symptoms that will probably sneak up on you is fatigue. Although many women will feel tired just from the amount of work that the body is doing, sometimes it will progress into other symptoms as time goes on. Take time to rest as you need it and are able to so that your body has the energy it needs.

The next symptom is one that is often overlooked because it is not really obvious. Women will often find that their sense of smell becomes heightened and many smells become unbearable. Strong smells like perfumes and cooking odors are especially to blame and this can start to lead to serious nausea. Avoid the smells when you can and try to use a fan while cooking to eliminate the strong smells.

As time goes on, you may find that you suddenly have a decreased appetite and just don’t feel hungry as often. This is likely due to a queasy stomach caused by morning sickness. Remember to eat regular nutritious meals even when you don’t feel like it because you need the food as fuel for both you and your developing baby.

Nausea would seem to be an obvious symptom, but many women dismiss it because it may be very low-grade. Anytime your stomach is upset or queasy, this constitutes nausea and is definitely a morning sickness symptom. Start looking to see if you can find what triggers it and what types of things help you feel better.

Lastly, vomiting is probably the most obvious symptom. Whether you vomit once a day or 20 times a day, it is likely caused by your morning sickness. Dehydration is a serious risk with vomiting, and if you find yourself vomiting a lot, you should contact your healthcare provider.

A new pregnancy can be a very happy time, and many women look forward to seeing some of the symptoms of morning sickness. Remember that the symptoms may be very mild or very severe and although you can’t prevent them, you can take care of yourself with rest, supplements and a healthy diet.