Week 7
This week your baby is about 5 mm long (around 1/5 in), a little smaller than a pea, though sizes vary at this stage. The brain is growing faster than any other part, which gives the embryo a large, curved head. Small buds that will become arms and legs have appeared, and the first outlines of eyes and ears are forming. On an early ultrasound, a heartbeat can often be seen as a tiny flicker. For you, nausea and tiredness may be at their most noticeable so far. This week's focus is practical: coping with sickness, learning which foods to set aside for now, and getting the rest your body is asking for.
Day 43 · 6 weeks 0 days
Arm buds, leg buds and a growing brain
If you could see your baby today, you would notice the head first. The brain is growing so quickly that it makes up a large share of the embryo's size, and it is already divided into the regions that will handle thought, movement and basic body functions.
Along the sides, small bumps called limb buds have appeared. The arm buds come first, then the leg buds a few days later. Over the coming weeks they will lengthen, flatten into paddles at the ends, and then form fingers and toes.
On the face, shallow dents mark where the eyes and nostrils will be, and the inner parts of the ears are beginning to form. A tail-like tip at the base of the spine is still visible; it will shrink away by about 10 weeks. Inside, the gut, liver and kidneys have started forming. The heart, which began beating last week, is now pumping more strongly and steadily. All of this is happening in an embryo that would sit comfortably on your fingernail.
Try this: Take a moment today to look at the tip of your little finger. That is roughly the size of the body doing all this work.
Day 44 · 6 weeks 1 day
Small tricks that take the edge off nausea
There is no single cure for pregnancy nausea, but a handful of simple habits help many people. An empty stomach tends to make nausea worse, so eating little and often, every two or three hours, is a good place to start. Plain, starchy foods such as crackers, toast, rice and potatoes are often easiest.
Some people find it easier to drink between meals rather than with them. Cold drinks, ice chips or sips of fizzy water can go down better than large glasses of water. Ginger, in tea, biscuits or candies, has some evidence behind it for mild nausea.
Rest matters too, because tiredness makes nausea worse. Fresh air, avoiding strong smells and getting up slowly in the morning can all help a little.
If home measures are not enough, talk to your care provider. There are treatments considered safe in pregnancy, including vitamin B6 and some anti-nausea medicines. Ask before taking anything, including herbal products, so the choice and dose fit your situation. You do not have to just put up with feeling sick if it is wearing you down.
Try this: Set three snack reminders on your phone for today, and keep something plain to eat within reach.
Day 45 · 6 weeks 2 days
Listeria is rare, but worth avoiding
Listeria is a bacterium found in some foods. Infection is uncommon, but pregnancy makes you more likely to catch it, and it can cross the placenta. It can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or serious illness in a newborn, even when the parent feels only mildly unwell. Unlike most bacteria, it can grow slowly in the fridge.
The main foods to avoid or handle with care:
Unpasteurized milk and cheeses made from it.
Soft, mould-ripened cheeses such as brie and camembert, and soft blue cheeses, unless cooked until steaming hot.
Deli meats, hot dogs and cold cuts, unless heated until steaming. Refrigerated pâté and meat spreads, and refrigerated smoked fish. Raw sprouts, and pre-cut fruit or salads that have sat out.
Hard cheeses, pasteurized yogurt and cooked dishes that are piping hot are fine. Advice varies a little between countries, so follow your care provider's guidance where it differs.
Call your care provider if you develop a fever, muscle aches, or flu-like symptoms, especially after eating a food on this list or one that has been recalled.
Try this: Open your fridge today and move anything on this list to a shelf you will remember to skip, or give it away.
Day 46 · 6 weeks 3 days
Choosing fish that is low in mercury
Fish is one of the best foods you can eat in pregnancy. It gives you protein, iodine and omega-3 fats that support your baby's brain and eyes. The concern is mercury, which builds up in some large, long-lived fish and can affect a developing nervous system.
The answer is not to stop eating fish but to choose well. Amounts vary between countries, but many guidelines suggest about two or three servings a week, roughly 225 to 340 g (8 to 12 oz) in total, of fish that is low in mercury. Good choices include salmon, trout, sardines, herring, anchovies, pollock, haddock, cod, shrimp and canned light tuna. Skip the high-mercury fish: shark, swordfish, marlin, king mackerel, tilefish, orange roughy and bigeye tuna. Albacore (white) tuna and fresh tuna steaks are higher than light tuna, so keep them occasional. Local advice may differ for fish caught in nearby lakes and rivers, so check before eating your own catch.
Most guidance also suggests skipping raw fish and raw shellfish for now, because of infection risk. Cooked sushi rolls and vegetarian options are fine.
If you do not eat fish, ask your care provider whether an omega-3 supplement makes sense for you.
Try this: Plan one fish meal for this week, such as baked salmon or a sardine sandwich.
Day 47 · 6 weeks 4 days
Bone-tired is normal right now
The tiredness of early pregnancy can be startling. Many people say it feels deeper than ordinary fatigue, the kind that makes the couch irresistible at 7 p.m. It is one of the most common first-trimester symptoms, and it has real causes.
Progesterone, which rises sharply now, has a sedating effect. Your body is building a placenta, increasing your blood volume and working harder overall. Nausea, night-time bathroom trips and a busy mind can all cut into the sleep you do get.
The good news is that energy usually returns in the second trimester. Until then, treat rest as part of looking after your pregnancy, not a weakness. Go to bed earlier if you can. A short nap of 20 to 30 minutes can help without spoiling your night. Keep caffeine within the limit you read about earlier, and avoid it later in the day.
Say no to a few things, or hand them off. Light activity, like a short walk outdoors, can also lift energy more than you would expect.
Call your care provider if your tiredness comes with shortness of breath, a racing heart, fainting or a very pale appearance, which can point to anemia or a thyroid problem.
Try this: Choose one task to drop or delegate this week, and use that time to rest.
Day 48 · 6 weeks 5 days
Seeing the heartbeat on an early scan
Some people have an ultrasound around now, especially after fertility treatment, a previous loss, bleeding or pain. At this stage it is often done vaginally, with a slim probe, because the embryo is too small to see clearly through the abdomen. It is not painful and does not harm the pregnancy. From about 6 weeks, the heartbeat often appears as a rhythmic flicker in the middle of a tiny shape. It is fast, usually around 100 to 120 beats a minute at first, rising to about 160 to 170 by 9 or 10 weeks before settling. Seeing it for the first time can be a powerful moment.
If no heartbeat is seen yet, it does not necessarily mean something is wrong. A difference of even a few days in dates can matter at this size. Your care provider may suggest a repeat scan in a week or two to know for sure. Waiting is hard, but it is the only way to get a clear answer. You will not usually hear the heartbeat with a handheld Doppler device until around 10 to 12 weeks. Home Dopplers are not recommended, because they can falsely reassure or worry you.
Try this: If you have a scan booked, ask whether you can bring your partner or a support person, and whether you can get a printed image.
Day 49 · 6 weeks 6 days
When nausea runs the household
By the end of this week, nausea may be shaping your whole day: what you eat, when you can work, whether you can face the kitchen. That affects everyone you live with, and it helps to say so out loud.
Some people feel guilty about not keeping up with chores, cooking or plans. Others feel lonely, because nobody can see the pregnancy yet and the people around them do not realize how unwell they feel. It is reasonable to ask for help, even with small things.
It can also help to plan simply. Keep a stock of foods you can tolerate. Accept that meals may look different for a while, and that cereal for dinner is a perfectly good answer some nights.
If you have other children, short, honest explanations work well, such as "I feel sick some days and need to rest." You do not need to share the reason before you are ready.
For your partner: Take over cooking or at least the strong-smelling parts of it, keep favourite safe snacks stocked, and check in once a day with "what sounds okay to eat?"