PREGNANCY WEEK BY WEEK - WEEK 7

What is happening with the baby:
The hands and feet are emerging from the developing arms and legs.  They may look more like paddles at this point.  You baby is still considered an embryo and has something like a small tail.  This is an extension of the tailbone.  The tail will disappear within a few weeks.  That will be the only thing getting smaller.  Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long.  That would be about the size of a blueberry.
If you could see inside your womb, you'd see spot eyelid folds partially covering her eyes, which already have some color.  You would also see the tip of her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment thin skin.  Both sides of your baby's brain are growing, and her liver is churning out red blood cells until the bone marrow forms and takes over this role.  The baby also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the the hormone insulin to aid in digestion.  A loop in the baby's growing intestines is bulging into her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from her tiny body.

Changes in your body:
Your uterus has doubled in size in the past five weeks.  Eating may be very difficult right now; especially if you are experiencing nausea.  If you are feeling sick, hang in there!  For most, it does get better within a few weeks.  You may also need to urinate more frequently.  This is due to the increase in blood volume and the extra fluid being processed through your kidneys.  By now, you already have about 10 percent more blood than you did before you were pregnant.  By the end of your pregnancy, you will have 40 to 45 percent more blood running through your veins to meet the demands of a full term baby.  And as your uterus grows, pressure on your bladder will send you to the restroom more.