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Week 7
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If you've just found out you're pregnant, you might want to start by reading the previous sections.

How Big Is Your Baby?

Your baby has an incredible growth spurt this week! At the beginning of the 7th week, the crown-to-rump length of your growing baby is 0.16 to 0.2 inch (4 to 5mm). This is about the size of a BB pellet. By the end of the week, your baby has grown to 0.44 to 0.52 inch (11 to 13mm).

How Big Are You?

Although you are probably quite anxious to show the world you're pregnant, there still may be little change. Changes will come soon, though.

How Your Baby Is Growing and Developing

Leg buds are beginning to appear as short fins. As you can see on page 71, arm buds have grown longer; they have divided into a hand segment and an arm-shoulder segment. The hand and foot have a digital plate where the fingers and toes will develop.

The heart bulges from the body. By this time, it has divided into right and left heart chambers. The primary bronchi are present in the lungs; bronchi are air passages in the lungs.

The cerebral hemispheres, which make up the brain, are also growing. Eyes and nostrils are developing.

Intestines are developing, and the appendix is present. The pancreas, which produces the hormone insulin, is also present. Part of the intestine bulges into the umbilical cord. Later in your baby's development, it will return to the abdomen.

Changes in You

Changes are occurring gradually. You still probably won't ôshow,ö and people won't be able to tell you're pregnant unless you tell them. You may be gaining weight throughout your body, but you should have gained only a couple of pounds this early in your pregnancy.

If you haven't gained weight or if you have lost a couple of pounds, it isn't unusual. It will go the other direction in the weeks to come. You may still experience morning sickness and other symptoms of early pregnancy.

How Your Actions Affect Your Baby's Development

Good Nutrition Is Important

Many factors can influence the development of your baby. What you eat is an important contributing factor. If your diet is deficient, it could affect your baby's development.

Increase the number of calories you consume by 300 to 800 calories a day, depending on your prepregnancy weight. The extra calories provide extra energy for tissue growth in you and your baby. You also need more body fat during pregnancy and after your baby's birth for nursing. (Even if you don't breastfeed, you need the additional body fat during pregnancy.)

Your baby uses the energy you provide to create and to store protein, fat and carbohydrates, and to provide energy for its body processes to function. If enough calories aren't available, your body may metabolize protein as a source of energy instead of using it for your baby's growth and development.

Below is a discussion of how your body uses protein, carbohydrate and fat during pregnancy. Discuss any questions you have with your doctor. Good nutrition and a healthful nutrition plan are essential for you and your growing baby.

Protein

The nonpregnant woman needs protein to repair tissues. During pregnancy, the body also needs protein for growth and repair of the embryo/fetus, placenta, uterus and breasts. Most protein should come from animal sources, such as meat, milk, eggs, cheese, poultry and fish. These protein sources supply amino acids in the best combinations. The recommendation during pregnancy is 6 to 7 ounces (168 to 196g) of protein a day. If you're a vegetarian, discuss the situation with your healthcare provider. Protein is very important for your diet, and you may need to eat different foods.

Carbohydrates

There is no recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for carbohydrate intake during pregnancy. Calories from carbohydrates should make up about 60% of the total number of calories in your diet. Adequate carbohydrate intake can help avoid formation of ketones, which accumulate in the blood when carbohydrate intake is low. High levels of ketones may be harmful to the growing baby.

Fat

There is no recommended daily requirement for fat consumption. Most of us don't need to worry about inadequate fat intake. On the contrary, fat intake is usually excessive.

The issue of cholesterol levels has been widely discussed. Elevated cholesterol levels are a risk factor for heart disease. However, pregnancy and nursing are not times to check your blood cholesterol. Cholesterol levels increase during pregnancy and nursing because of increased hormone levels. Sometimes this increase can be as high as 25%.

Do You Need Extra Minerals?

Nearly all diets that supply a sufficient number of calories for appropriate weight gain contain enough minerals (except iron) to prevent mineral deficiency.

During pregnancy, your iron requirement increases. Very few women have sufficient iron stores to meet pregnancy demands. During a normal pregnancy, blood volume increases by about 50%. A large amount of iron is required to produce those additional blood cells.

Iron needs are most important in the latter half of pregnancy. Most women don't need to take iron supplements during the first trimester. If prescribed at this time, they can worsen symptoms of nausea and vomiting.

The iron content of prenatal vitamins can irritate your stomach. Iron supplements may also cause constipation. You may not be able to take iron supplements until after the first trimester.

Some doctors prescribe calcium supplementation. Calcium is important for every pregnant woman. It helps build strong bones and teeth in the baby and helps keep the woman's bones healthy. During pregnancy, you need 1200 to 1500mg a day. That's about 3 to 4 glasses of skim milk a day.

Calcium supplementation may help control blood pressure. It can help reduce hypertension and the risk of pre-eclampsia. Some substances interfere with the body's absorption of calcium. Salt, protein foods, tea, coffee and unleavened bread should not be consumed with calcium-containing foods.

Research has also found that zinc can be helpful to a thin or underweight woman during pregnancy. We believe this mineral helps a thin woman increase her chances of giving birth to a bigger, healthier baby.

The value of fluoride and fluoride supplementation in a pregnant woman is unclear. Some researchers believe fluoride supplementation during pregnancy results in improved teeth in the child; not everyone agrees. Some prenatal vitamins contain fluoride. Fluoride supplementation in a pregnant woman has not been proved to harm her baby.

Folic Acid during Pregnancy

Folic acid (vitamin B-9) may be very important to you during pregnancy. A folic-acid deficiency can result in anemia. Additional folic acid may be necessary with multiple fetuses or if the mother suffers from Crohn's disease or alcoholism.

Spina bifida may be prevented if the mother-to-be takes 0.4mg of folic acid a day, beginning before pregnancy and continuing through the first 13 weeks. This is suggested for all pregnant women, especially those who have previously given birth to a baby with spina bifida.

You Should also Know

Sexual Intimacy during Pregnancy

Andrea was very upset at her second visit. Crying, she told me, ôTodd doesn't find me attractive now. We haven't had sex since I got pregnant.ö Todd, who was with her, said that wasn't true; he thought she was more beautiful than ever. But he was afraid sex would hurt the baby.

I explained to them that intimacy during pregnancy is natural and OK. It wouldn't hurt the baby as long as Andrea's pregnancy was normal and uncomplicated.

Many couples question whether it is wise or permissible to have sexual intercourse during pregnancy. Sexual relations are acceptable for a healthy pregnant woman and her partner. However, when miscarriage or premature labor threaten, avoid intercourse.

Some doctors recommend abstinence from intercourse during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy, but not all physicians agree with this. Discuss it with your doctor.

Cancer Before Pregnancy

If you are now pregnant and you have had any type of cancer in the past, tell your doctor as soon as you discover you are pregnant. He or she may need to make decisions about individualized care for you during this pregnancy.

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