Week 7: Hands and Feet
Your baby has doubled in size! Tiny hands and feet are forming, and the brain is growing rapidly — generating about 100 new brain cells every minute.
Medically reviewed by Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN
Nursing Informaticist · United States Navy Nurse Corps · Last reviewed
Your baby is the size of a...
🫐 Blueberry!
👶 Baby Development
- ✓Hands and feet are forming with webbed fingers and toes
- ✓Brain is generating ~100 new cells per minute
- ✓Both kidneys are now in place
- ✓Joints like shoulders and knees begin forming
- ✓Liver is producing red blood cells
- ✓Mouth and tongue are forming
💊 Common Symptoms
- •Continued or worsening morning sickness
- •Excess saliva production
- •Food cravings or strong aversions
- •Skin breakouts due to hormonal changes
- •Constipation
- •Slight weight gain or loss (both normal)
🩺Clinical Context — From a Nurse's View
Week 7 is often the peak of first-trimester nausea and fatigue. Progesterone is high, hCG is climbing toward its 9-11 week peak, and your basal metabolic rate has bumped up roughly 10-15%. That's why you're exhausted by 3 PM. The eat-small-and-often rule still applies, but if you're vomiting more than 3-4 times a day, losing weight, or showing ketones in your urine, that crosses into hyperemesis gravidarum and there are safe medications (doxylamine-pyridoxine, ondansetron after 10 weeks per ACOG 2018) that can change your life. Don't white-knuckle it. Spotting at this stage is still common and most often does not indicate impending loss, especially if it's light and brown. What we look for in the ED is the combination of bleeding plus pain — particularly pain that is one-sided or escalating. Ectopic pregnancy classically presents at 6-8 weeks, so this is the highest-risk window for that diagnosis. If you're not yet established with an OB or midwife, get that appointment booked this week.
Written by Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN — Emergency Department nurse, US Navy Nurse Corps officer.
🚨 When to Call (or Go to the ER)
- !Heavy bleeding with clots larger than a quarter — ER
- !One-sided sharp pelvic pain or shoulder pain — ER
- !Vomiting that prevents you from keeping liquids down for 12+ hours — call same day
- !Burning with urination, lower back pain, or fever — call (UTI risk is elevated)
- !Weight loss greater than 5% of your pre-pregnancy weight — call same week
✅ Normal — Even If It Feels Worrying
- ✓Excess saliva (ptyalism) — annoying but not dangerous
- ✓Strong food aversions, especially to meat and coffee
- ✓Brown spotting after a vaginal ultrasound or sex
- ✓Constipation as progesterone slows your gut
✅ To-Do This Week
- Research pregnancy-safe skincare products
- Eat fiber-rich foods to combat constipation
- Consider telling close family members
- Start a budget plan for baby expenses
- Keep ginger or peppermint tea on hand for nausea
- Take daily walks for gentle exercise
🩺 Questions for Your Doctor
- ?Is the baby developing on schedule?
- ?Should I worry about constipation?
- ?Are my skincare products safe during pregnancy?
- ?When should we discuss genetic screening?
- ?Is it safe to color my hair?
- ?What's the recommended folic acid dosage?
📚 References
- [1]ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 189: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 2018;131(1):e15-e30.
- [2]ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 193: Tubal Ectopic Pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 2018;131(3):e91-e103.
- [3]ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 200: Early Pregnancy Loss. Obstet Gynecol. 2018;132(5):e197-e207.
Editorial review: Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN. Last reviewed: see footer.
Your baby is the size of a...