7 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

The big news this week: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.

If you could see inside your womb, you'd spot eyelid folds partially covering her peepers, which already have some color, as well as the tip of her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of your baby's brain are growing, and her liver is churning out red blood cells until her bone marrow forms and takes over this role. She also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in your 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.


Other than feeling like I could vomit at the drop of a hat, from the time I wake up until about dinner time....this past week was quite frightening... and I feel like we are not totally out of the woods just yet. Last week Tuesday, I had some bleeding while at work (thankfully toward the end of the day). No cramping, and I just could not believe my eyes, I thought for sure I would pass out in that bathroom stall. I promptly called the Dr and they got us in for the next AM. They did the normal weight check, pee in a cup, and yes made us wait in the room for about 50ish minutes before coming back to us. Good info from the appointment were closed cervix and a sac with a fetal pole. It was a total bummer to not see a heartbeat. They had my blood drawn for the pregnancy hormone (HCG) that day and wanted it again Friday. The Dr. also scheduled for us to come back in a week from Friday. The HCG levels went up, which another Dr confirmed to be a good thing.
I just feel like I can't wait until Friday, I need to see that flutter to know that everything will be ok.