Pregnancy Week By Week

7 Weeks Pregnant: Development, Symptoms and Care

At 7 weeks pregnant, you may be managing nausea, tender breasts or constipation while carrying on with work and home life. You may also feel quite well. This is a useful time to make sure your pregnancy care is under way and to ask for help with symptoms that are getting in the way.

How 7 weeks is counted

Pregnancy weeks are usually counted from the first day of your last period, not conception. With a typical 28-day cycle, 7 weeks pregnant is roughly 5 weeks after conception. Cycle variation can change this estimate.

Your baby’s development at 7 weeks

The brain continues to develop inside a relatively large head. The face is taking shape, and hands are beginning to form at the ends of the arm buds. Internal organs, including the stomach, kidneys and lungs, are developing too. The embryo’s proportions are very different from those of a newborn.

Your body and energy levels

Breast changes can make your usual bra uncomfortable; a better-fitting, supportive one may help. Constipation can also become noticeable. Fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and enough water are practical starting points, and a pharmacist or clinician can advise if you need more help.

Some people feel unusually tired, while others have plenty of energy. Rest where you can, but tell your clinician if exhaustion is severe, worsening or making normal activities difficult. Symptoms deserve attention even when they are common in pregnancy.

Care that fits your actual day

If nausea makes large meals unappealing, try smaller portions more often and choose foods you can manage. A few useful adjustments may be easier than trying to overhaul everything at once. Ask for treatment if nausea or vomiting is affecting eating, drinking or your ability to function.

Continue folic acid through the first trimester at the dose recommended for you. Review any new medicine or supplement with your pharmacist or GP, rather than assuming that a herbal or “natural” product is suitable in pregnancy.

Getting your care plan in place

If you have not started pregnancy care yet, make an appointment now. The first visit usually includes a conversation about your medical and pregnancy history, medicines and emotional wellbeing. Blood and urine tests can check things such as blood group, anaemia and infections.

Ask what needs booking next, how you will receive results and who to call after hours. You can also start discussing screening choices, including what each test can and cannot tell you and any costs. Our prenatal tests guide is a useful starting point.

You do not have to feel excited all the time. If worry or low mood is persistent or hard to manage, tell your care team; support can be part of pregnancy care from the beginning.

When to seek medical help

In Australia, call 000 for severe abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, fainting, collapse or feeling very unwell. Go to an emergency department immediately for shoulder-tip pain, one-sided or worsening lower abdominal pain, or dizziness. An ectopic pregnancy can cause internal bleeding without heavy vaginal bleeding. Do not wait for a positive test or your next appointment. Do not drive yourself if faint or unwell.

Contact your GP or midwife straight away for other bleeding or cramps. Seek urgent medical help if vomiting means you cannot keep fluids down, or you have fever. If your usual clinician is unavailable, seek urgent care rather than waiting.

Read more about bleeding in early pregnancy and possible miscarriage symptoms. Symptoms need assessment; they do not establish a diagnosis on their own.