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  3. Week 6
  4. Week 7
  5. Week 8
  6. Week 9
  7. Week 10
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  9. Week 12

Week 7

Have you started to share the news yet? When you start telling friends and family is entirely up to you.

Legally you do not have to tell your employer until the 15th week before the baby is due, which is about 4 months away.

Maternity Action explains more about your maternity rights.

What's happening in my body?

There's more blood pumping around your body than there was 7 weeks ago.

As you go through your pregnancy, the volume will increase by up to 50%. The extra blood will feed your uterus (womb) with all the oxygen and nutrients that your baby needs.

This can make you feel thirstier than usual. Try to drink 8 medium glasses of fluid a day (such as water, fruit tea, fruit juice, skimmed or semi-skimmed milk).

Meanwhile, your womb is now about the size of a lemon, while your baby is the size of a grape and growing very quickly.

If it's your first pregnancy, you may not start looking pregnant until around week 12.

If you have had a baby before, you may look pregnant earlier than you did last time, as your womb and stomach muscles will be more stretched.

When's my baby due?

If you want to work out when you baby's due, use the NHS's pregnancy due date calculator.

You'll get a more accurate date from your doctor or midwife when you have a dating scan (usually at 8 to 14 weeks).

Early pregnancy symptoms (at 7 weeks)

Being 7 weeks pregnant can feel quite challenging if you're feeling sick, tired and experiencing mood swings.

Your symptoms could also include:

  • a metallic taste in your mouth
  • sore breasts
  • headaches
  • new food and drink likes and dislikes
  • a heightened sense of smell
  • a white milky pregnancy discharge from your vagina
  • light spotting (see your doctor if you get bleeding in pregnancy)
  • cramping, a bit like period pains
  • darkened skin on your face or brown patches – this is known as chloasma or the "mask of pregnancy"
  • thicker and shinier hair
  • bloating (read about bloating on week 16's page)
  • morning sickness (see week 6 for morning sickness remedies)

Read Tommy's guide to common pregnancy symptoms.

Strange symptoms

Don't ignore any strange symptoms, like feeling itchy all over.

The chances are that those aches or pains are just signs of a normal pregnancy, but talk to your midwife or doctor, just in case.

What does my baby look like?

Your baby, or embryo, is around 10mm long from head to bottom, which is about the size of a grape.

The brain is growing faster than the rest of the body, so they have a large forehead. There are small dimples where the nose and ears will be. The eyelids are beginning to grow and cover the eyes.

The little limb buds are starting to form cartilage which will make the bones for the arms and legs. The arm buds are getting longer, and the flattened ends will soon become tiny hands.

The baby's brain and spinal cord are taking shape at a fast pace. Your embryo is generating around 100 new brain cells every minute.

Remember to take your folic acid as it can help prevent defects in your baby's development.

Composite. One side shows an embryo attached to a flattened yolk sac by the umbilical cord, with the head and eyes recognisable. Other side shows an adult hand holding a grape between the thumb and index finger.
Your baby is about the size of a grape.

Action stations

See your midwife or GP

Share the news with your GP or ask for an appointment with a midwife at your doctors' surgery. Alternatively you can refer yourself to your local hospital – look for contact details on their website.

You'll need to arrange a booking appointment. This usually takes place between weeks 8 and 12, and takes around an hour.

You can talk about the options for your pregnancy and the birth. Plus you'll be offered screening tests for infectious diseases, and conditions such as Down's syndrome. You could ask about the Maternity Transformation Programme and how it could benefit you.

You will get your first dating scan at 8 to 14 weeks.

If it's your first pregnancy you will probably have around 10 appointments and 2 scans in total. Ask if it's possible to see the same carer for your entire pregnancy, to give you continuity.

Antenatal classes

Ask your midwife or doctor about online antenatal classes – they may be able to recommend one. The charity Tommy's has lots of useful information on antenatal classes and preparing you for birth.

Antenatal classes will give you the chance to meet other people and prepare you for parenthood. The NCT offers online antenatal classes with small groups of people that live locally to you.

Smoking, drinking and caffeine in pregnancy

Do your best to stop smoking and give up alcohol, and go easy on the tea, coffee and anything else with caffeine.

Ask your midwife or GP for support.

Vitamins in pregnancy

Take prenatal vitamins. You're advised to take 400mcg of folic acid every day, until at least week 12. This helps to form your baby's nervous system and offers some protection from conditions such as spina bifida.

To keep bones and muscles healthy, we need vitamin D. From late March/early April to the end of September, most people make enough vitamin D from sunlight on their skin.

However, between October and early March, consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement because we cannot make enough from sunlight.

Some people should take a vitamin D supplement all year round – find out if this applies to you on the NHS website.

You just need 10 micrograms (it's the same for grown-ups and kids). Check if you're entitled to free vitamins.

Exercising in pregnancy

It's recommended that you do 150 minutes of exercise a week while pregnant.

You could start off with just 10 minutes of daily exercise – perhaps take a brisk walk outside. Check out Sport England's #StayInWorkOut online exercises (scroll to the pregnancy section).

Listen to your body and do what feels right for you.

Healthy eating

There's no need to eat for 2. You just need to eat a healthy balanced diet, with a variety of different foods every day, including plenty of fruit and veg. Have a look at our guide to healthy eating in pregnancy.

You may be able to get free milk, fruit and veg through the Healthy Start scheme.

Emotional and mental wellbeing

How are you today? If you're feeling anxious or low, then talk to your midwife or doctor. They can point you in the right direction to get all the support that you need. You could also discuss your worries with your partner, friends and family.

You may be worried about your relationship, or money, or having somewhere permanent to live.

Don't keep it to yourself. It's important that you ask for help if you need it.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

Do you think you or your partner could have an STI? If so, get checked out, as this could affect your baby's development. Talk to your midwife or GP, or visit a sexual health clinic.

Long-term conditions

If you have a long-term health condition, then let your specialist or GP know you're pregnant as soon as possible.

Don't stop taking any regular medication without discussing it with your doctor first.

Losing a baby

A miscarriage is the loss of a baby in the first 23 weeks.

The NHS website has information on the symptoms, causes and what happens during a miscarriage.

More in week-by-week

Week 8

You might be feeling bloated and you may have slightly swollen breasts, but it will probably be a few more weeks before you start looking pregnant.

Week 9

Week 6

More in week-by-week guide to pregnancy

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