Help your baby develop in the seventh week of your pregnancy
Your baby’s umbilical cord forms this week! He or she now gets the essential nutrients passed to him or her from you, through this cord.
What's happening this week?
This week sees the formation of your baby’s umbilical cord – the lifeline that connects your baby to you and passes nutrition from you, to him or heri. Your little one is also growing quite fast and is now about 10mm longii— the size of a blueberry.
Tiny nostrils and the lenses of the eyes are also starting to form as his or her organs continue to develop. Even at this very early stage in your pregnancy, the different sections of your baby’s brain are forming, parts that will eventually be responsible for his or her future skills including speech, movement, hearing, and thinking.
What can you expect?
Fluctuating hormonal levels in your body may produce changes in your breastsiii. They may feel more tender and sensitive. You can manage your discomfort by making sure you have the right support.
Maternity bras are tailored to give additional support, while pregnancy sleep bras are designed to allow you to sleep more comfortably. Avoid uncomfortable underwire bras, and try to get fitted more than once during your pregnancy.
What can you do to support your pregnancy?
With all the amazing developments in your baby’s brain this week, it makes sense to eat foods rich in DHA, iron, folate and choline that will support itiv. If you have food cravings, do choose to satisfy these with healthy foods rich in these essential nutrients.
Remember that good nutrition not only boosts your baby’s cognitive growth, but also nurtures other aspects of his or her development, even this early in your pregnancy. For example, your baby’s brain is also the main center for emotionsv, meaning that cognitive and emotional development are interlinked.
Expertsvi also point out that your mood while pregnant can have an impact on your baby. So how can you ensure that your mood doesn’t get in the way of baby’s balanced development?
- Try to get adequate rest and gentle exercise whenever possible. Both of these will help you relax and improve your mood.
- Listen to relaxing music. Many say that playing music while your baby is in the womb will make him or her smarter. Though this hasn’t been proven, we do know that listening to the right kind of music can be quite relaxing, so you really can’t go wrong!
