Week 7 of Pregnancy
By this week, your baby is now about 1 cm long (0.4 inches), approximately 1,000 times bigger than it was when conceived!
The little one’s size is measured with the “crown-rump length” (CRL) unit – as in, the distance from the top of their head (crown) to the bottom of their torso (rump). The CRL is used in the embryonic stage and can be detected via ultrasound imagery to estimate the gestational age.
Your baby is growing at an advanced rate and their head is currently larger than the body, giving off the “tadpole” fetal look. In addition to a rather large forehead, the eyes and inner ears are developing at a speedy rate. Meanwhile, the outer ears will not form for a couple more weeks.
The limbs have not formed yet, but your little bud has already developed webbed stubs that are forming cartilage to soon sprout fingers and toes.
Your baby’s nerve cells will also continue developing and multiplying to give shape to the brain and spinal cord, as in, the nervous system.
Another major change is the introduction of the umbilical cord. This tube is essentially your baby’s lifeline, connecting them with the placenta to deliver key nutrients and oxygen, as well as eliminating waste into your bloodstream.
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