Week 9 Seven weeks after conception

Week 9
Seven weeks after conception

Your Baby

Š1997 Bradley R. Smith
Most embryos at this stage measure 17-20 mm in length.

Help! What's that dull cramping?
As the uterus begins to stretch, you may feel a dull aching and cramping. You may even find a slight brownish or reddish discharge. So long as the cramping is not severe, and the spotting is not bright red, you are probably just fine. Your uterus is beginning to grow, and the sensation you feel is the "round" ligaments beginning to stretch. This should lessen in the second and third trimester.

What's Going On with Your Body?
Pregnancy does odd things to your skin. It's all those hormones! Some women break out as though each little pore were Mount Vesuvius. "Kablooey! Thar she blows!" For other, more fortunate women, bumpy complexions smooth to the softness of a rose. (Don't gloat... pregnancy has its share of inconveniences for everyone.) As your pregnancy progresses, your complexion may even out, though some women need to wait until after the baby is born before having nice skin again.

Later in pregnancy, some women develop a "mask" of dark pigment around their eyes, on their noses, and cheeks. This is called the chloasma and will slowly fade once you are a mom. If you develop this "mask of pregnancy":

Avoid the sun or use lots of sunscreen, as sun can intensify the discoloration.
Avoid using skin bleach (it's unhealthy, and it probably won't work, anyway!)
If it really bugs you, use a cover-up base.

What's Going On with Your Baby?
Pigment (eye color) has formed in the retina of the eyes and the eyelids are formed and are closed over the eyes. Finger buds begin to grow from the hands of the tiny arms, and a little later, toe buds begin to grow from the feet of these tiny legs. Bone cells form and harden from the cartilage in the body. From now on, your little embryo is called a foetus!

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