It’s week seven, meaning you’re halfway through the first trimester! Slowly but surely, every precious part of your babies is beginning to take shape. Here’s what to expect when you’re seven weeks pregnant with multiples.
How are the babies?
Still growing like wild, your babies-to-be are now each the size of raspberries and just under a half-inch long. Their relatively large, round heads are their most prominent features — which makes sense, as their brains are expanding by about 100 cells a minute!
But don’t worry, the rest of their little bodies are continuing to develop as well. This week, the starts of tiny arms, fingers, legs, and toes are taking shape.¹ And as their brains, hearts, and other organs continue to grow, your little ones are forming bone, teeth, nostrils, ears, and eyes.²
What’s new with you?
For many, first trimester symptoms are in full swing by week seven. You might be experiencing enlarged or sore breasts and nipple changes, so this could be a good time to get some comfier bras.³
Depending on whether you’re carrying fraternal or identical babies, you’re also building one or more placentas.⁴ This is one reason why you might feel particularly tired over the next few weeks. Bloating and a persistent urge to pee are common at this stage as well. Bloating is due to your changing hormones and needing to pee constantly is mostly a result of your growing uterus putting pressure on your bladder. Because your uterus may double or triple in size with multiples, this is a particularly common symptom if you’re carrying multiple babies.
While the frequent need to pee will likely continue through the third trimester, there might be an end in sight for one common symptom: morning sickness. Nausea typically starts to subside by the middle of the second trimester for many people, though it’s different for everyone. Thanks to all the hormones coursing through your veins, you may also start to have new food cravings or develop aversions to things you typically like.
For some, a multiples pregnancy could mean more intense symptoms, like fatigue and nausea.³ And yet others might not experience any.⁵ Everyone is different, so don’t worry if you’re not showing any obvious signs yet.
You won’t know whether you’re carrying multiples until you have your first ultrasound. However, if they run in your family, you’ve had a previous twin pregnancy, or you transferred more than one embryo during an IVF treatment, you might be anticipating the possibility.
Your first prenatal appointment could be as early as six weeks, but it might be closer to 10 weeks.⁶ In any case, at this point, your healthcare provider will be able to detect the heartbeats and confirm you’re carrying multiples. Get your check-up on the calendar, continue taking a prenatal vitamin, and try to be patient as you wait to find out how many tiny fingers and toes are growing in your belly.
Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team
Sources
- Mayo Clinic Staff. Fetal development: The 1st trimester. Mayo Clinic. 2020. Web. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/prenatal-care/art-20045302.
- MedlinePlus. Fetal development. U.S. National Library of Medicine. 2021. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002398.htm.
- Cleveland Clinic. Expecting Twins or Triplets. 2020. Web. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9710-expecting-twins-or-triplets.
- Kliman, H, MD, PhD. Twins. Yale School of Medicine Reproductive and Placental Research Unit. Web. https://medicine.yale.edu/obgyn/kliman/placenta/twins/.
- American Pregnancy Association. Twins Pregnancy Symptoms. 2019. Web. https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/multiples/twin-pregnancy-symptoms-71058/.
- Horsager-Boehrer, R. MD. Patience is key: Understanding the timing of early ultrasounds. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. 2018. Web. https://utswmed.org/medblog/patience-key-understanding-timing-early-ultrasounds/.
