07 weeks

What’s happening this week

You...

• may be on an emotional rollercoaster; up one minute and down the next
• could be feeling tired and sick.

Your baby…

• is about the size of a bean and growing surrounded by fluid
• continues to grow the brain, muscles, and bones
• has a tiny tail, but don’t worry, it will soon disappear!
• makes his or her first movements this week; although you won’t feel your baby move until some time during the second trimester.

Early pregnancy can be a time of joy, but also anxiety. Here we look ahead to some antenatal tests, and also look at some common worries in these early weeks.

Miscarriage

The loss of a baby can be very distressing. Sadly, up to one in five pregnancies will end in a miscarriage, and the reasons why aren’t clearly understood. Most miscarriages take place before 12 weeks of pregnancy; ‘late’ miscarriages are rare.

A miscarriage usually begins with bleeding, and you may feel cramps like period pains. You may have a hospital check up and might need an operation to remove any blood clots that have not come away.

If it happens to you, don’t blame yourself. It is unlikely that there was anything you did or didn’t do that would have caused it. If you need to talk about it, even some time later, there are support groups that can help. Call the Miscarriage Support Inc. on

(09) 378 4060

www.miscarriage.org.nz

You could also ask your GP or LMC if there are any local support groups. If you’ve had a miscarriage before it may be a while before you let yourself really enjoy this pregnancy. But most women who have had one or even two miscarriages go on to have a healthy baby next time.

Remember, this baby is different, stay positive and look forward to the future.

Thinking ahead: antenatal tests

It’s natural to be worried about whether your baby is okay. There are some tests which may help to put your mind at rest. Scans and blood tests are the most common tests in pregnancy, but these are usually done after 12 weeks. There are some tests which can be carried out before this, including the nuchal scan and CVS (see below). If you want one of these tests, you may have to go to a specialist unit or pay to have them done. There are two types of test:

• a screening test tells you whether there might be a problem.
• a diagnostic test tells you for definite if there is a problem.

You don’t have to have any test if you don’t want to, but some women welcome them as reassurance. You may consider taking an early test if:

• you’re over 35 (as the chance of abnormalities in the baby increases as you get older)
• you have a family history of genetic illness.

If you’re considering one of these tests, talk to your LMC now. They are not easily available in all parts of New Zealand.

Nuchal translucency/fold test

What is the nuchal test?

How is it done?

What will it tell me?
It cannot tell you yes or no whether your baby has Down syndrome, but it can say whether the risk seems to be high or low. If you are estimated to be at high risk, you can choose to have CVS (see below) or amniocentesis (see Week 16) to find out for sure.

Are there any risks?
None are known.

CVS (chorionic villus sampling)

What is CVS?
It’s a diagnostic test for Down syndrome best carried out at 8-11 weeks.

How is it done?
It involves taking a tiny piece of the chorion (part of the placenta) to check the chromosomes of the baby. The tissue will be tested and you’ll get the results in 7–10 days.

What will it tell me?
As it examines your baby’s chromosomes, this test can tell you for certain if your baby has Down syndrome.

Are there any risks?
There is a small risk of miscarriage: around 0.5 –2% (although it is hard to be accurate because many babies miscarry spontaneously early in pregnancy anyway).

Amniocentesis

Another way of checking that your baby is developing normally is through an amniocentesis, but this is carried out at about 16 weeks. Read more about this test in Week 16.

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