You are 7 weeks exactly

As your baby's body develops, it won't be long before some very general movements can be seen on a scan.

231 days until your due date

While you're coping with early symptoms, your tiny embryo is tightly curled in your uterus. A short section at the bottom of the spine, which in other species becomes a tail, now starts to disappear as more recognizably human features appear.

The ends of the limb buds flatten like paddles and start to form short digits that will become fingers and toes. At first they're joined together. Like the rest of the skeleton, they grow around a soft framework of cartilage that will gradually harden into bone. As the arm buds lengthen, the elbows begin to form.

The eyes keep developing but won't be fully formed until around week 20, and the nostrils now appear as two shallow pits.

The lowdown

Good friends

Keeping your pregnancy quiet in these early weeks is hard. Whether to tell people is your choice, but there's good reason to wait for now.

You may still need someone other than your partner to talk to, so confide in a friend. Choose someone who'll happily discuss everything from symptoms to birth fears and baby names, who finds your cravings and 4 am bathroom trips fascinating, and who'll supply ice cream, pickles, and advice around the clock.

Ask a Doctor

I'm pregnant again and my son is only 12 months old. How will I cope?

Pregnancy can be exhausting, especially in the first trimester as your body adjusts, and a toddler makes it even harder.

Find quiet activities to do together and leave the rough-and-tumble play to someone else. Look after yourself by sleeping when your toddler naps, or settling on the sofa while he watches a DVD. Don't feel guilty about putting your feet up: your most important job right now is growing your baby.

This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.