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Week 1
The last menstrual period is currently happening with the female. There is no baby yet but the fetus will soon be growing.
Facts: -An egg lives 12-24 hours after leaving the ovary
-Only one sperm can enter the egg -
Week 2: Fertilization
The egg in the female is now traveling down the Fallopian tubes and ONE lucky sperm cell will enter the egg. Cells in the egg begin to divide until the baby (fetus) has developed its structures.
Facts: -The average amount of sperm in just one ejaculation is 350 million
- X chromosomes mean it's a girl, Y chromosomes mean it's a boy -
Week 3: A New Life
The cells in the egg are still dividing rapidly and eventually forming 46 chromosomes since 23 chromosomes each were given by each parent. The DNA necessary for the child's characteristics are in formation. As it is still dividing, it is moving down the Fallopian tubes.
Facts: -Sperm can live up to five days in the female
-The sex of the baby is predetermined by the male -
Week 4: Implantation
During the fourth week, the fertilized egg is a called a Blastocyte. It is called that because it is a cluster of 50-60 cells still producing quickly The embryo currently developing is only one-hundedth of an inch long. Eventually a hormone called, Human gonadotrophin hormone, is released in your blood stream allowing the female to be able to detect pregnancy with a pregnancy test.
Facts: -The embryo first moves into the uterus at about 80 hours after ovulation -Implantation begins 3 days later -
Week 5: Embryonic Stage Beginning
The Embryo is begging to grow by double it's size it was before. The placent and Amniotic sac is now being formed.
Facts: -A blastocyst is a cluster of 500 cells
-A fibrin clot closes the hole to the uterus cavity -
Week 6: The Heartbeat
At this point in the pregnancy, hormones are rising in the female. The embryo is growing, now at 8mm in length. Major body organs start forming, important ones such as the heart.
Facts: -The half attached to the uterine wall becomes the placenta and the other half will become the baby.
-Amniotic fluid has to be built up -
Week 7: Arms and Legs
Now at 13 mm in length, the embryo's organs are beginning to take its shape. Vocal cords, mouth, digestive tract, etc are beginning to form. Somewhat eyes are appearing, legs and arms are developing.
Facts: -The heart is beating with one chamber
-A dividing wall is formed in the heart -
Week 8: Movement
At 18mm, the embryo is starting to try to move, the female would not be able to feel this movement until week 20. Muscle fibers and the pituitary gland are forming, the embryo also has its own blood type and clood cells.
Facts: -The stomach is being made from part of the gut
-The feet and hand buds have appeared -
Week 9: Phalanges
The embryo is now at 30 mm. Cartilage and bones are developing, as are finger and toes starting to take their shape. Facial features such as the tongue and upper lip are being identifed with the embryo. The heart is now fully developed. The head is beginning to enlarge in size due to rapid growth of the brain.
Facts:During this week of pregnancy your baby is now swimming round in a little bag of fluid
-During this week, the baby's veins are clearly visible -
Week 10: "Fetus" Label
The Fetus is now the size of a strawberry. Body muscles are almost finished with development, nipples and hair are forming, the neck is taking its shape, fingerprints are now visible in the fetus, and the ears and nose can be seen. The muscles, nerves, and organs in the fetus are now functioning.
Facts: -Each week your uterus grows larger with the baby growing inside it
-When hands are developing, they no longer look like paddles -
Week 11: Neurons Multiplying
The fetus is 35 mm in length. Teeth, ears, and touch senses are improving. Cartilage is now calcifying as 20 little teeth are forming. About 250,000 nerve cells develop in a minute. Genitals in the fetus are also forming but it is still too early to determine the sex.
Facts: -If it is a boy, the testicles are starting to produce the testosterone hormone
-The presence of a bypass valve divert much of the blood away from the lungs -
Week 12: Nails
Now at 6cm in length, the fetus has feet almost half an inch long. The pancreas is now developed, the baby's looks human, nails on both hands and feet are now formed. Pain can now be felt by the fetus and the brain is fully formed.
Facts: -The fetus starts moving spontaneously during this week
- The baby's heart beat is at 160 a minute -
Week 13: Flexes and kicks
At 8cm, the fetus weighs about 1 oz. Measurements from the fetus moving can be seen, The ribs begin their development in the fetus. Opening and closing of the mouth is possible.
Facts: -The Female's uterus has grown
-The child will begin to suck it's thumb by then -
Week 14: Hormones
At 9cm in length, the fetus weighs 1 and a half oz. The fetus can now pee into the amniotic fluid, hair is now beginning to develop. The bones are getting stronger each day, the kidneys in the fetus produce urine and the eyes are now moving towards the center of the face.
Facts: -The uterus will now weigh 8.75 ounces
-If you are having a boy, by now, the prostate gland has formed -
Week 15: Bones and Muscle growth
The fetus, which can now be called a baby is 10cm in length and weighs about 2.5 oz. The skin is thin, the body is longer than the head and the arms and legs have grown. The baby's muscles and bones are continuously growing and adult taste buds have developed.
Facts: -The fetal crown to rump length by this week of pregnancy is 4 to 4.5 inches
-The baby's thin skin is covered with ultra fine, downy hair -
Week 16: Facial Expressions
The baby boy or girl is now 12 cm in length at about 3.5 oz in weight. By learning how to breathe, the lungs begin to form and grow. Squinting or frowning is now possible and lots of movement can be made.
Facts: -There will be swelling in the lower abdomen
-5-10 pounds of weight gain is normal for the female -
Week 17: Fat
At 14 cm in length, the fetus weighs 5 ounces. during this week, fat is being made under the baby's skin. This fat will give the baby the energy it needs as it is growing and allow it to stay warm when it is born. The bones are flexible but cartilage is turning to bone from the skeleton.
Facts: -The umbilical cord grows thick and strong
-The retina is sensitive to light -
Week 18: Hearing
At 6 inches in length and weighing at 7 ounces, the fetus forms Vernix on its skin to help protect it from being in water for so long. The hearing of the baby is so strong that it can hear the mother's heart beat. Alveoli form in the lungs and can now practice crying but there is no sound since there is no air.
Facts: -The baby will have the same awake and same sleep patterns of a new born
-The baby has a favorite sleeping position by this time -
Week 19: Genitals
The fetus is now 6.5 inches long and weighs 9 ounces. The genitals for the baby are now recognizable. Muscle development is still occuring and the size of the legs are getting to their normal length. Whatever the sex is of the baby, their organs are now forming during this week. With help of the placenta, the baby is receiving all the nutrients neccessary.
Facts: -The placenta nourishes the baby
-If it's a girl, the baby will have 6 million eggs -
Week 20: Half way
The baby is 7 inches long and weighs 11 ounces. The baby can now hear voices or loud sounds during development which will become recognizable once he or she is born. Hair growth is developing on the rest of the body, skin is thick, and the heart can be heard.
Facts: -If born, baby could survive
-Babies are measured from the crown of the head to the bottom -
Week 21: Nourishment
At 10.5 inches and weighing 12.7 ounces, the baby's bone marrow is now producing red blood cells. The date of birth can be determined by the size of the baby's head. The fetus is healthily gaining fat.
Facts: -The baby can respond/ hear music
-For boys, the testes begin to descend from the abdomen this week -
Week 22: Taste buds
The baby is now 11 inches and weighs 1 pound. Taste buds form on the tongue of the baby and every movement from the mother is sensitive to the baby. Sounds or movement is apparent to the baby. The eyebrows and eyelids have now fully developed.
Facts: -The waistline of the mother has disappeared by this time during her pregnancy -The weekly weight gain has increased to around 70 grams this week -
Week 23: Sense of balance developments
The baby is 11 inches tall annd weighs 1 pound. Workouts from the baby are being done inside. Eyebrows are visible and skin pigment is forming. At a steady pace, the pancreas is developing. Fun fact: (not so fun) your baby would have 20% chance of survival if it is born now. -A full inner ear gives the baby a sense whether they are upside down or not -
Week 24: Breathing
By this week, the baby is 12 inches long and weighs 1.3 pounds. The baby is now practicing how to breathe since branches of the respiratory tree are forming in its lungs. It is currently being covered by hair. The baby is beginning to look like an actual baby with increasing facial features.
Facts: The child is now gaining 3 ounces a week
-36% of babies can survive premature birth at 24 weeks -
Week 25: Exploration
During this week the baby has grown to 13.5 inches and is now 1 and half pounds. The genitals are now fully developed and the sex of the baby can be figured out. Brain cells are maturing as the brain is growing rapidly. The hands are also fully developed.The blood vessels begin to develop and the nostrils are opening.
Fact: The inner bones of the ears have hardened so that the baby can hear more accurately
-The structures of the spine begin to form -
Week 26: Second Trimester Ends
The baby is now 14 inches in length and weighs 1.7 pounds. The baby is moving more in the mother's womb and its muscles are becoming more responsive and coordinated.
Facts: -The end of 26 weeks at the end of 6 months, is the last month of the second trimester
-Shortness of breath tends to happen during this week for the mother -
Week 27: Eyes Open
At this point in the pregnancy, the mother and the baby are in their 3rd trimester. There is hair constantly growing on the baby such as head hair or eye lashes. The eyes are able to open and the baby is begining to become stout.
Facts: -The chances of survival is now at least 80 percent
-The baby may have reached it's final birth position -
Week 28: Voice Recognition
During this week, the fetus is 14.8 inches long and 2.2 pounds. The teeth are now developed under the gums. By then the eye lids are able to open and close and eye color is changing.
Facts: -The chances of survival is now at least 90 percent
-He or she can recognize your voice now -
Week 29: Movement is more forceful
The baby is now 15 inches in length and 2.5 pounds.The baby's head is growing bigger to fit the brain growing in its skull. The baby can now move its eyes around and follow light. It moves from side to side in the female.
Facts: -Brain is busy developing billions of neurons
-4% of women in the US are pregnant right now -
Week 30: Baby Weight
The baby is now 16 inches and 3 pounds. The baby will start storing iron, phosphorus, and calcium. The baby can start to control its own body temperature and its fingers and toes have finished developing. Rapid eye movements are made since they can close and open their eyes.
Facts: -Eye movements suggest that the baby is dreaming
-10% of pregnancies end in miscarriages -
Week 31: Light detecting
The baby is now 16.5 inches and 3.5 pounds. The eyes respond to light, whether it is dark or not. The lungs and digestive tract are almost matured in the baby. The baby will now begin growing in length and weight even faster as the organs begin to mature. From now to birth, he or she's weight will double.
Facts: -Every 90 seconds, one woman dies during pregnancy or child birth
- A woman would have gained 21-28 pounds by now -
Week 32: Reproductive Development
The baby is now 17 inches in length and weighs 4 pounds. The uterus space is limited for the baby, not allowing it to move as often as it wants so it sleeps for a majority of the time.
Facts:
-In boys, the testicles will be descending from the groin down into his scrotum
-Under the skin the fat layer is getting thicker for the baby -
Week 33: Lanugo Disappearing
The baby is now 17.5 inches and 4.4 pounds. The fuzz it receives, called the lanugo, is coming off their skin. The baby is practicing how to breathe with its lungs. By then, the diameter of the baby is 8.5cm.
Facts:
-The baby drinks about a pint of amniotic fluid a day
-The baby may scratch their face even before birth -
Week 34: Rapid Growth
The length of the baby is 18 inches and now weighs 5.25 pounds. The weight around the legs and arms are adding to the baby before birth. The finger nails have finished forming.
Facts:
-Eyes opened when awake and closed when sleeping
-The skull bones are still pretty flexible and not completely joined to help to ease exit out of the narrow birth canal -
Week 35: Reflexes Coordinated
The baby is 18.5 inches in length and weighs 5.5 pounds. The fat in the arms and legs of the baby will help control body temperature. The baby's reflexes are much more coordinated allowing them to move their head, grab on to things with their small fingers, or responding to sound.
Facts: -Most babies gain about half pound per week in the last month of pregnancies
-If born now the baby would probably be put in an incubator, about 90% of babies born this week survive. -
Week 36: Baby close to Birth canal
The length of the baby is 19 inches and it weighs 6 pounds. The fat begins to be adding to the baby to give it creases around the neck or wrist.
Facts: -By this stage, babies are gaining half a pound a week.
-When the baby is in the birthing canal, it is called the 'lightening' or 'dropping' -
Week 37: Birth is near
The length of the baby is now 19.5 inches and weighs 7 pounds. During this week, the female's water could break at any moment.
Facts: -The diameter of the head is now 3.5 inches
-The baby is gaining an ounce a day by this week. -
Week 38: Development is complete
The length of the baby is now 20 inches and weighs 7.5 pounds. The body fat of the baby is gaining by the ounce. The development of the baby is beginning to complete. By now, the baby will have a full head of hair.
Facts: -Most babies are born head first
-Wrinkled skin is becoming smooth -
Week 39: Very close now
The baby is now 20 inches and weighs 7.5 pounds. The baby will be kicking a lot since the uterus has becomed more cramped
Facts: -Majority of the Lanugo on the baby has disappeared
-The average baby weighs 7 pounds at birth -
Week 40: Baby arrival
The length of the baby is now 20 inches and weighs 7.5 pounds at birth. The baby is now ready to be born, its organs and body is now fully developed. The baby is now getting ready and putting itself into the fetal position to release from the birth canal. The bones in it's head are soft to make the process a little bit gentler.
Facts: -The head has a diameter of 4 inches
-Contactions during this week are often
