A Peek of Your Baby’s Development Each Week of Your Pregnancy

A Peek of Your Baby’s Development Each Week of Your Pregnancy 10Mar

Congratulations on your pregnancy! Your heart must flutter from all the joy and excitement of what is yet to come.

However, you have quite a journey to take before you meet your little one.

Allow us to join you, showing you how your baby will develop each week and guiding you to all symptoms and conditions you might experience.

 

First trimester

Week 1

Your baby is yet to be conceived, however, his birth date is calculated from the first day of your last menstruation, which is why week 1 counts as the start of your pregnancy. 

Week 2

Your ovulation begins in week 2, and when your egg is fertilized, the lining of your uterus starts growing to prepare for what is coming.

Week 3

Your baby attaches to the lining of your uterus. He is microscopic in size and made up of hundreds of cells, which are multiplying fast.

Week 4

Your baby evolves into an embryo and cells within him divide and prepare to start the creation of his organs.

Week 5

The first organs that develop are the heart, brain and spinal cord.

Week 6

His heart starts to beat. His eyes, mouth, nose, and ears slowly begin to take shape.

Week 7

Limb buds form and start to develop into tiny hands and feet. The main parts of the eyes also start to evolve.

Week 8

Y our baby tosses and turns, although you cannot feel it yet. 

His head grows, and his fingers, toes, elbows, and wrists start to develop. His genitals begin to form, too.

Week 9

As your belly becomes fuller, your baby starts to look more like a human.

Week 10

Most of your baby’s organs and structures are already formed and in place. His eyes are wide open, and activity can be detected in his brain.

Week 11

Your baby begins to move his hands and starts growing fingernails. Small tooth buds appear underneath his gums.

Week 12

The baby starts looking like a fully formed human. His kidneys get ready to start producing urine. The small tooth buds evolve into teeth.  

 

Momma’s symptoms:  

  • Abdominal cramping or light spotting
  • Heightened sense of taste and smell
  • Fatigue, nausea, bloating, headache
  • Breast tenderness

 

Second trimester

 

Week 13

Your baby becomes more proportional – his head now makes only 1/3 of his body.

Week 14

Your baby starts to cover himself with lanugo – soft hairs that will keep him warm inside the womb. 

Week 15

Your baby starts practising reflexes, such as sucking, chewing and swallowing.

Week 16

Your baby’s scalp begins to form with hair follicles.

Week 17

Your baby’s skeleton changes from soft cartilage to bone, so you might feel his gentle shifting in your belly for the first time.

Week 18

Most likely the gender of your baby will be revealed. He also practices additional reflexes, like yawning and hiccupping.

Week 19

Your baby’s sensory system begins to develop, segmenting specialized areas for smell, taste, touch, vision, and hearing in his brain. Also, protective coat spreads over his skin.

Week 20

Your baby's eccrine sweat glands begin to form.

Week 21

The baby’s taste buds complete their development to the point that he can taste some of the food that you are eating.

Week 22

Your baby’s hearing is developed enough to hear low-pitched sounds. And his hair has grown quite a lot.

Week 23

Your baby’s digestive tract is activating, as he is continuing to practice his swallowing reflexes. Also, his muscles build up from all exercises that he’s been doing.

Week 24

Your baby starts working on his facial muscles. He can lift his eyebrows and twitch the corners of his mouth is smile.

Week 25

Your baby adds more fat to his body, making his skin smoother. He also grows more hair.

Week 26

Your baby becomes responsive to the outside world, as he his hearing develops even further.

 

Momma’s symptoms:

  • Heartburn, fatigue, leg and back cramps, shortness of breath, swelling
  • Pregnancy glow
  • Hormone-induced acne, skin getting darker around inner thighs, navel, and nipples, stretch marks
  • Poor memory and concentration

 

Third trimester

Week 27

Your baby starts opening and closing his eyes.

Week 28

Your baby’s brain adds many new nerve cells to his system.

Week 29

The baby is to half of his birthweight from now on. His head begins to grow, and his body becomes more proportional.

Week 30

Your baby’s eyes begin to focus.

Week 31

Your baby is starting to behave and look like a newborn. He often sucks his fingers, and his translucent skin gets plumper.

Week 32

Your baby’s skin gets less red and becomes smoother and much softer.

Week 33

Your baby’s nervous system and lungs are maturing and getting ready to meet the outside world.

Week 34

Your baby is adding more layers of fat.  

Week 35

Your baby’s kidneys reach their final stage of development.

Week 36

Your baby’s arms and legs are becoming chubbier, and his skin is getting pink as he is losing his lanugo.

Week 37

There’s no space inside your womb now, so your baby is not going to do any dramatic movements during those final weeks.

Week 38

Your baby is officially fully formed to perfection, however he will keep on adding layers of fat.

Week 39

Your baby is due any moment now.

Week 40

Still pregnant? Don’t worry, many babies arrive later. Keep in touch with your health provider, so he can monitor your condition. Inducing labor is an option if you reach past your due date.

 

Momma’s symptoms:

  • Frequent urination
  • Shortness of breath, fatigue
  • Colostrum coming from your breasts
  • Braxton Hicks contractions

 

After months of anticipation, you will experience a mixture of emotions when your water finally breaks.

Take it easy - contraction by contraction, breathe and drink a lot of water to support your uterus, which functions most properly when fully hydrated. Labour is different for each woman, so listen to your body and trust your doctor. We’re sure you will do just great!

And when you finally meet your little miracle, you will feel like the past nine months were nothing but a daydream.