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Week
By Week
Fetal
Development
WEEK 1
This is normally counted from
the first day
of your last period.
WEEK
2
The womb is getting itself
ready to welcome
the embryo.
WEEK
3
Conception or fertilization
takes place.
WEEK
4
The embryo is now firmly implanted
in the
walls of the uterus.
WEEK
5
The embryo now develops a
head as well as
a tail end.
WEEK
6
Looks like the baby has a
neck, a brain and
small bump that looks like
the beginning of
a head.
WEEK
7
The embryo is now a full-fledged
fetus,
which means 'young one'. Its
brain and
spinal cord is almost close
to completion.
WEEK
8
Most of the internal organs
like the heart,
brain, liver, lungs, kidneys
and guts have
developed in their basic forms.
WEEK
9
Your baby is actually beginning
to look like a
baby now.
WEEK
10
This week sees the completion
of the inner
part of the baby's ear as
the external parts
are beginning to make their
appearance felt.
WEEK
11
The baby's internal organs
will have
completely developed and most
of them will
begin to function.
WEEK
12
This week your baby will pass
urine for the
very first time.
WEEK
13
This week sees the neck fully
formed and
well able to support the head
movements.
The face has also taken complete
shape
WEEK
14
The growth of the baby speeds
up
considerably as the internal
organs mature
and he increases in size.
WEEK
15
Let the music play and be
careful what you
say as your baby could be
listening.
WEEK
16
This week it looks like the
baby's body is
finally trying to catch up
with the head,
though the head still looks
much larger.
WEEK
17
You should be able to identify
movement this
week, if you haven't already
as all his joints
are completely ready and he
is certainly in
action.
WEEK
18
This week you can be sure
it is not just your
hyperactive imagination when
your baby kicks
or throws a few punches as
he begins to test
his reflexes.
WEEK
19
This week your baby probably
measures nine
inches or 22.5cm.
WEEK
20
Your baby is exactly half
the size that you
can expect at birth.
WEEK
21
The legs will have finally
grown in proportion
to the body.
WEEK
22
Looks like your baby's movements
are not
coordinated with your own.
WEEK
23
This is an exciting week for
the father as he
could attempt hearing his
baby's heartbeat by
putting his ear to your abdomen.
WEEK
24
By this week your baby is
fairly well developed
in terms of most of his vital
organs.
WEEK
25
This week he will grow fatter
and heavier
rather than taller.
WEEK
26
This is the week when the
'bronchi' develops.
WEEK
27
This week your baby opens
his eyes for the
very first time.
WEEK
28
This is the first week of
your final trimester
and the fetus is finally 'viable'.
WEEK
29
You can now identify his knee
from his feet
or his bottom from his head
WEEK
30
Right now, your baby is probably
curled up
with his knees bent, arms
and legs crossed as
his chin gently touches his
chest.
WEEK
31
Over the next seven days the
lungs will
develop fast in preparation
for delivery
which is not too far away.
WEEK
32
Finally the baby's head is
in correct proportion
to his body and he looks very
much like he
would at birth.
WEEK
33
This week your baby will mostly
have settled
in the head downward position
getting ready
to make his or her appearance
in the world.
WEEK
34
Your baby has learnt to blink
and as he can
differentiate between light
and dark.
WEEK
35
Your baby is growing plumper
by the week as
more fat is being deposited
all over his body.
WEEK
36
By now most of the baby's
organs have
matured and he has a 90% chance
of survival
were he to be born this week.
WEEK
37
Keep your bags packed as he
or she could
appear anytime between now
and week 42.
WEEK
38
You might notice your baby
has more hiccups
this week. This is because
he may be trying
to use his lungs as he practices
breathing.
WEEK
39
By this week, your baby's
intestine is filled
with 'meconium', which is
made up of the
excretions from the alimentary
glands.
WEEK
40
Your baby's skin will be extremely
soft and
smooth, as most of the lanugo
will have
disappeared.
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Alarming Signs
in Pregnancy
Your pregnancy is going smoothly. So far so good.
But you have heard of other mothers getting occassional spotting or cramps
in the stomach. You want to know which situations require immediate medical
attention. Find out when
to call the doctor.
Cesarean Deliveries
You've been told your delivery is likely to be a cesarean.
You are a little worried, because after all it is a surgery. You
have many questions: What are the risks of a cesarean - to you and to the
baby? How long will it take to recover? Will your subsequent
deliveries also be cesarean? Learn
more about the implications of a cesarean delivery.
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Premature
Babies
Your pregnancy is considered high risk, because
of either high blood sugar, high blood pressure, or some other problem.
You are scared you may have a premature baby. Learn
more about premature babies and the special care they need
Is your Newborn
Healthy
You determine your baby's health based on its weight.
But how do doctors determine if your baby is "medically" fit? They rate
the newborn in what is called the APGAR Score. This sytem of rating
newborns is followed by all doctors worldwide, and provides a good basis
for comparison. More on the
APGAR Score
The Importance
of Ultrasound
Ultrasound scans during pregnancy help in diagnosing
and confirming pregnancy-related complications, such as: genetic disorders
in the foetus; growth retardation of the baby; problems with the placenta;
excessive or inadequate amniotic fluid; and many others. Learn
more about the benefits of ultrasound.
The Joys of
Childbirth
When you think of childbirth, all you can think of is
screaming mothers. You are afraid you may not be able to handle the physical
pain of childbirth. But if you trust your body's ability to give birth,
you will not only be able to bear labour pains more easily, but also be
able to speed labour. Learn about the joys
of childbirth and how you can make this a rewarding experience.
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