Development of the Fetus (page 1)

0-4 weeks

You ...
  Feel tired and irritable.
  Breasts may be sore, heavy and become darker around the nipple.
  Veins are also visable under the skin of your breasts.

Your Baby...
  Already has the starting of a brain, a spinal cord and marks where the face will be.
  He or she measures about 2mm in length.

4-8 Weeks

You ...
  Start to feel sick, tired or even faint.
  Break out in spots or your skin may feel dry.
  Clothes may feel a bit tighter due to bloating.
  Frequent trips to the bathroom due to your uterus pressing on your bladder.

Your Baby...
  Heart begins to start beating around the sixth week, and all the other organs start to develop.
  Facial bones form, eyes and eye color develop,fingers and toes develop.
  Baby measures approximately 2.5cm.

8-12 Weeks

You ...
  Feel emotional and at some ease knowing miscarriage risk is reducing.
  Abdomen starts to swell with the baby who is now fully formed and moving, but still too small to feel.

Your Baby...
  He/she major organs are now formed.
  Head is larger than the body to accomodate the rapidly growing brain.
  Has a defined chin, nose and eyelids and now measures approximately 9 cm.

12-16 Weeks

You...
  Are visably pregnant.
  A dark line called the linea nigra may be developing down the center of your abdomen which will disappear after birth.
  Uterus is forced out of your pelvic cavity into your abdomen by the baby and can be felt by your doctor as he examines you.
 
Your Baby...
  Can hear the sound of your heartbeat.
  Legs are longer than it's arms.
  The lungs continue to develop and the heartbeat can be heard by ultrasound.  The baby now has facial expressions and it's eyebrows and eyelashes grow.
  Can turn it's head and open it's mouth.  Also the hair on it's head coarsens and develops color. The baby measures approximately 13.5cm in length.

16-20 Weeks

You...
  Pretty much lost your waistline and noticed your first stretchmarks.
  You may feel light flutterings as your baby moves about in the amniotic fluid.

Your Baby...
  Approximately measures 18.5 cm.
  Is more co-ordinated now, although his growth rate has slowed  a little.
  Can suck his thumb and can respond to the sound of your voice.
  Buds for your baby's perminent teeth form behind those of her milk teeth.   Her tastebuds develop and can differentiate between sweet and bitter flavours.
  Is developing fingerprints and is covered in fine hair called lanugo.

20-24 Weeks

You...
  Are getting bigger and may put on approximately 500g a week.
  Also your ribs feel tender as your uterus pushes up against your rib cage.
  Feel your baby move everyday and she can pick out the sound of your voice, she may even move in rhythm with your speech.

Your Baby...
  Approximately measures 26 cm and his body is still thin.
  Her body is now in proportion to it's head and it's bone centers are hardening.
  Genitals are developed and her nostrils are open and she makes breathing motions.  Also she has developed sleeping patterns.

Go to next page of fetal development

Home