Fetal Development
Pregnancy as it is measured begins the first day of your last period, so in actuality the baby is two weeks old at conception. Week two is when the sperm enters the ovum. Now it will take 3 to 4 days for the zygote, which is what the fetus is called at this stage, before it makes its way to the uterus.
Week 4: The fetus or embryo as it is called now is implanted in the uterus wall. This is normally the time in which you can confirm your pregnancy.
Week 5: You can now begin to see the baby trying to take shape. He or she is about 1/10 of an inch in length.
Week 6: The baby now has a brain, a neck and a small lump, which will be his head. There are indents on the lump that will become his eyes and ears. His primitive heart is beating, and his liver and intestines are taking shape. He is now 1/5 of an inch in length.
Week 7: You baby is no longer considered to be an embryo. He is now a fetus. His brain and spinal cord are just about formed, completely. He is beginning to form legs, arms and small little nubs are at the ends for his fingers and toes. Inside his kidneys, liver, lungs, intestines, and internal sex organs are developing.
Week 8: Most of your little ones internal organs are not complete; they just need to grow a bit more. He is developing his eyes and inner ear this week. He has a nose and a tongue. His hips, knees, elbows, and shoulders begin to form during this week.
Week 9: Now your little one will look like a baby. His head will be slightly bent over toward his chest. His arms, legs, hands and feet are there however, they need a bit more shaping. He will begin to move around a bit now but you will probably not notice the movement.
Week 10: Facial features, arms, legs, hands, feet, fingers and toes are visible. His or her inner ear is completing its final development as well as his chest, abdominal cavities, kidneys, and lungs are all moving into their appropriate places. He is about 1 inch in length.
Week 11: All of the internal organs are now complete and begin to function; they just need to grow larger along with your baby. His eyes will be moving into place and his ears will be working on their shape.
Week 12: Your little one can now suck his thumb and swallow. He will urinate this week for the very first time. He can open and close his mouth and move his facial muscles. Earlobes, fingernails, and toenails are beginning to form.
Week 13: He can now hold up his head because his neck is completely developed. You can now see his nose, ears, and mouth. He will be around 3 inches long and weigh in at about one ounce.
Week 14: He will not begin to grow rather fast, in just one week he has doubled his weight. Your doctor will be able to hear his heartbeat. He can bend his legs, fingers, toes, knees, wrists, and arms. He will start growing his eyebrows and hair. He will be around 4 inches in length and weights 2 ¼ ounces.
Week 15: He can hear your voice and is growing faster. His eyelashes are now developing as well as more hair is beginning to grow on his head. At this time, he is around 5 ¼ inches long and weighs around 3 ½ ounces.
Week 16: His face now begins to look more like a baby. He can now breathe and his sex organs are visible.
Week 17: You should begin to feel movement since your little one is practicing using his newly developed joints and muscles. All of his muscles are completely developed and he has tiny fingernails and toenails. He is around 7 inches long.
Week 18: He can now grasp, blink, and has hair on his body and of course, his head. He may lose all of his hair prior to birth. This hair is a protective coating. He is around 8 inches long.
Week 19: Your baby will be drinking and urinating normally by this week. He is around 9 inches long and is still growing strong.
Week 20: Now your baby is more active than ever. He has grown quite a bit and is using all his muscles and joints to explore his surrounding. He is about 10 inches long and weighs around 12 ounces.
Week 22: He now has sweat glands developing and the skin it beginning to opaque instead of transparent. He is about 11 ½ inches long and has doubled in weight to weigh around 2 pounds.
Week 26: Your baby now has the ability to cry. His tongue has taste buds and of course, he is still growing faster and stronger each and every day. At the beginning of this week, he should be around 1 foot and 2 inches long and weigh 1 pound and 14 ounces.
Week 30: Your baby could probably survive outside the womb at this stage, however he would be considered premature. He should be in position to be born with his head down and ready to enter the birth canal. He will be curled up with his knees bent and his arms and legs crossed with his chin sitting on his chest. He is now gaining around 7 ounces per week and there is not much room for him to move around.
Week 40: This is the end of your pregnancy. Your baby is now ready to be born. However, you may have already had your little one or you may have to wait just a bit longer. Babies never come when expected. On average he will be around 21 inches long and weigh around 7 ½ pounds.
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