Pregnancy Week By Week
Pregnancy Week by Week
Obie Editorial Team
First Trimester
Technically, it's week 1 of your pregnancy, but you still have 2 weeks until fertilization/ovulation.
It is at the end of week 2 when ovulation and fertilization typically take place.
During the 3rd pregnancy week, the fertilized egg travels trough the fallopian tube.
You will likely be expecting your period at the end of this week, but it won't happen if you are pregnant!
By week 5, baby is moving along quickly in the growth process and changes are starting to happen.
The heart has now started beating and can often be seen early in the 6th week by transvaginal ultrasound.
In the 7th week, your baby is still very small, but many of the crucial organs are developing rapidly.
In week 8, you are more than halfway through your first trimester and baby continues to grow rapidly.
Cartilage develops, bones grow, and baby forms the skeleton that s/he will use to stand, walk and run.
Thanks to the ability of the human body to adapt, morning sickness should be easing off by week 10.
Your baby is now officially called a fetus, and the most crucial development phases are concluding.
Your uterus makes a move upward this week, which (thankfully!) relieves some of the pressure on the bladder.
Second Trimester
The alien look of an early fetus on ultrasound disappears. Eyes move closer together and ears shift.
Doppler is commonly used around this time in the first trimester to hear your baby’s heartbeat.
By the 15th week of pregnancy, some parents are itching to find out the sex of the baby.
By the start of the 4th month, you may start noticing movements that feel like little flutters.
The uterus is growing and your bump is likely visible. You may feel better than you have in a long time.
All the changes in the womb are starting to show. Your baby looks like a human and weighs up to 8 ounces.
Lanugo has already been growing on your baby’s skin. Now, vernix caseosa starts to develop.
The 20th week marks the halfway point! Fetal growth continues to add length and weight.
Baby continues to grow, but more attention is paid to internal organs than weight gain.
An interesting thing happens: you may start to feel better about your body and self-confidence soars.
This week marks a huge milestone: the fetus could survive if an early birth is required.
There is no hiding the pregnancy now as your tummy is growing by leaps and bounds.
Your abdomen is now about the size of a soccer ball which may be causing aches and pains.
The fetus continues to grow rapidly, weighing about two pounds and measuring nine inches or more.
Third Trimester
You've reached another huge landmark in pregnancy: the last week of the second trimester!
Welcome to your 3rd trimester! Your baby has a 90% chance of survival if born this week.
The fetus is finally starting to look like a baby: the head and body are proportionate and weight gain is rapid.
Your baby's bones have developed and bone marrow has started producing red blood cells.
All necessary body functions are working perfectly. Lung development and weight gain are now the focus.
By the 32nd week, all five senses are in full working order. Your baby can see, taste, smell, feel and hear.
Fetal brain development is rapid and the size of the head is growing to hold new brain tissue.
Edema is normal during pregnancy, but pitting that lasts over a few seconds can signal preeclampsia.
There is very little room left in the uterus now, so when your baby moves, you will feel it!
Four weeks to go until the due date now! The body is making some rapid changes.
The fetus weighs around 6½ pounds and practices breathing during every waking moment.
Hormones are increasing, the cervix is ripening and the baby is shifting lower and lower in the uterus.
As the final days of pregnancy become a reality, you may be feeling off balance and clumsy.
Your belly is stretched beyond the imagination and you may have forgotten what your feet look like.
For the baby, week 41 is nothing more than an extended vacation but you may be getting antsy.
If natural induction techniques have not worked, doctors will commonly admit you to the hospital.