The happiest moment in a woman's life is when she gets to know about her pregnancy. From the very first day she starts thinking about the baby's growth and future. It's miraculous how a fully-grown baby emerges from a single cell in the mother's womb. The growth of the baby takes place slowly and each of its body parts grows and develops at particular time during the nine months of pregnancy. In the process of monitoring pregnancy week by week, ultrasound examination helps to keep an eye on the growth of the baby. This monitoring is necessary so as to avoid any future complications.
Here in this article, I am going to provide you the details of various stages of pregnancy development. But before this you need to know about the pregnancy duration. As we all know, the pregnancy period is of 9 months which is further divided into 3 trimesters. Every trimester consists of 3 months. In total we can say there are 40 weeks in the pregnancy period. The first trimester is the most critical period for the baby as at this time the body tries to adjust and mold itself to the 'foreign body' which enters in the form of a sperm, which on uniting with the egg, develops into a zygote. Once the body gets adapted to these changing conditions, the pregnancy progresses smoothly.
So, let's start with the various stages which will help you to maintain a week by week pregnancy calendar on your own. You can follow this calender even for twin pregnancy week by week too. I am also going to mention the changes in the mother's body. Changes in the mothers body are experienced in the form of pregnancy symptoms week by week and their effects on health. Here I bring you all you need to know about the pregnancy week by week.
Week by Week Pregnancy Stages
First Trimester
First trimester consists of 1 - 12 weeks pregnancy. This period is a bit critical as the woman needs extra care to make her body prepared for the baby's development. Following is the pregnancy development calender which will show the development of the baby and the changes in the woman's body week by week. The following paragraphs on pregnancy week by week will also help answer your questions like 'how many weeks pregnant am I?' , 'how does pregnancy progress across the three trimesters?' or 'what are the changes that take place in the mother as well as the baby's body, during the time it is in the mother's womb?'
1st - 4th Week
Mother: The pregnancy due date is calculated from the first day of your last mensuration period. Hence this will include the mensuration cycle and fertilization of egg. After the egg is fertilized it gets attached to the wall of the uterus. The division and multiplication of the cell starts. What are the signs of pregnancy after 1 week? You may also observe implantation bleeding. You may start feeling tired often and may have to urinate more frequently. At this time you can see the pregnancy urine test positive as the body has started secreting the pregnancy hormone. More on pregnancy symptoms at 4 weeks.
Baby: You baby has grown from one cell to about 150 cells. It will be about 0.014 inches to 0.04 inches in length. The layers of the cells will be divided into three layers. Outer will become the nervous system, skin and hair, the middle layer will form the skeleton, bones, cartilage, circulatory system, sex organs, muscles and kidney, and the inner most one will form the digestive and respiratory system.
5th - 8th Week
Mother: It is confirmed that you are pregnant and now you have started observing early signs of pregnancy more prominently. These signs may include morning sickness, soreness in your breasts, darkening of the areola, etc. You may have started noticing a slight weight gain. Legs and breast will seem to have gained bulk. Your uterus is increasing in size so you may observe cramps and pain in the lower back. More on pregnancy symptoms at 5 weeks.
Baby: Your baby has now grown to 0.56 to 0.8 inches long. Organs such as placenta, amniotic sac, heart, brain, spinal cord, muscles, nervous system, digestive system, pancreas and appendix are in a process of development. Your baby's heart has started beating which can be easily detected with ultrasound examination. Now the baby has started taking nutrition from the umbilical cord as it has developed by this week. Facial features like nose, eyelids can also be observed.
9th - 12th Week
Mother: Although the very early symptoms of pregnancy will be observed in the 9th and 10th week they are gradually diminishing as your body is getting used to it. Food aversions and cravings can still be noticed. Although your waistline is increasing because of the growth of the uterus, superficially your pregnancy will still need time to be noticed. You may have gained three to five pounds by the end of 12th week.
Baby: Your baby measures about 2.5 inches long. You can see the eyes and ears growing slowly. You can also observe few movements but they are still reserved to the ultrasound only. Fingernails and external genitalia are also developing very fast. The chances of miscarriage will end by the end of 12th week. The major developments have completed by this month.
Second Trimester
Second trimester consists of 13-28 weeks pregnancy. This trimester is relatively smoother as women have recovered from pregnancy symptoms by then. Pregnancy size will increase. More on pregnancy size by week. This is a good period as there are hardly any possibilities of the baby being in danger. Following stages show the progress of pregnancy week by week. Keep reading.
13th - 16th Week
Mother: Now that you have crossed the danger level you must have started feeling better. Your uterus may weigh about 8.75 ounces by the end of the 16th month. You may feel constipated because of the increased size of the uterus. Frequent urination will become very common. You may also observe lower back pain and muscle stretch because of the increased weight. Increased blood flow may sometimes result in nose bleeding. Here's information on 16 weeks pregnant: what to expect.
Baby: By the end of 16th week your baby will measure around 4.3 to 4.6 inches. Its bones, muscles, and complete skeleton will develop now. Skin will also begin to form. Meconium is collected in the baby's intestine as its first bowel. By now your baby will start sucking motions of the mouth. The baby has started looking human as its eyes and other organs take position and form and have started responding to external stimuli.
17th - 20th Week
Mother: You have gained weight. Your heart rate has increased and you observe that you are having to take deep and long breaths and you are perspiring more than usual. You may feel exhausted, tired, constipated during this period because of the increasing size of the uterus. You belly has started growing. Here's information on 18 weeks pregnant: what to expect.
Baby: As your baby is halfway through its development, its size has increased to about 6 inches. Its nails have started growing. The baby is covered with fine hair and a waxy coating called varnix which protects its skin. You baby can hear sounds by now. It can hear your heartbeat, voice, and he can even cover his ears with his hands if it is exposed to a harsh or loud sound. Your baby can move or kick if annoyed or excited.
21st - 24th Week
Mother: By the end of 24th week of pregnancy, your belly size will increase further and your pregnancy will be much more evident. Cramps and muscle pain will continue as the weight is increasing. You might have yellowish smelly vaginal secretion. And your check ups will frequent.
Baby: It is now about 8.4 inches long. You should start talking to your baby as it will be able to respond to your voice. The voices it is exposed to during this period of pregnancy, it will be able to recognize even after birth. The baby has started producing red and white blood cell which will help him to fight against various diseases and infection. Buds for teeth have started forming by this stage of pregnancy.
25th - 28th Week
Mother: Now your belly is growing fast. You are gaining weight at the rate of 1 pound every week. Back and leg aches are common. You may face difficulty in sleeping by the time you are 28 weeks pregnant. Frequent urination will always be one of the problems because of the increased size of the uterus. You can also observe swelling in the legs and near ankles. You may also observe stretch marks due to the immediate weight gain. You might like to take a look at pregnancy weight gain by week.
Baby: Now your baby is about 10 inches in size and you can clearly hear his heart beats with the help of stethoscope. His ears are now fully developed. He has a proper REM (rapid eye movements). He also has a proper sleeping and waking pattern. He has started sucking his thumb and his lungs are about to be fully developed.
Third Trimester
You will be very excited to come to this stage as the problems have ended and you are nearing the day you would be meeting the new member of your family. Following is week by week pregnancy calendar for this trimester.
29th - 32nd Week
Mother: You must be very excited as its not too long before a new member would enter your family. Back aches, leg pain and constipation can still be observed. Vaginal discharge will be more frequent. A yellowish discharge from the breast will indicate that your body is ready to feed the new born.
Baby: Your baby has grown upto 18.9 inches long from head to toe. He now sometimes open his eyes. This eyebrows and eyelashes have grown completely and this hair is becoming thicker. He is gaining fat and is now becoming healthy. He can now recognize the difference between dim and bright light.
33rd - 36th Week
Mother: You now have a huge belly as you are 36 weeks pregnant. It may be exerting pressure on the navel, rib cage and pelvis. This may cause pain. You may get incomplete or no sleep because of the discomfort. You will be recommended a regular weekly check up now. The uterus will prepare itself for delivery. The pregnancy, week by week, has almost reached its final stage now.
Baby: The baby is now 20.7 inches from head to toe and weighs about 6 pounds. Your baby has occupied almost all the space in the uterus. Less movements will be observed because of the space scarcity. Lungs are fully developed till now and the brain is developing fast. The baby will practice blinking eyes which is the sign of healthy brain development.
37th - 40th Week
Mother: You may be experiencing severe back pain, sleeplessness, heartburn, nausea during this stage. So, take as much rest as you can. Although it's difficult to find a comfortable position, taking rest is important. Be ready for any emergency as you may have labor pain anytime. If you are crossed your due date don't panic; this is quite normal. You are awaiting childbirth now.
Baby: Your baby is now fully matured and is about 21.5 inches long from head to toe. He has taken his position for delivery as his head is near your pelvis. He responds to reflexes like light and sounds and practices blinking eyes. Lung movement is also observed. Now there's not much time left for the delivery. You are all set to get into the most exciting, equally difficult and a very noble role of...becoming a mother.
Merely writing about the pregnancy week by week details, made me realize how wonderfully god has created us. So, here I sign off with loads of wishes for all the mommys-to-be out there. Take care and have a healthy baby.
Here in this article, I am going to provide you the details of various stages of pregnancy development. But before this you need to know about the pregnancy duration. As we all know, the pregnancy period is of 9 months which is further divided into 3 trimesters. Every trimester consists of 3 months. In total we can say there are 40 weeks in the pregnancy period. The first trimester is the most critical period for the baby as at this time the body tries to adjust and mold itself to the 'foreign body' which enters in the form of a sperm, which on uniting with the egg, develops into a zygote. Once the body gets adapted to these changing conditions, the pregnancy progresses smoothly.
So, let's start with the various stages which will help you to maintain a week by week pregnancy calendar on your own. You can follow this calender even for twin pregnancy week by week too. I am also going to mention the changes in the mother's body. Changes in the mothers body are experienced in the form of pregnancy symptoms week by week and their effects on health. Here I bring you all you need to know about the pregnancy week by week.
Week by Week Pregnancy Stages
First Trimester
First trimester consists of 1 - 12 weeks pregnancy. This period is a bit critical as the woman needs extra care to make her body prepared for the baby's development. Following is the pregnancy development calender which will show the development of the baby and the changes in the woman's body week by week. The following paragraphs on pregnancy week by week will also help answer your questions like 'how many weeks pregnant am I?' , 'how does pregnancy progress across the three trimesters?' or 'what are the changes that take place in the mother as well as the baby's body, during the time it is in the mother's womb?'
1st - 4th Week
Mother: The pregnancy due date is calculated from the first day of your last mensuration period. Hence this will include the mensuration cycle and fertilization of egg. After the egg is fertilized it gets attached to the wall of the uterus. The division and multiplication of the cell starts. What are the signs of pregnancy after 1 week? You may also observe implantation bleeding. You may start feeling tired often and may have to urinate more frequently. At this time you can see the pregnancy urine test positive as the body has started secreting the pregnancy hormone. More on pregnancy symptoms at 4 weeks.
Baby: You baby has grown from one cell to about 150 cells. It will be about 0.014 inches to 0.04 inches in length. The layers of the cells will be divided into three layers. Outer will become the nervous system, skin and hair, the middle layer will form the skeleton, bones, cartilage, circulatory system, sex organs, muscles and kidney, and the inner most one will form the digestive and respiratory system.
5th - 8th Week
Mother: It is confirmed that you are pregnant and now you have started observing early signs of pregnancy more prominently. These signs may include morning sickness, soreness in your breasts, darkening of the areola, etc. You may have started noticing a slight weight gain. Legs and breast will seem to have gained bulk. Your uterus is increasing in size so you may observe cramps and pain in the lower back. More on pregnancy symptoms at 5 weeks.
Baby: Your baby has now grown to 0.56 to 0.8 inches long. Organs such as placenta, amniotic sac, heart, brain, spinal cord, muscles, nervous system, digestive system, pancreas and appendix are in a process of development. Your baby's heart has started beating which can be easily detected with ultrasound examination. Now the baby has started taking nutrition from the umbilical cord as it has developed by this week. Facial features like nose, eyelids can also be observed.
9th - 12th Week
Mother: Although the very early symptoms of pregnancy will be observed in the 9th and 10th week they are gradually diminishing as your body is getting used to it. Food aversions and cravings can still be noticed. Although your waistline is increasing because of the growth of the uterus, superficially your pregnancy will still need time to be noticed. You may have gained three to five pounds by the end of 12th week.
Baby: Your baby measures about 2.5 inches long. You can see the eyes and ears growing slowly. You can also observe few movements but they are still reserved to the ultrasound only. Fingernails and external genitalia are also developing very fast. The chances of miscarriage will end by the end of 12th week. The major developments have completed by this month.
Second Trimester
Second trimester consists of 13-28 weeks pregnancy. This trimester is relatively smoother as women have recovered from pregnancy symptoms by then. Pregnancy size will increase. More on pregnancy size by week. This is a good period as there are hardly any possibilities of the baby being in danger. Following stages show the progress of pregnancy week by week. Keep reading.
13th - 16th Week
Mother: Now that you have crossed the danger level you must have started feeling better. Your uterus may weigh about 8.75 ounces by the end of the 16th month. You may feel constipated because of the increased size of the uterus. Frequent urination will become very common. You may also observe lower back pain and muscle stretch because of the increased weight. Increased blood flow may sometimes result in nose bleeding. Here's information on 16 weeks pregnant: what to expect.
Baby: By the end of 16th week your baby will measure around 4.3 to 4.6 inches. Its bones, muscles, and complete skeleton will develop now. Skin will also begin to form. Meconium is collected in the baby's intestine as its first bowel. By now your baby will start sucking motions of the mouth. The baby has started looking human as its eyes and other organs take position and form and have started responding to external stimuli.
17th - 20th Week
Mother: You have gained weight. Your heart rate has increased and you observe that you are having to take deep and long breaths and you are perspiring more than usual. You may feel exhausted, tired, constipated during this period because of the increasing size of the uterus. You belly has started growing. Here's information on 18 weeks pregnant: what to expect.
Baby: As your baby is halfway through its development, its size has increased to about 6 inches. Its nails have started growing. The baby is covered with fine hair and a waxy coating called varnix which protects its skin. You baby can hear sounds by now. It can hear your heartbeat, voice, and he can even cover his ears with his hands if it is exposed to a harsh or loud sound. Your baby can move or kick if annoyed or excited.
21st - 24th Week
Mother: By the end of 24th week of pregnancy, your belly size will increase further and your pregnancy will be much more evident. Cramps and muscle pain will continue as the weight is increasing. You might have yellowish smelly vaginal secretion. And your check ups will frequent.
Baby: It is now about 8.4 inches long. You should start talking to your baby as it will be able to respond to your voice. The voices it is exposed to during this period of pregnancy, it will be able to recognize even after birth. The baby has started producing red and white blood cell which will help him to fight against various diseases and infection. Buds for teeth have started forming by this stage of pregnancy.
25th - 28th Week
Mother: Now your belly is growing fast. You are gaining weight at the rate of 1 pound every week. Back and leg aches are common. You may face difficulty in sleeping by the time you are 28 weeks pregnant. Frequent urination will always be one of the problems because of the increased size of the uterus. You can also observe swelling in the legs and near ankles. You may also observe stretch marks due to the immediate weight gain. You might like to take a look at pregnancy weight gain by week.
Baby: Now your baby is about 10 inches in size and you can clearly hear his heart beats with the help of stethoscope. His ears are now fully developed. He has a proper REM (rapid eye movements). He also has a proper sleeping and waking pattern. He has started sucking his thumb and his lungs are about to be fully developed.
Third Trimester
You will be very excited to come to this stage as the problems have ended and you are nearing the day you would be meeting the new member of your family. Following is week by week pregnancy calendar for this trimester.
29th - 32nd Week
Mother: You must be very excited as its not too long before a new member would enter your family. Back aches, leg pain and constipation can still be observed. Vaginal discharge will be more frequent. A yellowish discharge from the breast will indicate that your body is ready to feed the new born.
Baby: Your baby has grown upto 18.9 inches long from head to toe. He now sometimes open his eyes. This eyebrows and eyelashes have grown completely and this hair is becoming thicker. He is gaining fat and is now becoming healthy. He can now recognize the difference between dim and bright light.
33rd - 36th Week
Mother: You now have a huge belly as you are 36 weeks pregnant. It may be exerting pressure on the navel, rib cage and pelvis. This may cause pain. You may get incomplete or no sleep because of the discomfort. You will be recommended a regular weekly check up now. The uterus will prepare itself for delivery. The pregnancy, week by week, has almost reached its final stage now.
Baby: The baby is now 20.7 inches from head to toe and weighs about 6 pounds. Your baby has occupied almost all the space in the uterus. Less movements will be observed because of the space scarcity. Lungs are fully developed till now and the brain is developing fast. The baby will practice blinking eyes which is the sign of healthy brain development.
37th - 40th Week
Mother: You may be experiencing severe back pain, sleeplessness, heartburn, nausea during this stage. So, take as much rest as you can. Although it's difficult to find a comfortable position, taking rest is important. Be ready for any emergency as you may have labor pain anytime. If you are crossed your due date don't panic; this is quite normal. You are awaiting childbirth now.
Baby: Your baby is now fully matured and is about 21.5 inches long from head to toe. He has taken his position for delivery as his head is near your pelvis. He responds to reflexes like light and sounds and practices blinking eyes. Lung movement is also observed. Now there's not much time left for the delivery. You are all set to get into the most exciting, equally difficult and a very noble role of...becoming a mother.
Merely writing about the pregnancy week by week details, made me realize how wonderfully god has created us. So, here I sign off with loads of wishes for all the mommys-to-be out there. Take care and have a healthy baby.
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