As your journey through your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimesters, take a moment to understand the timeline of your baby’s development. How your baby’s body is formed from ground zero is truly a remarkable thing!
At the moment of conception, when the egg and sperm unite, the gender, color of hair and eyes, height, and skin tone of your baby is determined. This uniting of the egg and sperm forms a single cell called a zygote.
During days 2-5 this cell continues to grow and develop, traveling towards the uterus for implantation and is now considered an embryo.
Your baby’s very tiny heart, about the size of a poppy seed, begins pumping just 22 days after fertilization.
By 7 weeks your baby (on average) measures ¾ inch in length and weighs about 1/8 of an ounce.
Evidence shows by 9 weeks from fertilization your baby has all of the major organ systems, is a distinctly recognizable human being and is now known as a “fetus” which is a Latin word for “young one”! He or she is about 2 inches long and can yawn and suck. If you view your baby on ultrasound you will most likely see an active little person by this time.
The fetus, or young one, continues to grow and by 18 weeks from fertilization is about 10 inches long and weighs in at about 11 ounces. Studies indicate the baby can feel pain now and possibly sooner.
By 22 weeks the baby weighs about 1 ½ pounds. The ears have developed to the point that baby recognizes mother’s voice, breathing and heartbeat. Some babies have been born and survived at this stage of development.
At 26 weeks, your baby is now inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, which helps to develop his/her lungs.
You will likely gain nearly one pound each week after 32 weeks. Half of that goes straight to your baby, who will gain one-third of his/her birth weight in the remaining weeks for preparation for life outside the womb.
Once you reach 39 weeks, your baby is considered full-term. He/she can come any day now!
If you want to learn more about your baby’s fetal development, visit Clarity Pregnancy Services. We have educational videos, fetal models you can hold and can even offer a 1st trimester ultrasound so you can see your baby’s development.