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WEEK 1
Not officially pregnant yet. But the body is getting ready for the process. The uterus is thickening so it can house and feed the fertilized egg once it implants. -
WEEK 2
Ovulation occurs. A few days after conceiving, you could notice some light spotting. It might look like your period, but it's actually a sign that the fertilized egg has attached itself to the wall of your uterus. -
WEEK 3
Fertilization occurs in one of the Fallopian tubes. Cell division begins. Two sets of cell nuclei fuse together inside the egg, assigning your baby, now called a zygote, a gender, eye and hair color and other characteristics. -
WEEK 4
At this point, the fertilized egg implants in the wall of the uterus. Beginning the formation of the placenta and umbilical cord. -
WEEK 5
The gastrointestinal tract, spinal cord, heart, brain, blood and blood vessels begin to form. A groove has developed on the embryo's back, which will seal and develop into the neural tube. -
WEEK 6
The heart begins to pump blood, and the neural tube that will become the spine closes. The arms and legs buds begin to form and during this time, the skin is translucent. -
WEEK 7
The head is about 1/3 the size of the entire embryo. The brain and face start to develop. Arm buds become paddle-shaped and the hands begin to form. -
WEEK 8
Brainwave activity starts. Fingers and toes begin to form and are webbed. Lungs, ears, eyes, upper lip and nose start to form. The body begins to straighten out. -
WEEK 9
The heart is almost completely developed. Eyelids are forming. Hair follicles and nipples are forming as well.The embryo can hiccup now as well. -
WEEK 10
Now known as a fetus, it begins doing occasional breathing movements, and the skin becomes less translucent. The genitals begin to form. -
WEEK 11
Almost all the organs and body structures are formed and beginning to function. Genitals begin to take on either male or female form. -
WEEK 12
Reaching the end of the 1st trimester, the face begins to look more human. The fetus' kidneys are getting ready to produce urine. -
WEEK 13
The nose and lips are completely formed, and the fetus begins to produce and excrete urine. -
WEEK 14
All of the tiny organs, nerves, and muscles are starting to function. The intestines have moved farther into the fetus' body. -
WEEK 15
The nose, lips and taste buds are formed. The head is covered by a fine, soft hair called lanugo. -
WEEK 16
During the growth spurt, the fetus' bones harden. -
WEEK 17
The fetus is now covered with a downy layer of lanugo, which swirls in fingerprint-like formation over her whole body. Her skin is still thin. Brown fat, a special type of fat that plays a role in body heat generation, is being deposited. -
WEEK 18
Fat is being deposited throughout the body. Teeth have started to form. The fetus begins to hear sounds in your body. -
WEEK 19
If the baby is a girl, early ovaries contain follicles with forming eggs. They start touching their own faces, reaching for the umbilical cord, pedaling their legs, and sucking their thumbs. -
WEEK 20
A white, creamy substance called vernix caseosa protects the skin from its aqueous environment and sweat glands form. -
WEEK 21
The baby's eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. Taste buds are forming on her tongue. Her eyelids are still sealed, but her eyes are active. -
WEEK 22
The brain is growing rapidly. Her fingernails are almost fully grown, and the organ systems are becoming more functional. The baby has a distinct pair of lips, and her first canines and molars are developing below the gum line. -
WEEK 23
The eyes are formed but lack pigmentation.The baby has passed the 1-pound mark and is almost developed enough to survive outside the womb, -
WEEK 24
The baby develops waking/sleeping patterns. Real hair begins to grow on the head. The baby's skin becomes less translucent as pigment is deposited, -
WEEK 25
The baby has a regular sleep schedule now and active and inactive periods. It's nostrils, which have been plugged, open up. -
WEEK 26
The eyelids separate and the eyes are starting to open. The lungs are beginning to develop surfactant, which allows them to inflate. -
WEEK 27
Entering the third trimester, the brain is still developing and the sleeping periods become longer. -
WEEK 28
The baby can taste and smell, and the eyes can produce tears. The bones are almost fully developed though still soft. -
WEEK 29
Your baby's adrenal glands are producing a chemical which will be made into estriol by the placenta. She's growing eyelashes, adding fat, and developing her brain. -
WEEK 30
The brain is still developing.The eyes are able to track light. -
WEEK 31
Beginning of getting ready for labor. The baby is running out of room and multiple kicks begin. -
WEEK 32
The fetus practices breathing motions in preparation for birth. All five senses are developed, and REM (dream-cycle) sleep is beginning. -
WEEK 33
The baby has moved positions to where its head is facing out. In that position, the blood flow to brain will be easier for the baby. -
WEEK 34
The baby is taking deep breaths. The eyes can blink and are open when it's awake and closed when asleep, and the pupils dilate and constrict in reaction to light. -
WEEK 35
The baby's nervous system and immune system are still maturing, and it's adding the fat that it'll need to regulate her body temperature. -
WEEK 36
The waxy, white substance called vernix caseosa that covered much of it's body during this 9-month journey has dissolved. The baby has swallowed this and other substances, -
WEEK 37
The baby is practicing it's breathing, but it's has increasingly less space to practice stretching and kicking. The baby's intestines are also building up meconium, a greenish-black substance made of baby by-products such as dead cells, shed lanugo, and amniotic fluid. -
WEEK 38
The baby is fully developed,but it is still adding connections between neurons in the brain. It's nails have been growing and now reach to the ends of her fingers and toes. -
WEEK 39
The baby is fully developed. The baby is adding neural connections and growing hair and still gaining weight. -
WEEK 40!!
The long 9-month wait is finally over. The due date is here. The baby should be completely developed at this point.
