Week by week pregnancy guide

WeekSix(9to14mm-1.5g)Week six of your pregnancy is an exciting time, as your baby's heart has begun to beat! The heart is pumping blood, and buds form on the body that will become arms and legs. The brain is forming three separate parts; the forebrain for memory and reasoning, the midbrain for message translation to organs and limbs and hindbrain for breathing and muscle movement. Omega 3 and DHA are super important to the development of your baby's brain. These healthy oils come from fish and flex seeds.

WeekSeven(17to22mm-2g)In week seven of your pregnancy the baby is only the size of a grain of rice! Development is continuing on the arms and legs. Dark spots are the early formation of the eyes and pits indicate the formation of nostrils and ears. You may still be feeling all the same early symptoms of pregnancy.

WeekEight(3cm-3gm)In week eight of your pregnancy the rapid growth continues! Elbows begin forming and fingers start developing. The legs are beginning to show feet with notches for toes. The face is taking shape as the ears, eyes and tip of the nose appear!

WeekNine(5.5cm-10g)In week nine of your pregnancy, your baby's growth continues and now measures about an inch in length. Cartilage and bones begin forming! The baby has all the major organs, muscles and nerves. Eyelids are beginning to form, the tongue begins to develop and the truck is straightening and elongating.

WeekTen(7.5cm-20g)At the end of week ten, fingers and toes will be identifiable. The external ear and upper lip are complete, and external genitalia start appearing. The terminology for your baby is now changing too - from an embryo to a fetus. Weekeleven(8.5cm-30g)Now begins week eleven of your pregnancy. The critical part of your baby's development is over. Now you enter into the growth stage! Your baby's head is almost as big as the rest of the body and head growth will start to slow down. The liver, intestines, brain and lungs are functioning on their own and now fingernails, toenails and hair start growing. Your uterus has grown to the size of a small grapefruit and clothes are likely feeling very snug. Weektwelve(10cm-45g)Baby's growth continues in week twelve of your pregnancy. Baby now begins taking on gender characteristics. The baby has the ability to swallow, and amniotic fluid accumulates as the baby's kidneys begin to produce and excrete urine. The baby's face is now looking like a little person! For mom, bathroom trips should be getting less frequent as your uterus has risen above your pubic bone and it will continue to shift forward as it grows.

WeekThirteen(12cm-65gm)Welcome to your second trimester! It is week thirteen of your pregnancy week by week. The baby is busy this week and now weighs around 2 ounces! His or her vocal cords are beginning to form and the eyes are moving closer together. The intestines have moved from outside the body to inside the abdomen. Now, the liver secretes bile and the pancreas produces insulin. The baby will react to any poking or prodding by wriggling around! You may be feeling more energetic now that the major work of organ development is almost complete. WeekFourteen(14cm-110g)In week fourteen of your pregnancy baby's neck is getting longer and the chin no longer rests on the chest. The baby's hands are becoming functional and he or she even has fingerprints! Baby is active so you may start to feel the baby move. Pay attention to any fluttering sensations in your tummy. Women on their second or third pregnancy tend to notice these sensations earlier.

WeekFifteen(16cm-135g)During week fifteen of your pregnancy, baby is gaining great use of his or her hands and may even be sucking their thumb. The heart is working very hard pumping approximately 25 quarts of blood each day! The baby's skin is extremely transparent and he or she is developing a downy type of hair called lanugo.

WeekSixteen(17.5cm-160g)It is during week sixteen of your pregnancy that the baby's bones have begun hardening. His or her body is lengthening out and the legs are now longer than the arms. The limbs also move in a coordinated manner. Baby weighs around 3 ounces and it may seem hard to believe that he or she could end up weighing well over 7 pounds! Gender is now likely recognizable by an ultrasound technician.

WeekSeventeen(19cm-200gm)In week seventeen of your pregnancy, baby's fat begins to form under their skin. Baby is now a large enough size to give you a good kick and may be starting to recognize those sensations. The reflexes are in full force as baby now swallows, blinks and sucks. Are you noticing faint brown patches on your facial skin? This is called chloasma and is a temporary condition that should fade after birth.

WeekEighteen(20cm-250g)At week eighteen of your pregnancy, baby is now nearly 250 grams! Your baby may be getting very active as he or she has plenty of room in the uterus to be performing somersaults. Your baby's first bowel movement (the first of thousands to come!) is accumulating within the bowel. Pads are also forming on the fingertips and toes.

WeekNineteen(21cm-270gm)During week nineteen of your pregnancy, baby's permanent teeth buds are forming behind the baby teeth buds. Reproductive organs are forming rapidly and can be seen on ultrasound. Vernix, a white cheesy substance that protects the skin from the placenta, is forming on the skin. Some baby's are even born with some of the vernix remaining. You probably are experiencing some skin issues like dry, flaky skin or even a rash.

WeekTwenty-HalfWayThere!(28.5cm-380gm)It is week twenty of your pregnancy, wow!!! - you are at the halfway mark! Baby sleeps about half of the time and is likely very busy in your tummy when he or she is awake. If you are carrying a girl, her uterus is now developing. For mom, her energy levels are likely remaining fairly high and she is starting to show. Just think, you are half way there and you have not had a large tummy to carry around for the first half of your pregnancy. It is only during the second half that this happens. >

WeekTwentyOne(24cm-450gm)In week twenty one of your pregnancy, you are past the halfway mark and most major development is well underway, your baby will spend its remaining weeks getting bigger and putting on weight. Major growth phases are slowing down, but your baby's heart grows stronger this week and his or her legs are getting longer!

WeekTwentyTwo(26cm-500gm)Your baby now weighs almost 400grams! Although the baby is very developed, he or she is extremely thin. Baby needs to put on quite a bit of fat to ensure survival outside of the womb. The brain also starts a phase of rapid growth. In addition, your baby's eyelids and eyebrows are now formed!

WeekTwentyThree(28cm-550gm)Your baby now has fingernails! More importantly, the lungs have begun to develop surfactant, a substance that helps baby's lungs expand following birth. Other changes include the hardening of the bones of the middle ear. Also, the body is growing in a more normal proportion, everyday WeekTwentyFour(30cm-650gm)In week twenty four of your pregnancy, baby is gaining weight through the addition of fat and muscle to his or her body. Rapid eye movement for baby has also begun. Most physicians consider week 24 as the stage when babies have a chance for survival if mom went into preterm labor. However, hospital stays would be lengthy and there could be developmental concerns WeekTwentyfive(32cm-750gm)In week twenty five of your pregnancy, major happenings are going on that include development of some joints and ligaments of the spine. The nostrils begin opening and the blood vessels of the lungs are developing. Now that the uterus is the size of a foot ball and mom looks pregnant WeekTwentySix(33cm-850gm)In week twenty six of your pregnancy, baby is actively growing lungs, with the air sacs beginning their growth this week. Brain growth continues with brain wave activity for the visual and auditory systems starting to develop. Baby is probably very active in the womb, as the most active weeks are typically between weeks 24-28 weeks.

WeekTwentySeven(34cm-1kg)In week twenty seven of your pregnancy, the second trimester is finished at the end of this week! The baby's brain continues its' rapid rate of development. Hopefully you are taking omega to aid the baby's brain health. Baby will also grow a lot in length this week and the lungs will continue developing. Eyelids will start to open and the retinas begin to form.

WeekTwentyEight(35cm-1.15kg)It is week twenty eight of your pregnancy. Welcome to the third trimester! It may be hard to believe, but your baby now appears much like he or she will look like at birth! Baby now has eyebrows and eyelashes and hair is growing every day. The muscle tone is improving and his or her body is getting plumper. Baby recognizes your voice so be sure to say lots of nice things!

WeekTwentyNine(36cm-1.3kg)In week twenty nine of your pregnancy, baby weighs almost 1.5kgs. and the head is proportional to the rest of the body. The brain is active and can now control breathing and body temperature. The eyes are starting to move in their sockets.

WeekThirty(37cm-1.5kg)In week thirty of your pregnancy, eyelids are opening and closing and bone marrow is now responsible for red cell production. Baby continues to put on fat stores and the major weight gains will occur in the coming weeks.

WeekThirtyOne(39cm-1.7kg)In week thirty one of your pregnancy, baby weighs almost 1.7kgs.! Baby's brain is continuing its fast track for development. The only major organ left to develop are the very important lungs! Your baby may be starting to track moving objects with his or her eyes and the irises respond to light and dark. Mom might be starting to feel the aches and pains of pregnancy as she starts to get bigger and more uncomfortable.

WeekThirtyTwo(40.5cm-1.9kg)In week thirty two of your pregnancy, your baby has been gaining weight rapidly these last few weeks because of an increase in fat stores and muscle. Movement is probably slowing down somewhat because the baby is running low on space to perform the acrobatics he or she was a few weeks ago. All five senses are now fully functional! Your uterus is measuring around 5 inches above your naval and is pushing on your organs.

WeekThirtyThree(42cm-2.1kg)In week thirty three of your pregnancy, your baby is growing fast and is probably up to around 2kgs.. Amniotic fluid is at the highest point during your pregnancy and will remain at this level until delivery. Many moms report noticing rhythmic movements in the belly, which could mean that baby has the hiccups!

WeekThirtyfour(43cm-2.3kg) In week thirty four of your pregnancy, your baby is taking in a lot of fluid and in fact, he or she urinates up to a pint per day! Surprisingly, urine, sweat and other fluids from baby help make up the amniotic fluid. Don't be concerned though – the amniotic fluid replenishes itself every three hours! Your baby is now sleeping like a newborn with her eyes shut when sleeping and opened when awake WeekThirtyfive(45cm-2.5kg)In week thirty five of your pregnancy – wow – baby is growing so fast. He or she is up to almost 2.3kgs! The baby will continue gaining as most babies gain around 200gms per week in the last

month of pregnancy. Fat stores accumulate in the legs and arms; it won't be long until you'll be touching those wonderful chubby limbs

WeekThirtySix(46.5cm–2.7kg)In week thirty six of your pregnancy, you can breathe a sigh of relief, because your baby is almost ready! Baby continues gaining as fat is forming creases in the neck and wrists. Your doctor will start looking for signs that you're dropping over the next few weeks (less noticeable in subsequent pregnancies).

WeekThirtySeven(48cm-2.9kgs)At the end of week thirty seven of your pregnancy, most doctors consider the baby to be full term! Your baby is averaging around 3kgs and has enough fat stores to keep his or her temperature stable in the outside world. Your little one's grasp has become firm and you probably can't wait to hold those tiny fingers

WeekThirtyEight(50cm-3kgs)In week thirty five of your pregnancy, baby's main job is to gain weight. Development is complete! The fine, downy hair that covered the body during pregnancy is mostly gone now, but you may see some on the upper back and shoulders when he or she arrives. Baby now has an 'orienting response' and will turn toward a light shone on mom's belly. Baby's first stool, called meconium, is accumulating in the intestines. Mom should be paying attention to baby's movements and call the doctor if she notices a drop in frequency or a change in the pattern.

WeekThirtyNineIn week thirty nine of your pregnancy, the average baby is over seven pounds! The baby's fingernails likely extend beyond baby's fingertips. Baby is restricted in movement as there is no space left in the womb. Hopefully mom is finding it easier to breathe now that the uterus is dropping away from the diaphragm.

Week FortyIn week forty of your pregnancy, you can congratulate yourself for a job well done. You made it! You are almost at the end of your pregnancy. Even though our descriptions stop here, you may still experience few more days of pregnancy until your little one arrives.