Pregnancy Stages: Stages Of Development Of Baby’s Growth

Pregnancy usually lasts 280 days or 40 weeks, doctor counts the day from first day of last menstrual period. The whole pregnancy is divided into three stages called trimester.

Each trimester has its won milestone of stages of development of baby from conception to delivery, from zygote to embryo to fetus and then in your hand will be a baby.

The excitement of hearing baby’s first heart beat, his first kick and then his first wail after delivering is so overwhelming.

Also each trimester, feelings of pregnant woman changes, you may be fraught with weepiness, fatigue. Feel ambivalent coz of morning sickness; at times even wonder what you have done to deserve this discomfort. But then you will feel intense excitement in the anticipation, bursting with your special news. Feel upbeat and energized, apprehensive for drastic change in your life and then you dream for your baby.

Inside the womb, a whole lot goes on. The baby will take form from a fertilized egg to a blastocyst, to embryo and then fetus and finally the baby cuddling in your arms.

First Trimester: Week 1- Week 12

Conceive

Fertilized egg

Blastocyst

At 4 weeks:

Brain and Spinal cord begins to form
Heart begins to form
Arm and leg buds appear
Baby is now embryo with two layers of cells from which all the organs and body parts will develop and 1/25 of an inch long.

At 8 Weeks:

Major organs and external body structure will begun to form
Heart beats with regular rhythm
Arms and legs grow and on them fingers and toes begun to form
Sex organs begun to form
Eyes moves forward on face and eyelids too forms
Umbilical cord is clearly visible
At the end the embryo is fetus: looks more human and 1 inch long, weighs 1/8 of an ounce

At 12 Weeks:

Baby can make fist: nerves and muscles begin to work
External sex organs, now clearly shows if the baby is boy or girl
Eyelids shut tight- to protect developing eyes. Will not open till 28th week
Head growth is slowed and baby gets longer
Length: 3 inches long
Weighs almost an ounce

Second Trimester: Week 13- Week 28

At 16 Weeks:

Completing skeleton structure and bones and muscles tissues form
Skin begins to form
Meconium: this is developed in baby’s intestinal tract and is baby’s first bowel movement
Sucking reflex: baby starts making sucking motions with mouth
Length: 4 to 5 inches
Weight: 3 ounces

At 20 Weeks:

Feel fluttering as baby is active
For protecting the growing skin, baby is covered by fine and downy hair called lanugo and waxy coating called vernix
Baby scratches itself: fingernails and toenails forms
Baby hears you
Also swallow
Length: 6 inches
Weight: 9 ounces

At 24 Weeks:

Bone marrow- makes blood cells
Baby gets its taste buds on baby’s tongue
Fingerprints and footprints forms
Baby now has real hair
Lungs are formed but they don’t work now
Startle reflex develop
Usage of hands
Baby now sleeps and wakes regularly
If boy: testicles begin to move from abdomen into scrotum
If girl: uterus and ovaries and in ovaries lifetime supply of eggs!
Also now baby gains weight as it stores fats
Length: 12 inches
Weight: 1 and ½ pounds

Third Trimester: Week 29- Week 40

At 32 Weeks:

Bones are fully formed but are soft
The kicks are now forceful
Eyes open now and also close, sense changes in light
Lungs now practice ‘breathing’ movements occur
Baby’s body stores vital minerals like iron and calcium
Lunugo falls off
Now baby is on gaining weigh spree by gaining some half pounds every week
Length: 15 to 17 inches
Weigh: 4 to 4.5 pounds

At 36 Weeks:

Vernix gets thicker
Body fat increases
Baby gets bigger and bigger
Less space to move around and so you feel stretches and wiggles
Length: 16 to 19 inches
Weight: 6 to 6.5 pounds

At Week 37- Week 40

Week 37 means baby is full term ie baby’s organs are ready to function on their own
Baby turns into a head down position for birth
Contractions
Labor
Baby is delivered
Baby wails and now breathes first time in the environment outside womb.

The baby will smile, pee and suck and all this will give you so much of joy and pleasure and also sleepless nights!

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