Ask any mother her thoughts on pregnancy and she’s sure to say that it’s nothing short of a miracle. So, what makes every mother feel this way? To understand better, let’s give you a low down of what really goes on in a pregnant woman’s body, one week at a time. Here goes:
Week 1
It’s the first day of your last period. You’re really not pregnant, but the clock has begun ticking.
Week 2
With the sperm lying in wait, the ovulation is about to occur.
Week 3
The Fertilization: Of almost 200 million sperms, the winning one enters the egg. The egg shuts soon after. Two sets of cell nuclei fuse together to form a zygote (your baby). Nearly 200 genetic characteristics are determined including gender, hair, and eye color.
Week 4
The zygote burrows into the uterus, causing implantation bleeding. The umbilical cord and placenta begin to form.
Week 5
The zygote now becomes a slightly C-shaped embryo with a tiny little heart, brain, spinal cord, gastrointestinal tract, and blood vessels.
Week 6
The fully-developed C-shaped embryo now has a pumping heart. The arms and legs start budding out. A neural tube, which eventually becomes spinal cord, closes out, the reason why folic acid intake becomes essential at this stage.
Week 7
The head forms and is almost 1/3rd of the entire body. The eye lenses and nostrils form, and so does face and brains. The arms acquire a paddle shape. The entire embryo now measures 1/3 inch.
Week 8
Ears, eyes, upper lip, nose, and lungs start forming. The brainwave becomes active. Fingers and toes are webbed. The body straightens out and starts showing some movements, now measuring 1/2 inch.
Week 9
Hair follicles, nipples, and eyelids start forming and there is a near-complete heart development. Toes and fingers aren’t webbed anymore. Bones develop in arms; there are leg and hand movements. Embryo size is 3/4 inch.
Week 10
The embryo becomes a fetus. The eyelids fuse to protect the eyes. The fetus shows breathing movements occasionally, although the umbilical cord supplies oxygen. Genitals form. Less translucent skin. Fetus size: 1-1/2 inches.
Week 11
Almost all body structures and organs develop and are functional. Genitals now take on the female or male form. Occasional thumb-sucking and other movements start. Fetus size: Nearly 2 inches.
Week 12
The facial features become defined. The body straightens up slightly more. Fetus size: 3 inches
Week 13
The fetus produces and excretes urine as kidneys start functioning. The lips and nose are fully formed. The fetus gets bouts of hiccups which strengthen the diaphragm. Pancreas, thyroid, and gallbladder are also formed.
Week 14
The liver begins to secrete bile and the pancreas starts secreting insulin. The baby’s face develops slight expressions of wincing and grimacing. Fetus size: 4 to 4-1/2 inches.
Week 15
The taste buds form. The lips and nose are better defined. The head has a cover of fine hair called lanugo. Fetus size: 5 inches. Weight: 2 ounces.
Week 16
The baby’s bones harden and fetal movements can be felt slightly. The baby learns to grasp the umbilical cord, suck thumb, and kick the amniotic sac. Weight: 2.8 ounces
Week 17
A special type of brown fat that helps in body heat generation, is deposited. The baby is 6 inches tall and weighs 4 ounces.
Week 18
Gums start to form. The fetus begins reacting to sounds like your heartbeat or outside noises that may startle him/her. Length: 8 inches. Weight: 6 ounces.
Week 19
Baby weighs 8-1/2 inches and weighs 6 ounces.
Week 20
Vernix caseosa, which protects the skin from the watery environment, is formed. The baby’s height is 10 inches and weighs 9 ounces.
Week 21
The baby essentially starts gaining weight. It is now 10 1/2 inches in size and weighs three-quarters of a pound.
Week 22
The brain starts growing rapidly. Baby’s length: 11 inches approximately. Weight: about 1 pound.
Week 23
The baby’s genitals start developing fully; testicles descend into the groin; ovaries and uterus develop fully. Baby’s length: 11 1/2 inches. Weight: 1 pound.
Week 24
Waking and sleeping pattern develops. The head shows real hair growth. Baby’s length: 12 inches. Weight: 1 1/4 pounds
Week 25
Baby weighs 1 1/2 pounds and grows to 13 inches.
Week 26
The fetus begins to sleep longer. But the major milestone is the baby’s finely developed hearing and sight. Baby’s length: 14 inches. Weight: Almost 2 pounds.
Week 27
The baby still weighs 2 pounds but grows to a length of 14-15 inches. If your baby is born now, it has a greater chance of survival but will require a stint in the incubator.
Week 28
The fetus develops taste and smell, and the eyes can now produce tears. Weight gain is rapid with the baby weighing 2-1/2 pounds and growing up to 15 inches.
Week 29
The baby still weighs 2-1/2 pounds but continues to grow up to approximately 17 inches.
Week 30
The baby may grow only a few more inches now until birth but will continue to gain weight. The brain shows rapid development and the eyes begin tracking light.
Week 31
The rapid weight-gain leaves lesser room for the baby in the womb. This is when you start feeling more ‘kicks’ in your belly.
Week 32
All five senses- hearing, smelling, tasting, breathing, and sensation- are fully developed. The rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage is also developed now.
Week 33
The fetus now descends into head-first position towards your cervix. The increased blood flow to the brain enhances brain development. The more the head presses towards the cervix, higher the chances of you going into labor.
Week 34
The fetus can now breath. It has enhanced eye movements like blinking, opening, closing, and dilated pupils.
Week 35
With a fully developed body system, a weight of almost 5 pounds, and a height of 18-20 inches, the fetus is gradually getting ready for birth.
Week 36
With just one month to go for the due date, your baby’s movements may slow down slightly. Worry not! It is simply because of less space to move about.
Week 37
With rapidly decreasing space, the baby now finds difficulty in moving. But the intestines start building up meconium, marking the baby’s first bowel movement.
Week 38
The baby is fully developed, though the neurons in the brain are still building connections (which continues after birth too).
Week 39
The fully-developed baby weighs nearly 6-10 pounds with a height of 17-23 inches. It is now ready to be born, thus, begins the waiting game.
Week 40
Your bundle of joy has now arrived, and how! Congratulations!
Here’s the video link:
We are sure these visual snippets of the pregnancy journey has welled you up and probably made you nostalgic if you are already a mother. Nevertheless, we can unanimously agree on one thing – childbirth is definitely a miracle!