The typical pregnancy is said to
last 40 weeks. Yet, for the first two of these weeks, you’re not
actually pregnant. Not surprisingly, this method of counting confuses
many women. The reason for the addition of two extra, "non-pregnant"
weeks is because there is often no sure way to know exactly when
conception took place. Therefore, your pregnancy starts on the first
day of your last menstrual period.
Not everyone determines a
developing embryo or fetus’ age in this way, though. Embryologists
often age the child according to when conception is thought to have
taken place. To figure out the age of your unborn baby, simply subtract
two weeks from your current week of pregnancy.
Your
baby goes through a lot of changes over the course of her nine months
inside your uterus. Here is a brief look at just some of the fetal
development changes that occur over those many months. Click on the
links in each headng to see color photos of how the baby grows and
develops.
Although this is considered to be the second week
of your pregnancy, you are not actually 2 weeks pregnant yet. During
this week, your body will release an egg. As it travels down the
fallopian tube, it will be met by your partner's sperm and
fertilization will take place. The fertilized egg, now known as a
zygote, will then continue traveling down the fallopian tubes finally
reaching the uterus three to four days after fertilization.
Week 4
By the time you are four weeks pregnant, the
fertilized egg will have implanted itself into your uterine lining. At
this point, the zygote is now known as an embryo. After implantation,
the embryo begins to divide itself into two: one part of it will
develop into the placenta while the other will go on to become your
baby.
Week 6
During the sixth week of your
pregnancy, your baby's heart will begin to beat and blood will start to
circulate throughout his body. His umbilical cord will also start to
form, as will his head, eyes, intestines and liver.
Week 10
This week marks the end of the embryonic stage of
development. For the rest of your pregnancy, your baby will be known as
a fetus. Your baby's external genitalia begin to form this week while
her facial features as well as limbs become more apparent. By the end
of the week, your baby's vital organs will not only be formed but will
also have begun to work.
Now that you are 14 weeks pregnant, you have
officially started your second trimester. The risk of miscarriage is
significantly decreased at this point. In addition to your baby's
reproductive organs developing, your baby will also begin to grow some
hair as well as form eyelids, fingernails and toenails. You may even be
able to feel your baby moving inside of you this week.
Week 18
By the time your are 18 weeks pregnant, your baby's
finger and toe pads will have formed, which means the fingerprints
won't be far behind. The bones in your baby's inner ear will have
developed enough by this point that he may start responding to loud
outside sounds. Additionally, your baby could weigh as much as 7 ounces
now and measure about five inches long.
Week 22
Your baby’s sense are so developed by the time you are 22 weeks
pregnant that she is likely to starting experimenting. Don’t be
surprised to if you see her sucking her thumb on an ultrasound. Your
baby’s sweat glands also begin to develop this week while her brain
begins to quicken its development.
During this week, development of the retinas will
finish and your baby’s eyes will begin to open and even blink. If your
baby were born now, he would have a 50% chance of survival with proper
medical care. This week also marks the end of your second trimester.
Next week, when you are 27 weeks pregnant, you will officially be in
your third (and final) trimester.
Week 30
As your
baby begins practicing how to breathe this week, she may end up with a
case of the hiccups if she swallows too much amniotic fluid. Your baby
is also putting on more body fat, which will help keep her warm when
she is born. Although your baby would be premature if she was born now,
she would have a good chance of surviving.
Week 40
This is the official end of the gestational period.
Even though your baby is ready and able to live outside of you, it is
perfectly normal for your baby to arrive as much as two weeks after his
due date.
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