My Baby’s Development

Week 4 of pregnancy, you may not know you are pregnant yet! Most early pregnancy symptoms don’t start until around 6 weeks. The embryo is the size of a poppy seed

By week 5/6 you’ve probably now confirmed your pregnancy with a test and made contact with your healthcare provider to arrange your first pre-natal appointment. At this stage your baby’s looks a bit like a tadpole and their ears, eyes, and nose are starting to form. Your baby’s tiny heart is starting to pump. Morning sickness for mum may be kicking in.

Week 8, baby’s bones are developing, eyelids are appearing, and webbed fingers and toes are sprouting! Tubes from the throat to the lungs have begun to form. Baby is the size of a kidney bean and has started to move but is too small for you to feel it yet.

By weeks 9/10, baby’s four chambers in their heart are formed and you may be able to hear it now at an ultrasound scan. Tiny teeth buds have formed and all his or her muscles in place, and baby is using them! Baby is the size of a prune.

All baby’s vital organs are in place by Week 12. Baby can open and close their hands. Baby’s genitals have only just started to form. So, if you are keen to know gender you need to wait a few more weeks to week 16 at the earliest. Baby is now the size of a plum

By week 14, baby is swallowing amniotic fluid and is passing that fluid through working kidneys. Mum will likely have more of a baby bump visible now. Baby is the size of a lemon now.

By week 18, baby has a full set of baby teeth beneath the gums and taste buds, hair follicles are all formed, and baby’s skin is thin and translucent. Baby is the size of a pepper and you may start to feel flutters of your baby’s movement, Baby’s gender can be discovered at your ultrasound scans by now. Have you started a baby name list yet?

By weeks 20-23, babies can hear their mother’s beating heart, pumping blood, voices, and the music she’s listening to. Baby is the size of a Banana at week 20 and has started to stretch out now as legs uncurl from their torso.

By week 26, Mums nesting instinct may have kicked in! Baby has growing hair, fingernails and is able to open their eyelids. They may also have started inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid to help develop lungs. Baby is starting to plump up a bit now and is less wrinkly! Good time to book your 3D/4D scans. Baby is the length of a spring onion.

By week 28, babies begin to dream. Mum will feel “kicks” now as baby is very active. Baby is the size of an aubergine.

About a pint and half of amniotic fluid now surround your baby at week 30! This will peak at about week 34 then start to reduce as the birth approaches.

Between week 32-39 baby will put on a third to half of their birth weight!

Week 33 and it’s getting very snug in there as baby is the size of a pineapple, but you should still feel kicking …although probably less gymnastics!

By week 35, baby’s physical development is done and the next few weeks will be about putting on weight. Baby can see their first colour, red! In the next week baby will descend further into the pelvis

Between weeks 36-39 your baby is getting ready to meet you, time to check you are all ready to meet them! Hospital bag packed, baby gear ready at home, car seat sussed out, stock up the freezer for “too tired to make anything” days!