Because the baby has all of the major organ systems and is a distinctly recognizable human being, he or she is no longer called an embryo but is now known as a fetus, a Latin word for “young one.” The baby is about 2 inches long and can yawn and suck. The eyelids are fully formed and closed to protect the developing eyes. The kidneys begin to produce urine. During the next several weeks, his or her body will grow rapidly, increasing in weight 30 times and tripling in length!
What to expect. Your pregnancy week by week.
Week 11 – Lime
A pregnancy test taken at this point can measure hCG, the pregnancy hormone in the mother’s urine, and tell her if she is pregnant. By now, the embryo is completely...
The heart begins to beat just 21 days after fertilization or 5 weeks after the mother’s last menstrual period began. The heart, the size of a poppy seed, is the first...
Just 4 weeks after fertilization, the baby is growing rapidly and measures 1/8 of an inch long. The basic structure of the entire central nervous system (brain and...
The baby is now 1/3 of an inch long, and his or her beating heart can be seen on a Doppler ultrasound. The embryo makes its own blood. Depending on the baby’s gender,...
At 8 weeks, the embryo can respond to touch by reflex. The baby is now about ½ of an inch long. The elbows and fingers can be seen. Some reports show that the embryo...
The baby measures ¾ of an inch long and weighs almost 1/8 of an ounce. The developing ears and nose are visible, and there is pigment in the retina. Nipples can now be...
The baby’s brain is growing rapidly. Each minute, it produces almost 250,000 new neurons! The upper and lower portions of the arms and legs and fingers and toes are...
Because the baby has all of the major organ systems and is a distinctly recognizable human being, he or she is no longer called an embryo but is now known as a fetus, a...
Now 3½ inches long, the “young one” is coordinated enough to find his or her thumb and suck it. Fingernails and toenails are beginning to grow. The baby is also able to...