The baby is now around 20 inches long and may weigh 7 to 8 pounds. He or she has a plump body and a firm grasp. Typically, the baby is head-down in the mother’s pelvis and awaiting birth. Be patient— only 4% of babies are born on their due date!
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Your Pregnancy Week by Week
Browse each week of pregnancy to discover your baby’s growth, physical development, and important milestones, along with information about the changes happening in your body.
Week 40 – Watermelon
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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...
The heart beats between 110 and 180 times per minute and pumps about 26 gallons of blood daily. The gender of the baby might be seen on ultrasound. If she is a girl,...
In just 2 weeks, the fetus has almost doubled its weight to 7 ounces. The skeleton is hardening and calcifying and is visible on ultrasound. Reflexes such as blinking...
The fetus is now about 10 inches long from head to heel and weighs 11 ounces. The baby has unique waking and sleeping patterns and even has a favorite sleeping...
The baby is about 11 inches long and weighs about 1 pound. If the baby is male, his testicles begin to descend from the abdomen to the scrotum. Hair is visible on his...
The baby now weighs approximately 1½ pounds and inhales amniotic fluid in preparation for breathing. The ear has developed to the point where the baby recognizes his or...
Now, the baby weighs almost 2 pounds, and he or she can react to sounds outside the mother’s body. Eyes can now respond to light, and the permanent teeth buds are...
The baby is now approximately 15 inches long and weighs about 2½ pounds. With the support of intensive care, a baby born at this stage can breathe air. The brain is...
The baby is now about 17 inches long, weighs 4½ pounds and continues to grow and mature. By this stage of development, the eyes are wide open, and if a light were shone...
The baby is now around 20 inches long and may weigh 7 to 8 pounds. He or she has a plump body and a firm grasp. Typically, the baby is head-down in the mother’s pelvis...