This amazing YouTube video provides a full set of weekly pregnancy views as baby develops for the full nine months of pregnancy. It’s a MUST to view this! See how the tiny little bundle of love (baby) grows and moves through each weekly scene.
What Happens to Your Baby – Pregnancy Week By Week: Week Numbers 1 to 4
Week Number 1
The most wonderful experience that can happen to a woman is to be pregnant. It is a truly amazing process of life and being able to go through 9 months of carrying another living, breathing person inside of you will change you forever.
When you think about pregnancy, you think about 9 months. But you actually have to start from the first day of your last menstrual cycle. Women have no idea when they ovulate or conceive, but they do know when the first day of their last menstrual cycle occurred. Ovulation won’t take place for another 2 weeks, so you may actually conceive during week 3.
If you are planning on becoming pregnant, now is the time to start getting your body ready. You need to start taking prenatal vitamins, which contain folic acid and iron (two very important nutrients for fetus development early in pregnancy).
Also, start tracking ovulation by taking your basal body temperature and watch for the signs..
Week Number 2
This is around the week of ovulation. You are now at the midpoint of your menstrual cycle (if you have a regular 28-day cycle), about to ovulate and are most likely to get pregnant. Your uterus has shed its lining and is preparing itself to house your fertilized egg. Your egg is ripening in one of your ovaries and is getting ready to be released.
A woman is truly fertile for about 4 days a month and this is determined by when she is ovulating. You need to keep track of your menstrual cycle, your basal temperature and the consistency of your cervical mucus. These will give you the best signs of when you are about to ovulate.
Prepare to have fun trying to make your baby.
Week Number 3
Well, it’s finally happened: conception! This is the week that your egg will be fertilized and start its amazing process of becoming your baby.
After the sperm meets the egg, they become a blastocyst of rapidly dividing cells. It moves down the fallopian tube, and in about 5 days it implants itself into the uterus.
You probably don’t even know you are pregnant, unless you have been tracking your cycles and know when you ovulated. Your baby is now a zygote and in two weeks it will an embryo.
And so begins your and your baby’s journey towards birth. And what an exciting journey it will be!
Week Number 4
Okay, this is the week of implantation. This happens about 5 days after conception. The embryo, called a blastocyst right now, has reached the uterus and searches for a place to burrow itself beneath surface. After finding that perfect spot, the cells then split into two groups: the placenta group and the baby group.
You probably don’t realise your pregnant just yet. You might be a little queasy, tired or maybe not. Many women feel they have PMS because this is about the time she is supposed to start her period. Your breasts will be tender and you may have pain in your pelvic area. There is a list of early symptoms that can be found here.
Your baby’s backbone, spinal column and nervous system are forming. Kidneys, liver and intestines are starting to take shape, and facial features are emerging. Very soon that magical heartbeat will begin!
Wow, this miracle of life is really beginning. Take care of yourself; you have a long way to go!
The Final Weeks of Development
By your 32nd week, you will probably have prenatal appointments every two weeks. Look into making a decision on whether or not to keep your baby’s cord blood.
Starting in the 33rd week, you may notice leaking amniotic fluid. You will also want to take preventative measures to reduce your chances of needing an episiotomy.
By the 34th week, your baby’s lungs are well-developed. At this point, your doctor may recommend that you begin massaging your perineum to prevent an episiotomy.
At 35 weeks, you may feel short of breath. You may also notice a change in your baby’s movements. Around this week, it is important to start tracking your baby’s kick counts.
At 36 weeks, you only have a month to go. You may experience an increase in Braxton Hicks contractions. This is a good time to go ahead and pack your bag for the hospital.
During your 37th week, your cervix will begin to dilate and efface. You may also pass your mucus plug. Take time to finish any preparations before your baby arrives.
At 38 weeks, most of your baby’s organs are fully functional, and you could go into labor at any time. Try to rest, and enjoy these last few days before you meet your baby.
At 39 weeks, you may not have noticed many changes over the past couple weeks. Your baby could arrive at any point, so make sure to rest and enjoy this time.
Congratulations on reaching the end of your pregnancy! You will probably meet your baby this week. via americanpregnancy.org
Weeks 1 and 2 – Not Really Pregnant Yet!
There’s no ultrasound image of your baby-to-be for weeks 1 and 2. While your health care provider counts these two weeks toward your due date, you aren’t really pregnant. Your pregnancy due date is calculated using the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). Obviously you weren’t pregnant at that time, but it’s the best reference your health care provider has for estimating baby’s arrival day (until you get an ultrasound, which may provide a more accurate due date).
If you’re trying to conceive (or think you might already be pregnant), start making health changes to ensure that your body is in the best shape for carrying and nurturing your baby.
The biggies: cut out alcohol, cigarettes, and any illegal or recreational drugs.
You may also need to switch or stop taking some prescription and over-the-counter medications. So tell your doctor that you’re trying to conceive and make sure any medications you’re using are safe. via parents.com
The Second Trimester
At the beginning of the second trimester, babies are about 3 1/2 inches long and weigh about 1 1/2 ounces. Tiny, unique fingerprints are now in place, and the heart pumps 25 quarts of blood a day. As the weeks go by, your baby’s skeleton starts to harden from rubbery cartilage to bone, and he or she develops the ability to hear. You’re likely to feel kicks and flutters soon if you haven’t already.
14 Weeks Pregnant
Your baby’s tiny features are making different expressions. And you may be feeling more energetic and less nauseated.
15 Weeks Pregnant
Your baby can sense light and is forming taste buds. Have a stuffy nose? It’s a surprising pregnancy side effect.
16 weeks pregnant
Get ready for a growth spurt! via babycenter.com
Notable Pregnancy Weeks!
Week 6
Baby: Your baby is shaped like a tadpole, and it’s about the size of a BB pellet. The eyes and limb buds are forming. During an ultrasound, your doctor may be able to hear a heartbeat. Between days 17 and 56 is a vulnerable time, because that’s when the baby is most susceptible to anything that can affect normal growth. via webmd.com
