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Pregnancy Week by Week
Pregnancy is a miraculous, but often scary, part
of life. Part of the trepidation of pregnancy is not knowing what
happens to your body during your nine months of life creation. Below
is your pregnancy, week by week. Keep in mind that everyone is
different, and fetal development varies.
Pregnancy Week By Week 1-4: Conception occurs. Week 1 starts at your
last menstrual period, and week 4 marks the fertilization of the
egg.
Pregnancy Week By Week 5-8: Your period is late, and you might
suspect that you're pregnant. Now would be the time to take a
pregnancy test, which would be fairly accurate by this stage. By
week 6, your baby's heartbeat has begun. By week 7, morning sickness
might have set in. By week 8, arms and legs will start to develop.
Pregnancy Week By Week 9-12: At this stage, your body continues to
adjust to changes. In week 10, the baby begins to move inside the
womb, although it's not yet noticeable. By the following week, it's
officially called a fetus. Week 12, morning sickness begins to
subside.
Pregnancy Week By Week 13-16: In week 13, it's possible to determine
the baby's gender, although with a moderate degree of accuracy. In
week 14, you should be able to hear baby's heartbeat via Doppler.
You might notice that the baby is sucking his or her thumb on an
ultrasound in week 15. At the end of this period, you might feel the
baby moving as his bones begin to harden.
Pregnancy Week By Week 17-20: By now, the organs are really
beginning to develop. Ultrasound becomes more accurate in
determining gender. The baby is covered with fine hair called lanugo.
Pregnancy Week By Week 21-24: By week 21, your baby practices its
breathing for when he or she is born. You might start feeling minor
contractions. By week 24, your baby begins to deposit brown fat in
order to regulate its temperature in preparation for birth.
Pregnancy Week By Week 24-28: The uterus is beginning to get
crowded, and baby's movements aren't as wild as before. The baby can
sense lightness and darkness in the uterus, and can also hear sounds
from the outside world. It's akin to hearing sounds while submerged
in a swimming pool.
Pregnancy Week By Week 29-32: Baby's head is growing in proportion
to its body. The eyes begin to move in its socket. The brain is
growing rapidly. By week 32, the only major organ not fully
developing is the lungs.
Pregnancy Week By Week 33-36: By week 33, the baby can close and
open its eyes. Its fingernails grow to the tips, and might even need
a cutting by birth! By week 36, the baby can weigh up to 4 pounds
and be as long as 16 inches.
Pregnancy Week By Week 37-40: The major organs have been fully
developed for a little while now, and the lungs prepare for birth by
secreting surfactant to help its expansion at birth. The baby can
come at any point in this stage. Actual deliver can vary as many as
2 weeks before or after your expected due date. The time has come to
deliver...good luck!
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