MamaMagic Milestones Winter 2014 | Page 14

PREGNANCY Track your baby’s growth & development in utero, with our Pregnancy Milestone Chart While the size and speed that your baby grows can vary greatly, this chart gives an idea of how big he is from week to week as well as what exciting developments are unfolding. First Trimester Week 4 Second Trimester Week 8 Your baby is called an embryo at this stage, and is the same size as a poppy seed. Length: 1 mm Weight: Too small to weigh! Until the placenta and umbilical cord form, your baby will have an egg-like sac called a gestational sac for the delivery of nutrients and blood. Baby is now a fetus, and he is the size of a kidney bean. Length: 2 cm Weight: less than 1 g Your baby has webbed fingers and toes. Soon this extra tissue between his digits will be reabsorbed to reveal individual fingers and toes. Week 5 At week 9, your baby is the same size as a grape. Length: about 2.5 cm Weight: 2 g His eyelids are beginning to form now, and, once grown, will stay fused shut until 26 weeks. Little teeth buds are forming in his gums. Your baby is the size of a sesame seed. Length: 2 mm Weight: less than 1 g Your baby will start to grow a neural tube, which will later become his brain and spinal cord. His tiny heart has also begun to beat, at about twice the speed of mom’s heart. An ultrasound may be able to detect this, but often the heartbeat is only heard at around 12 weeks. Week 6 Your baby is the size of a lentil. Length: 4 - 6 mm from Crown to Rump (CR)* Weight: less than 1 g Despite being so tiny, your baby is now starting to form facial features like nostrils and eyes. Buds that will become his arm and leg are sprouting. Week 7 Your baby is as big as a blueberry. Length: about 9 mm to 1.3 cm Weight: less than 1 g Although your baby’s genitals start to develop now, you will not be able to tell the gender until he or she has grown a lot more. By week 7, your baby has the features and all the internal organs of the future adult. * All length measurements from now till week 20 are Crown to Rump (CR) Week 9 Week 10 Your baby is the size of an olive. Length: 3.5 cm Weight: 4 g Your baby’s eyebrows are beginning to grow, and he has now completely lost his tail. Week 11 Your baby is the size of a brussel sprout. Length: 5 cm Weight: 7 g From now until week 20 of your pregnancy, your baby will increase 30 - fold in weight and triple in length. Week 12 Baby has a growth spurt and is the size of a granadilla. Length: 6.5 cm Weight: 14 - 18 g Your baby starts developing vocal chords and taste buds at week 12. The taste buds will only start working around 27 weeks, picking up the flavours of mom’s last meal. Baby will often remember flavours tasted in the womb and show a preference for these foods in later life – even more reason to eat healthily while pregnant, moms! Week 13 Your baby is now as long as a pea pod. Length: 7 cm Weight: 23 g Mom: The pregnancy fog starts to lift after the first trimester, with many of the symptoms – nausea, tiredness and needing the loo frequently – disappearing. In fact, you might even feel like you did before you were pregnant! Week 14 By week 14, your baby is about the size of a lime. Length: 9 cm Weight: 40 g This week sees your baby’s practicing his breathing capabilities by “breathing” the amniotic fluid in and out of his lungs. His bladder will also b egin to function, and he will urinate into the amniotic fluid. Don’t be perturbed though, as amniotic fluid regenerates itself every three to four hours. He will also be pulling funny faces in the womb at week 14, like squinting or grimacing, as he tests out his facial muscles. Week 15 Your baby is the size of an apple. Length: over 10 cm Weight: 70 g Your baby will be moving around a lot now, but you are unlikely to feel this so early on if it is your first pregnancy. He could also get the hiccups, but they are silent due to the fluid in his trachea. Your baby’s heart is growing steadily and he is already pumping between 18 and 23 litres of blood per day. He may even develop his hairline his week!