The news confirming a pregnancy always gives us butterflies in the stomach (and much more than that)! From the first baby steps (pun intended) until the arrival of the D-Day, the journey of pregnancy keeps springing up one surprise after another. And an expectant mother keeps counting months, weeks, and days until the grand finale. So, quite understandably a 9-month wait is pretty long and restless. A mommy would definitely want to know how her baby is doing, his/her development milestones inside the tummy, and if everything is going fine just like it has to. So, in order to help your restless souls, here is a month-by-month sneak peek of what’s probably happening in your pregnant belly now:
Fertilization
You’ve made it! Rather, the sperm has made it to the ovary – also the reason why you’ve probably missed your current month’s period.
Month 1 Development (At 4 Weeks)
This is when your home pregnancy test shows positive. Your baby is now an embryo. As the embryo attaches itself to the uterus, sometimes it results in slight bleeding called implantation bleeding (1). From here on, the baby’s face and neck structures start forming. Vital organs such as the heart, liver, lungs, stomach, and blood vessels start developing.
Month 2 Development (At 8 Weeks)
The embryo is now a half-inch long fetus. Eyelids, ears, and nose start forming. The arms and legs are formed with distinctly longer fingers and toes.
Month 3 Development (At 12 Weeks)
Your baby is now 2 inches long and slowly starts moving. The doctor may be able to detect the baby’s heartbeat through special instruments. The baby also starts developing sex organs.
Month 4 Development (At 16 Weeks)
Your baby now measures around 4.3 inches approximately. The heart and blood vessels are fully developed. The fingers and toes have fingerprints. The baby’s eyes also start to blink.
Month 5 Development (At 20 Weeks)
Your baby is now around 6 inches long and can weigh up to 10 ounces. The baby can now yawn and stretch, make faces, and also does some thumbsucking. You will now start feeling slight fluttery movements called quickening (12). This is the time an ultrasound is done where you can see the beating heart and the baby’s movements. The gender is also evident now.
Month 6 Development (At 24 Weeks)
The inner ear of the baby is fully developed and he/she now starts responding to sounds. The baby also experiences hiccups, which the mother can also feel. This is due to developing lungs. Your baby should now weigh somewhere close to 1.4 pounds.
Month 7 Development (At 28 Weeks)
Your baby is now around 2.6 pounds and keeps changing his/her position frequently. If a baby was to deliver prematurely now, there are high chances of survival. So, do speak to your doctor in this regard.
Month 8 Development (At 34 Weeks)
The baby’s movements continue to increase from here on. This may be the time your doctor might ask you to keep a check on fetal movements. The baby weighs approximately 4 pounds and will start gaining weight rapidly until the time of birth. The baby’s skin clears out any remaining wrinkles and a fat layer forms on it.
Month 9 Development (At 36 Weeks)
Now your baby’s brain starts developing rapidly. The lungs would have fully developed and the baby starts positioning itself head-first (in most cases) towards the pelvis. A week from now, your baby will be at an early term (at 37 weeks precisely) (3). At your prenatal visit during week 37, the doctor will now check if you are birth-ready. The wait-and-watch game starts now.
The Countdown To Birth
In all probability, considering everything goes normal, you should start experiencing your labor pains if you are close to your due date. Even if you don’t, do not worry because due dates are “estimated”, which means they need not be accurate (4). However, if you do cross over 2 weeks past your due date, check with your doctor. Most likely, your doctor may try and induce labor.
Now that you have an idea of how your little angel is ‘shaping up’ inside you, we wish you all the luck in your journey towards motherhood!