The information on this page is a general information and speaks of the average woman's pregnancy. Not everyone will feel the same, have the same symptoms or gain the same amount of weight.
Be sure to consult your physician or health care provider if you have any questions about your baby or your body's changing form. |
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Double click on the tab labeled "Pregnancy" at this site
to get your personalized pregnancy calendar. |
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The First Month (4-5 weeks):
Your pregnancy can be detected on a pregnancy test 10 days after conception. In the first month your placenta will already be forming and producing hormones which may cause you to be unusually emotional. In the first month you may feel nausea and fatigue, and your breasts may begin to feel tender. |
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Your child's hereditary characteristics are set. The brain and nervous system are forming. The heart and lungs are forming also. Spots for the eyes, ears, and nose are showing. Your baby will be about 1 inch long by the end of the month.
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The Second Month (8-9 weeks): By this time you have probably gained a few pounds in your waist. You may be feeling more tired and have less energy. You may also still be experiencing morning sickness. Your breasts grow in size and the area around your nipples begins to darken. Your vaginal discharge becomes thicker, whiter, and stickier. As your uterus grows, it pushes on your bladder causing you to urinate more often.
This is a key month in your baby's growth. Facial features are
forming. The head is large since the brain grows faster
than the other organs. |
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Your baby’s arms and legs have begun to form. Fingers, toes, and fingernails are forming. Every organ is present. Your baby may be sucking his/her thumb already. Your baby responds to touch and can feel pain. Your baby is about two inches long.
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The Third Month (12-13 weeks):
Your morning sickness will begin to get better by the end of this month. You will also have more energy. You have gained more weight, and you may begin to feel more hungry. You may be happy or sad for no reason. You may sweat more easily than usual.
Your baby is still too tiny for you to feel movement, but it is already swimming around in your uterus. |
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The ears, arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet and toes form this month. Your babies vocal cords are formed. The reflex movements allow your baby's elbows to bend, legs to kick, and fingers to form fists. Your baby's heart beats 120-160 beats per minute.
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The Fourth Month (16-18 weeks):
Your joints and muscles will soften to make labor and delivery easier. You will be less tired and may begin to enjoy being pregnant. Your nipples and the area around them become much darker in color. You may be hungry more often. Cravings for certain foods may start and continue throughout your pregnancy. |
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Your baby's hair has begun to grow, and eyebrows and eyelashes are starting to grow. The baby may get big enough that you can feel it move. Your baby can also hear external noises like your voice. Your baby will now be able to grasp with its hands. All of baby’s organs are completely developed and blood vessels, bones, nerves and muscles are growing. The baby is becoming more active and the heartbeat can be heard. By the end of this month he or she may weigh ¼ pound or more and be six to eight inches long.
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The Fifth Month (21-22 weeks):
Your breasts continue to grow larger; they may get softer and the veins will start to show. Constipation may become a problem now and may continue through the end of pregnancy. You have crossed the halfway mark to your baby’s birth. Your are getting bigger as the baby grows. You may have some feelings from time to time of not being able to cope; this can happen almost anytime during pregnancy. Go to the library and find books on parenting. If you have other children, talk to them about the new baby. |
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By the end of the fifth month, you should begin to feel your baby move. The baby now weighs about one pound and is about 12 inches long. Your baby has developed a regular pattern of sleeping, kicking, turning and sucking. If you want to know, at this stage, your doctor may be able to determine whether or not your baby is a girl or a boy. Start thinking about a name for your baby.
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The Sixth Month (25-26 weeks):
You may have some heartburn, especially if you eat heavy, greasy or spicy foods. Your sex drive may increase or decrease; it may change from week to week. You look healthy----there is a special glow to your skin and a sparkle in your eyes. To avoid swelling, be careful about being on your feet too much. Your belly button may poke out, but it will go back in after your baby is born. |
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By the sixth month, your baby is 12 to 14 inches long and weighs one and one-half to two pounds. Your baby now moves around a lot, can open and close his eyes, and responds to noise.
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The Seventh Month (29-30 weeks):
Your weight may increase faster than you expect; this month begins the period of greatest growth for your baby. You may begin to be aware of a loosening in the pelvic bones when you walk.
By the end of the seventh month, your baby is 16 inches long and weighs about two and one-half pounds to three pounds.
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The Eighth Month (32-33 weeks):
You may have trouble sitting or lying comfortably for long periods of time.
By the end of the month, your baby will be about 18 inches long and weigh between four and six pounds. Your baby has regular patterns of sleep and quiet time.
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The Ninth Month (36-40 weeks):
Your abdomen may look lopsided as your baby moves arms and legs or shifts position. You tire easily and often feel drowsy. As your due date gets closer, you may have headaches as well as constipation. Signs to alert you to the beginning of labor include regular, harder pressure on your stomach, a blood-streaked discharge, and/or a flow or trickle of fluid (your "water"). |
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Your baby should be head down into the birthing position, ready to be born. His or her movements may seem different now because there is less space for him/her to move around. Your baby now is about 19 inches long and weighs six and one-half to seven and one-half pounds.
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