Pregnancy Trimester by Trimester

• Pregnancy officially starts from the first day of a woman's last menstrual period (LMP). The inner lining of the womb prepares to receive a fertilised egg between ovulation and menstruation.
• All the genetic material that will be baby's blueprint for life is contained in the rapidly dividing ball of cells.
• An ultrasound scan shows rudimentary signs of pregnancy from about 3 weeks after conception
• Cell division is an on-going process and soon a mulberry like cluster of almost-transparent cells, called a ‘morula' forms.

A quantitative blood test shows the pregnancy hormone HCG* within 24 hours, although at this stage there is still significant room for error.

A quantitative blood test shows the pregnancy hormone HCG* within 24 hours, although at this stage there is still significant room for error.

*Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) is a pregnancy hormone produced by the immature developing placenta as soon as the fertilised egg cell implants in the endometrium. HCG levels in mother's urine and blood can confirm pregnancy with great accuracy if done at the correct time.

The cell cluster doubles in size every day at this stage with about 1,000 cells in the cluster by the end of this week.

A fairly accurate positive pregnancy can be determined 10-14 days after last menstrual period with a home urine pregnancy test.

• The cell cluster starts to form an inner and outer group.
  - The inner cluster will become the budding embryo, your baby-to-be.
  - The outer group of cells become the placenta and other pregnancy support structures.
• The sense of touch develops one month after conception and is crucial for brain development and emotional well-being of the unborn baby.
• The placenta develops by growing protrusions that imbed in the blood rich inner wall of the womb and will soon take over the vital functions to keep baby alive and thriving.

Your baby is starting to form. The cell structure forms a third layer and different cells start developing differently to fulfil various, specific roles.

• The top layer of cells is called the neural tube and becomes the brain, the spinal cord, the nerves, and the skin.
• The digestive system forms from the central layer of cells.
• The bottom layer of cells gives rise to vital organs like the heart, to the muscles and the skeleton.
• The part of the embryo called the yolk sac produces blood cells but it isn't a yolk at all.

Pickle your fancy?

Pregnancy cravings are not uncommon at this stage with expecting moms craving the weird and wonderful.

Baby can easily be seen with the naked eye at this stage and is slightly starting to wiggle.

I'm going through changes…tiny changes

• The breathing and digestive systems are still not differentiated and exist as a single tube.
• The inner structure of the lungs starts developing this week.
• Baby's heart is about 2 millimeters from top to bottom and can be seen beating on ultrasound between six and eight weeks.
• By the end of Week 6, the embryo is 4 millimeters long.

The embryo lies curved, already hinting at the well-known foetal position, just like a small apostrophe.

My changes are getting bigger!

• While baby's arms continue to develop during this week, leg buds also emerge along with rudimentary hands that look like paddles.
• Folds of tissue can be noticed on the head will become chin, cheeks and ears. At this stage the mouth is just a hollow in the head.
• The main air pipe called the trachea and the gullet or oesophagus now begin to separate into two distinct tubes.
• The brain was the first organ to develop and in this week alone has increased in size by 25 percent being the most developed organ.
• Baby appears to have a tail but this is an extension of the spine that will disappear.

Can you hear my heart beat!

The heart too has significantly developed and, although it does not have heart chambers yet, it begins to beat.

I'm officially a fetus and a complete little human being!
Fetus means “offspring” or “young one”.

• The head is now about half the length of baby's body and baby's forehead bulges prominently. At birth the head will be one quarter of baby's total body length.
• The babies face starts to take form. The upper and lower jaws form this week with the first hint of eyes that can be seen at the sides of the head. By the end of this week, baby sprouts a slight bulge on the face that will become the nose and small shell-like outer ears now develop, emerging from low on the head.
• Milk teeth start forming in the sockets in the jaw.
• The babies most vital part of its immune system starts forming in the form of bone marrow that will manufacture blood cells.
• Arms and legs now grow rapidly with little fingers and toes forming from the babies paddle like hands and feet.
• To add to the rapid growth spur, the intestines and kidneys develop, muscles form around the soft cartilage that will soon harden into bones.

The heart has developed two chambers from the single tube and will eventually have four.

• The legs are bent at an angle so that the soles of the feet face each other.
• Cartilage skeleton is now being systematically replaced by bone cells, but will only harden shortly before birth.
• The babies tiny arms now start bending by the elbow.
• On the inside of the babies developing mouth, the tongue is now starting to form.
• The babies head is now beginning to appear rounder with the eyes that are slowly making their way to the front of the face.

• The babies heart has now fully developed with four heart chambers and is beating between 120 - 140 beats per minute. On an ultrasound it looks like a flashing asterisk.
• Eyes are not fully developed with tiny details like the eye pigmentation and eyelids forming.

What's that taste and smell?

At 2 months the average baby has by now formed taste buds and has developed olfactory glands that are responsible for smell.

• The liver starts to produce red blood cells that now flow through major blood vessels, an important part of the circulatory system.
• Although still not in the final position, the full ear is now developed, all the way down to the small inner, middle and outer ear.
• Brain waves can now be measured on an electro-encephalogram (EEG).
• Muscles in the trunk, head and limbs rapidly develop and larger muscles are now able to contract.

• The babies liver is now large, making up 10% of the babies weight and blood circulation removes waste products from the ever growing baby.
• Major development in the babies head starts to take form, the baby's head is now rounder and slowly stops getting bigger. In the mouth, the palate forms as well as rudimentary sockets for adult teeth are already taking shape below the milk teeth.
• Within the abdomen, the intestines rotates and sets in place with the now developed diaphragm dividing the chest from the abdomen.
• The baby's body begins to grow and quickly becomes double the size of the head.

The babies fingers can still not move individually at this stage, but tiny fingernails begin to grow on the babies fingers and toes.

I look like a little human!

The baby's face is now distinctly formed and the baby can even scrunch their face. Even fingers and toes are complete!

• Although structure and function of organs still need to grow and mature, most of them now begin primitive functioning.
  - the pancreas manufactures digestive enzymes and insulin. - the thyroid is also functioning on its own.
  - lungs are slowly developing with early chest movements beginning, preparing the baby for breathing.
• By week 12, the perfect but skinny baby is surrounded by 50 cubic cm of amniotic fluid that it now begins to swallow to nourish its growing body and assist in its growth.
• The baby's iris is also now fully developed.

Welcome to the honeymoon phase!

• The second trimester of pregnancy stretches from week 13 to week 28 and is often called the honeymoon phase because many of the early niggles and discomforts have passed.
• One notices posture changes in baby as more muscles develop and the skeleton becomes stronger.
• Independent hormone production is now possible while until now baby's endocrine requirements have been produced by the mother.
• Baby now stretches and exercise its arm and leg muscles.

Tiny bones are beginning to form in baby's arms and legs. Because he can move them in a jerky fashion, he may be able to get his thumb into his mouth soon — a habit that may come in handy for self-soothing when he's a newborn.

Spending the night on your side—specifically the left side is the best sleep position during 14 week pregnancy.

With their rapidly developing brain baby now begins to respond to bright light that penetrates the mother's abdominal wall.

• Your baby's pigments for hair colour now starts to be produced, with their unique fingerprints and wrinkly loose skin.
• Baby's eyes have moved closer together, their ears have reached their final position and urine starts to pass.
• By this week baby's kidneys have the typical kidney shape, and their sweat glands begin developing.

• Your baby's current home is the amniotic sac in your uterus. The uterus begins about four or five inches below your navel.
• Baby's heartbeat may be able to be heard through a specialized hand-held stethoscope called a fetoscope now.
• Meconium, baby's waste products of pregnancy, start collecting in the intestines now.
• At this stage, baby may change position as often as 20 times each hour.

You're getting there!

Be kind to yourself! You're going through lots of unfamiliar physical changes and you might be anxious too.
You are, after all, growing an entire person!

Lanugo which is fine body hair, grows on baby's shoulders, ears, back and forehead.

Looking more and more like Mom and Dad

• With eyelashes beginning to develop and eyebrows are being pencilled in by Mother Nature.
• Baby's heartbeat will show on a scan by now and looks like a flashing asterisk on the screen.
• Baby's head is very large in proportion to the body, so that brain tissue can grow unimpeded.

One can mostly identify baby's gender from about 16 weeks on sonar, if baby lies in such a way that the genital area is visible.

My muscles are getting stronger!

• Baby is more active and movements are more vigorous in the womb from this week, as their muscles are becoming increasingly strong.
• Baby's hands each have 27 bones, and they are all formed now, movement feels like air bubbles or butterflies but not constant.
• Baby can grip index finger and thumb together from now. The skin still looks loose and wrinkled but accumulation of fat will soon start.
• Baby's sensory systems develop in a specific order – touch, smell, taste, hearing, vision.

Did You Know?

Your baby now has doubled in weight in the last two weeks. Fat begins to form, helping your baby's heat production and metabolism.

Can you believe baby is yawning, hiccupping, sucking and swallowing? They're twisting, rolling, punching and kicking, too and are big enough that you might be able to feel them doing it!

• Arms and legs are now in perfect proportions.
• Baby's immune system is producing its own antibodies.
• In female babies the ovaries have already formed millions of eggs.
• Baby can be noticed to have a pattern to sleep and wakeful periods.
• Little ears are working — your baby can now hear sounds!

• Your baby's sensitive skin is now covered in “Vernix caseosa”, a waxy, white substance that protects baby's skin during the long months in the amniotic fluid.
• Nipples have appeared over the breast area by this stage and head circumference on average of16.4 cm.
• Baby's eyelids have been closed since about week 10, but now begin to open and close.

Tip for this week:

Take care of yourself! Try not to get overtired while the baby is growing so quickly.

I'm growing!

Baby weighs about 250 grams, with about 6% of the total body weight as fat at this stage.

Baby hears maternal heartbeats, breathing, and even intestinal sounds. While in a muted fashion they can also hear the outside world.

• Baby can sometimes be seen or felt to move to the sound of its mother's voice. - Quiet music has been found to soothe and settle babies in the womb.
  - Lively, rhythmic music makes a baby more active.
• Baby has reached about half its birth length with unique fingerprints completely formed and scalp hair continuing to grow
• Usually, unborn babies sleep for 20-40 minutes at a time (occasionally up to 90 minutes), and they don't move when they're asleep.

Congratulations! This week begins the second half of your pregnancy. If you're interested in childbirth classes, now's a good time to start looking for one.

• Baby's growth rate is slowing down, but its organs are still maturing.
• If your baby is a boy, their testes have formed but remain in their abdomen.
• You may notice stretch marks on your breasts or belly. Your uterus is starting to extend above your navel.

The unborn baby's immunity is now far stronger and there is resistance to diseases the mother has immunity against.

• Baby's length at this stage is about 18cm and weighs a little more than 340g now.
• Baby may be furrowing those tiny brows! Your baby is becoming more and more responsive to external stimuli.
• Your baby's inner ear is adult size.
• The retinas of your baby's eyes are fully developed. Many babies regularly suck their thumbs in pregnancy and are born with callouses.

Watch what you say!

Baby's ears are beginning to hear and process sounds from inside your body — your breathing, your rumbling tummy, your heartbeat.

It's now easier to tell that those little kicks are actually your baby and not just gas bubbles. You may also be feeling warmer than usual and possibly notice some changes in your eyes and vision.

Fine, silky hair called lanugo develops all over baby's body from now, grows in whirling patterns and helps insulate and protect the baby in the womb.

• The umbilical cord contains two arteries and one vein.
  - The vein carries blood rich in oxygen and nutrients from the placenta to the baby.
  - The umbilical arteries return oxygen-poor blood to the placenta.

• Amniotic fluid is a pale, straw coloured liquid consisting 99% of water.
• Baby sheds skin cells, lanugo and vernix into the amniotic fluid.

Your baby is getting stronger!

• Baby's eyes open and are light sensitive, They blink when startled by loud noises.
• The eye and the inner ear develop from the same source cells.
• Baby's skin looks less transparent at this stage while body and head are also far more in proportion to each other.
• The liver takes up most of the abdominal cavity as liver produces red blood cells.
• Testes are present close to the inguinal ring of the groin.

The unborn baby's immunity is now far stronger and there is resistance to diseases the mother has immunity against.

• Dad might be able to hear baby's heart by placing his ear on mom's abdomen.
• Baby's nostrils have formed and may open by the end of this week with the spine structure evolving really well.
• Most development from now on is about maturing of organs and structures and growth.
• A baby's eyes are almost always dark blue or black in the womb and only change from several weeks after birth.

Hair debut?

If your baby-in-waiting has hair, and not all do, the texture may actually be seen at this stage of the game.

At 26 weeks pregnant, you're rounding the corner of the second trimester and you are almost to the third!

Your baby's beautiful eyes may open this week. Symptoms-wise, you may be struggling more with pregnancy insomnia and clumsiness as your tummy continues to grow.

Baby's sense of smell starts to develop, and they can nod and shake their heads.

Insomnia?

If a full night's rest has become elusive, welcome to the (sleepless) world of pregnancy insomnia.

Hurrah! Welcome to the last week of the second trimester — the end is near and you can see the light!

• Your baby's heart rate has slowed down a little, to about 140 beats per minute - although this is still super-speedy compared to your own.
• Big news: Your baby may recognize both your and your partner's voices by now.
• Your baby, on the other hand, is fine-tuning skills of his own … and let's just say your voice is music to his ears.

Baby's got hiccups?

If you're feeling unusual movements in your belly, it may be hiccups. As baby's lungs continue to develop, chances of hiccups increase.