Pregnancy And Baby Care Articles Pregnancy Week By Week

...the first day that you got your last period. Your baby is only an embryo by the end of the fourth week wherein the brain, spinal cord, heart of the baby are beginning to form and the leg buds and arms can be seen. The structure of their external body and all the important organs begin to form by the 8th week of pregnancy and the heart beats of your baby can also be felt. The embryo is a fetus only at the end of 8 weeks and is almost an inch long. At the 12th week, the baby has grown and is much longer that is about 3 inches where they can make a fist and it is after this stage that you can know if you have a baby boy or girl.

Your second trimester begins from the 13th week that goes on till the 28th week and by the 16th week; the baby is 4 to 5 inches long and tries to suck with the mouth. It is at this stage that the skin is forming and also develops the meconium that is the first bowel movement of your baby. At week 20, you have completed half the stage of your pregnancy and your baby is around 6 inches long and weighing almost 9 ounces. Your baby is able to hear as well as swallow and is very active where you can feel their slight movements. Their toenails, eyelashes, eyebrows and fingernails have been formed and they are even able to scratch themselves. By the end of the 24th week, hair begins to grow on your baby’s head and they are about 12 inches long and sleep and wake up on a regular basis. Your baby’s tongue develops the taste bud at this stage. During the third trimester by the end of week 32, the bones of the baby are fully formed, they kick a lot and by the end of the 37th week, they are full term and their organs are in a position to function on their own.

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