Congratulations, you’re pregnant! Either that or you’re planning to be a mother soon. Either way, understanding pregnancy week by week is something all moms have to do to get the best care they can. As you and your baby grow, you’ll want to know what changes you’ll be experiencing. Let’s take a look at the different stages of pregnancy and what you should be looking forward to.
Some Notes On Pregnancy
While every pregnancy is different from the others, we’ll talk about what generally happens to the baby week by week. If you find yourself differing from these descriptions, that isn’t necessarily mean anything is wrong. Some differences are normal. Consult with your OB/GYN and go on regular check-ups to ensure the good health of you and your baby.
Pregnancy Week By Week
First Trimester (Weeks 1 To 13)
You’ll experience both physical and emotional changes during your first trimester. Let’s look at early fetal development week by week.
- Week 1
Well, you’re technically not pregnant yet. Doctors start counting on the last day of your period. It’s significantly easier to determine when your last red day was than the day of ovulation and conception.
- Week 2
Just like the previous week, you’re not pregnant yet. The second week is the week your body preps for ovulation. If you’re trying to conceive, look for signs to see if you’re ovulating: a heightened sense of smell, pelvic ache and cervical mucus that’s thin and clear like egg whites.
- Week 3
Now, you’re officially pregnant. On week three, the sperm fertilizes the egg. It is unlikely for you to experience visible symptoms of pregnancy at this point. Even an ultrasound may not also detect your growing baby just yet.
- Week 4
So, you’ve made it through your first week of pregnancy. A home pregnancy test will be able to tell if you’re pregnant now but the first thing you should do is check with a doctor. They’ll have you take a blood or urine test to confirm. After that, you can start your celebration.
At four weeks, you’ll start to experience typical symptoms of pregnancy. Expect mood swings, nausea, light bleeding or spotting, bloating, fatigue, and sore breasts. If you don’t experience any of these, that’s fine too. You can consider yourself lucky.
- Week 5
Congratulations, you’ve got one month down; only eight more months to go. At this point, the embryo will start to develop major organs and other systems. Despite that, they’ll still be about the size of an apple seed. Don’t expect a baby bump just yet.
- Week 6
You’ll likely spend this week preparing for your first prenatal visit scheduled a few weeks from now.
- Week 7
A fantastic feature of week 7 is that the embryo will have doubled in size at this time. Brain cells will continue to grow as well as the heart. Some expecting moms will have an early ultrasound during this time. From there, you can also find out if you’re carrying more than one bun in the oven.
- Week 8
Most mothers will have their first prenatal checkup this week. During your OB/GYN appointment, the doctor will ask you for a blood test. This is to check your blood type and screen your blood for any immunities and diseases. The exciting part is when you get to hear your baby’s heartbeat.
- Week 9
Welcome to the start of your third month! During this week, your baby is no longer an embryo but is now officially a fetus. They’ll start to grow more distinct facial features.
As for the mommy-to-be, your uterus would now have doubled in size. Weight gain is normal and even recommended starting this week.
- Week 10
New symptoms of pregnancy during this week may include joint and ligament pain, visible veins on your legs and increased discharge.
- Week 11
During week 11, you may experience intense and weird food cravings. Additionally, your baby’s organs will begin to be functional during this stage.
- Week 12
Good news: your hormones will begin to calm down and those troublesome symptoms won’t as much of a bother anymore. Read more on what to expect during this week at Baby List.
- Week 13
You’re now at the end of your first trimester! Fun fact: your baby now has a unique set of fingerprints.
Second Trimester (Weeks 14 To 27)
Congratulations on surviving the first part of the pregnancy stages. Let’s see what’s in store for the next trimester. Here’s the second trimester for your week by week pregnancy needs.
- Week 14
You’ve made it to the second trimester! You’ll find yourself more energetic during this time as you enter the honeymoon phase.
- Week 15
Speaking of energy, you may also experience an increased libido during these next few weeks. Some couples may be worried to take a romp between the sheets. However, unless your OB/GYN sets restrictions, some loving is generally safe during this period.
- Week 16
You can start getting chatty because your baby will now be able to pick up on your voice. Even more exciting: you might be able to feel movement and even a kick as early as now.
- Week 17
Your baby would now have gone through a growth spurt. They will be roughly the size of a pomegranate, and you may start to see stretch marks.
- Week 18
During this time, you may experience the following symptoms: swollen hands and feet, leg cramps, varicose veins, nosebleeds, and difficulty sleeping. One positive symptom is you’ll likely feel your baby kick now.
- Week 19
Around this time, you should ideally have put on around 8 to 14 pounds. See a doctor if you’re having trouble reaching that target.
- Week 20
You’re now halfway through! Typically, you should have your mid-pregnancy checkup and ultrasound. Start thinking of creative ways to announce if you’re having a baby boy or girl. Now is the earliest time that the technician will be able to determine your baby’s sex.
- Week 21
Some moms may feel excited at 21 weeks as they see their baby bump growing. Others may feel self-conscious. Don’t worry; you’re supposed to be gaining weight during this time.
- Week 22
That bun in your oven is now looking more and more like an actual baby. Around this time, prepare to fend off people excited to touch your growing belly.
- Week 23
It’ll be great that you’re leaving behind fatigue and morning sickness behind. Unfortunately, you may start to get Braxton Hicks contractions. These contractions may surprise you when you first have them, but they’re normal as long as they go away quickly.
- Week 24
Don’t freak out over that line on your belly. That’s called the linea nigra, and it’ll go away a few weeks after birth.
- Week 25
Your baby now starts to put on more fat and grow stronger hair. As a bonus, your friends may be feeling some major hair envy for you as well.
- Week 26
By week 26, your baby will practice breathing with their tiny lungs. Their eyes will also start to form during this time, and they’ll soon be batting eyelashes inside your belly.
- Week 27
Time to celebrate another milestone as you finish off your second trimester. By now, your baby’s brain will be showing some activity, and you may even feel some hiccups.
Third Trimester (Weeks 28 To 40 or beyond)
It’s time for the home stretch! Expect more prenatal checkups during this time. Let’s look at the final stages of baby development week by week.
- Week 28
At the end of this week, you’ll be six months along. Also, your baby is now the size of an eggplant, and they may be able to see traces of light through your belly.
- Week 29
Start asking your partner to help you with shoe tying because there’s no hiding your belly anymore.
- Week 30
Expecting moms will typically have another trip to the doctor around this time. They’ll have you take an ultrasound and a non-stress test (NST). This test is to measure your baby’s heart rate and your contractions.
- Week 31
Heads up, you may experience some leaking around this time. Your breasts would have started producing colostrum, the healthiest thing your baby can have as their first food.
- Week 32
Another checkup is likely to take place this week. During this time, your baby will be moving to an upside-down position.
- Week 33
You may be feeling some significant discomfort as you await your baby’s due date. This may include overheating, headaches, and even forgetfulness (pregnancy brain).
- Week 34
During this time, your baby will be able to pick up on those lullabies you sing to them. Researchers say that after birth, babies will be able to recognize the songs you sang to them while pregnant.
- Week 35
Enjoy your last checkup-free week. Starting next week, your OB/GYN will likely ask you to come in weekly. This is to closely monitor your upcoming due date and pregnancy week by week.
- Week 36
If you haven’t noticed, you’re only one month away! In case your baby isn’t in the head-down position, your OB/GYN may wait for them to turn naturally or perform a version procedure.
- Week 37
During this week, prepare to feel some contractions. Watch out for signs of early labor such as the following: mucus plug, regular contractions, nausea, and of course, your water breaking.
- Week 38
Your baby has now been practicing the art of breathing, blinking, gripping, and suckling. Also, their digestive system is also prepping for that first diaper.
- Week 39
By now, your pumpkin-sized baby’s organs and body systems are fully functional. Prep for next week by naturally inducing labor as guided by your doctor.
- Week 40
You’ve made it to week 40! Your doctor will pay special attention to you as he or she will take one more biophysical profile. This is to check the baby’s movements, heart rate, the levels of amniotic fluid.
- Beyond Week 40
Don’t worry if you’ve gone past week 40. It’s completely normal and even common for women to go past their due date.
Final Words On Pregnancy Week By Week
There you have it: baby development by week. In case you see any deviations from this article’s rundown of pregnancy by week, that isn’t much reason to worry. Every woman’s journey is different. Just remember to see your doctor regularly to track how things are going for you and your baby in womb.
Now that you’ve reached the end of our look at fetal development by week, it’s time to get up and enjoy some mother-child bonding time. Congratulations once again!
Last Updated on January 11, 2023 by Rejie Salazar
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