Are you 4 weeks pregnant? Maybe 8 weeks? Or even 16 or more? You can see what YOUR baby looks like right now! Take an interactive journey into the miracle of human life. Visit CROSSROADS and ask to use the LIFE BEGINS CD-ROM. You will have control of what you want to learn … from hearing what a baby hears in the mother’s womb, to experiencing the child birth process. This is a great tool for first time fathers and mothers. Visit www.lifebegins.com for a sample of the CD’s contents.

BABY FACTS

Weeks One through Four
Ovulation occurs
Conception occurs
Gender is determined
Neural tube forms - It will develop into the nervous system (Brain, spinal cord, hair, and skin). Already your baby has the foundation for thought, senses, feeling, and more!
Heart and primitive circulatory system rapidly form - the life support system

Week Five
First heartbeats begin
Umbilical cord now supplies the baby with nutrients and oxygen
Blood is now pumping
Lungs start to appear, along with her brain.
Arm and leg buds appear

Week Six
The arms and legs continue to develop
Brain is growing well
Lenses of the eyes appear
Nostrils are formed
Intestines grow

Week Seven
Elbows form
Fingers start to develop
Feet start to appear with tiny notches for the toes
Ears eyes and nose start to appear
Teeth begin to develop under the gums

Week Eight
Cartilage and bones begin to form
The tongue begins to develop
Body grows and makes room
The fingers and toes have appeared but are webbed and short

Week Nine
Baby has begun movement
Most joints are formed now, allowing the baby to bend and flex
Fetus will curve its fingers around an object placed in the palm of its hand
Fingerprints are already evident in the skin

Week Ten
The most critical part of your infant's development is complete. Now you are headed into a period of rapid growth.
Eye color is determined by this point.
The placenta functions - providing nutrients and removing waste
Your baby will be about 1.2 inch long (3.1cm) and weigh 0.14 ounce (4gm) at the end of this week

Week Eleven
Nearly all structures and organs are formed and beginning to function.
Fingers and toes have separated
Hair and nails begin to grow
The genitals begin to take on the proper gender characteristics
Amniotic fluid (to cushion the baby) begins to accumulate as the kidneys begin to function
The muscles in the intestinal walls begin to practice contractions that digest food.

Week Twelve
Vocal cords begin to form
Those precious eyes begin to move closer together
Ears shift to their normal place on the side of the head
His or her liver begins to function
The pancreas begins to produce insulin
Guess what? Your baby's average size is now at a whopping length: 2 inches (5.4cm) and weight: 0.49 ounce (14gm)

Week Thirteen
Your baby begins to practice inhaling and exhaling movements
Baby's neck is getting longer, and the chin no longer is resting on his chest
Her hands are functional - Your baby may start playing with her fist.
At this point all nourishment is received from the placenta

Week Fourteen
Thyroid gland has matured and baby produces hormones to be used throughout his life.
In boys, the prostate gland develops
In girls, the ovaries move from the abdomen to the pelvis
Your little one may have learned to suck his thumb by this point!
Your child's bones are getting harder and stronger by the day!
Lanugo (very fine hair) covers the baby's body and will continue to grow until 26 weeks.
Your baby is 3.4 inches long and weighs about 1.5 ounces.

Week Fifteen
Bicks, flails, twists and turns. She can also grasp, squint, frown, grimace and suck her thumb!
Your baby's legs have grown longer than the arms and the body is now longer than the head.
His skin is very thin -- so thin blood vessels are visible.
The three tiny bones in his middle ear have begun to harden and her hearing capacity is developing.
Fingernails and toenails are growing.
Eyebrows are beginning to grow and his hair is sprouting.

Week Sixteen
Fat begins to form underneath skin, providing insulation for your baby.
You might hear the tiny thumps of his heartbeat with an external monitor now.
The genitals are developed sufficiently and you be able to see if your baby is a boy or a girl.
Her heart is pumping as much as 6 gallons of blood a day and beats at a rate about double your heart rate.
Sucking, swallowing and blinking are now evident. She is probably even hiccupping.
Your baby has learned to breathe, inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid.

Week Seventeen
Her eyes are looking forward now, but they are still firmly closed.
Meconium (products of cell loss, digestive secretion and swallowed amniotic fluid), accumulates in the bowel. This black gooey substance will become your baby's first poop!
The umbilical cord is thicker and stronger and continues to rush blood and nutrients to your growing baby.
Her skeleton is transforming from cartilage to bone. The bones remain flexible to make the journey through the birth canal easier.

Week Eighteen
Your placenta continues to grow and nourish the baby. Don't forget those prenatal vitamins!
Tiny air sacs called alveoli begin to form in lungs.
Vocal chords are formed. She goes through the motions of crying but without air she doesn't make a sound.
Features of your baby's heart, including ventricles and chambers, should be visible during an ultrasound.
Your baby measures about 5.6 inches this week and weighs about 6.7 ounces.

Week Nineteen
Your baby has the same awake and sleep patterns of a newborn. He has a favorite position for sleep and recognizable active and rest periods.
Scalp hair becomes visible.
The milk teeth buds have already developed and the buds for permanent teeth will form behind the milk teeth.
If you're having a girl, the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes are in place.
If it's a boy, the genitals are distinct and recognizable.
Your baby is swallowing amniotic fluid and his or her kidneys are making urine.

Week Twenty
You're half way there!
The baby's heart grows stronger.
His legs are reaching their relative size. You will start feeling much more than tiny flutter kicks soon!
Immunities are being transferred from you to your baby now. These immune cells will protect her from viruses you've already had for up to six months after birth!
The nerve cells for taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch develop in specialized areas of the brain.
Your baby may react to loud sounds, as she can hear noises outside of the womb. Familiar voices, music, and sounds that baby becomes accustomed to during her development stages often are calming after birth.

Week Twenty-One
White blood cells are under production. They help fight infections and diseases.
Your little one's skin has changed from translucent to become more opaque.
Your infant's tongue is fully formed.
Wake and sleep periods become more consistent. Some research suggests that baby sets her internal clock to match the outside world even before birth! Your eating and sleeping habits as well levels of light and noise serve as her signals.

Week Twenty-Two
Your baby weighs close to a pound!
Your baby can now hear your conversations more clearly than before. When you talk, read, or sing, she can hear you.
Eyelids and eyebrows are fully formed.
Fingernails have grown to the end of the fingers.
If your baby is male his testes begin their descent to the scrotum.
Primitive sperm have formed and he is producing testosterone.

Week Twenty-Three
Proportions of the body are now quite similar to a newborn although thinner since he hasn't begun to form body fat.
Bones located in the middle ear harden.
Your baby is able to hear.
The eyes are all formed, though the iris still lacks pigmentation.
The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily. She has begun producing insulin, important for the breakdown of sugars.
If born now, your baby has a 15% chance of survival now.

Week Twenty-Four
Bring on the bulk! Baby gains about 6 ounces this week. The weight is in muscle, bone mass and organs.
Taste buds form. If mom drinks something strange, baby may show his distaste.
Little creases have appeared on his palms. The muscular coordination of his hands has improved as he sucks his thumb.
Over the next seven days the sweat glands will be forming in the skin.
This week your baby is officially considered viable.

Week Twenty-Five
The structures of the spine begin to form -- joints, ligaments and rings.
Blood vessels of the lungs develop.
Your baby's nostrils begin to open.
The nerves around the mouth and lip area are showing more sensitivity now.
His swallowing reflexes are developing.
Dexterity is improving. Your baby can make a fist and clasp objects placed in palm.

Week Twenty-Six
Your baby may weigh about two pounds now.
Your baby's eyes are opening and beginning to blink this week.
Brain wave activity for hearing and sight begins to be detectable.
Fetal brain scans show response to touch. If you shine a light on your abdomen, your baby will turn his head, which means his optic nerve is working.

Week Twenty-Seven
Your little one's brain continues its rapid growth. Don't forget to share music, conversation, and even books with your baby!
Your baby's hearing continues to develop, he or she may start to recognize your voice as well as your partner's.
Eyelids are now open more. Your baby can distinguish between light and dark.
Your baby will grow over ½ inch this week alone!

Week Twenty-Eight
Hair on baby's head is growing longer.
Your baby's body is getting plump and rounded. Most of that increase is muscle tissue and bone. Fat will be added during the third trimester.

Week Twenty-Nine
Your baby's head is in proportion with body now.
Your baby's brain can control primitive breathing and body temperatures.
He is also moving from side to side, but probably still is head up.


Week Thirty
Your little one's own hair may begin to appear.
Toenails are entering their final growth stage.
Your baby has the capability now to produce tears -- yes, within the womb.

Week Thirty-One
Fat continues accumulating. This layer of fat turns her skin from red to the rosy pink she will have as a newborn.
Calcium, phosphorus and iron are being stored and his bones are growing and hardening.
She may move to the rhythm of music.
Lungs are the only major organ left to complete development.

Week Thirty-Two
Your baby is up to 3.75 pounds (1702gm) now and is 16.7 inches (42.4cm) long.
All five senses are working.
Toenails are completely formed.

Week Thirty-Three
Amniotic fluid is at its highest level during your pregnancy.
While most of his bones are hardening, his skull is quite pliable and not completely joined. The bones will be able to move slightly to make birthing easier.
If your baby is a boy, his testicles will be descending from his abdomen into his scrotum. Sometimes one or both testicles won't move into position until after birth.

Week Thirty-Four
Your baby acts completely like a newborn, with her eyes opened when awake and closed when sleeping.
She has learned to blink.
Your baby may have already turned to a head-down position in preparation for birth. If he is your first baby, he may be settling into the pelvis with his head pressing against your cervix.
Fingernails have reached the end of the fingertips. She may scratch her face even before she is born!

Week Thirty-Five
The average baby weighs almost five and a half pounds now.
The testes have completed their descent in males.

Week Thirty-Six
If he hasn't already, this week your baby may drop into the birth canal.
Fat is dimpling your baby's elbows and knees, and forming creases in the neck and wrists.
His skin is growing smooth and, shall we say it, "baby" soft.
She has a fully developed pair of kidneys and her liver has begun processing waste.
Between now and birth she will gain about an ounce a day!

Week Thirty-Seven
Grasp is firm now.
As the uterine wall stretches and thins allowing more light to permeate, he develops definite daily activity cycles. Ever heard of a baby getting his days/nights mixed up? Now's the time to try to avoid that!

Week Thirty-Eight
Have you noticed she hiccups a lot? Because there is no air around her, those breathing exercises cause amniotic fluid to get into her windpipe.

Week Thirty-Nine
The lanugo has mostly disappeared, but you'll probably find a bit on her shoulders, arms and legs. It will vanish completely on its own in time.
His lungs are maturing and surfactant production is increasing and fully prepared to take on the outside world!
Your baby doesn't have much room to move now.

Week Forty
Small breast buds are present on both sexes.
The baby now weighs 7.6 pounds (3462gm) and is 20.2 inches (51.2cm) long.

 

Click here for more information about the stages of pregnancy.