Size of Your Baby Each Step of Pregnancy

THE BEGINNING OF LIFE

You may not even realize you’re pregnant until a few weeks in, but life is forming. This is the beginning of it all. Your egg becomes fertilized and life begins to form quickly. Cells start dividing and the groundwork of your pregnancy and baby’s formation begins.

THE FIRST TRIMESTER (WEEKS 0 TO 13)

The first trimester is by far the most crucial of the three. This is when internal organs begin to form and the structure of the baby starts to form. This is also of course when the pregnancy symptoms kick in. Pregnancy symptoms can vary since every woman is different; some women get a boost of energy and others become tired during the first trimester. You can also begin to experience nausea, breast tenderness, and frequent urination. Let’s look into a deep breakdown and see what happens during the upcoming weeks of development.

WEEK 1 THROUGH 6

A lot begins to happen here. The groundwork of your placenta forms in week 3 and in week 4 the embryo forms. Once you get to week 5, the neural tube forms, which is the beginning framework of the baby’s spine and brain. When week 6 arrives, a lot starts to form. We can see the optic vessels begin, which leads to the forming of the eyes and ears. In addition, the beginnings of the digestive system form and buds form that will eventually become legs and arms.

WEEK 7 THROUGH 13

In week 7 hands begin to finally form, but they will look a little more like fins or little paddles. By week 8 fingers and toes begin to form but the toes and fingers haven’t separated just yet. The retinas in their eyes begin to form and intestines grow in length. Also during this week the genitals begin to form although the baby’s gender can’t yet be determined. In week 9 your baby has a small tail at the bottom of the spinal cord, this tail begins to shrink and the head begins to increase in size. The tip of the nose begins to grow and the baby begins to grow either testes or ovaries. Some movements may begin as well, but nothing that you will be able to feel. By the time that week 10 arrives, all vital organs have formed. Tooth buds start developing in the mouth and, if it is a male, testosterone will begin to produce. With the arrival of 11 weeks, the embryo becomes a fetus and begins to have distinguishing features you can see on your ultrasound.

LETS DIVE INTO WHAT IS HAPPENING WEEK BY WEEK!

• Beginning in week 4 of pregnancy, the baby is approximately the size of a poppy seed! Even though the baby is so small at this stage of pregnancy, their cells begin to form organs!
• By week 5, babies grow to the size of a sesame seed. The brain, heart, blood vessels, and spinal cord have all begun forming!
• By week 6, the baby has grown to the size of a lentil. That’s approximately three times the size they were the week prior!
• In week 7, the baby continues to grow, and has now reached the size of a blueberry! Its arms now look like little paddles!
• During week 8 of pregnancy, your baby is the size of a raspberry! Fingers and toes begin to form during this time.
• The baby has grown to the size of a grape by week 9, and they now have eyes!
• In week 10, your little one has reached the size of a kumquat! In addition to eyes, they are now forming eyebrows.
• At 11 weeks, your baby is approximately the size of a fig. Though you can’t feel it just yet, your baby has already started kicking!
• 12 weeks along, the baby has now reached the size of a lime. Their bones and nails are starting to form, and they now have a thin layer of hair! And congrats- you’ve reached the end of your first trimester!
• By 13 weeks, your baby, which is now the size of a lemon, is beginning to develop vocal cords!

HALFWAY THERE

You’ve hit the halfway mark! It may not be a race but you’re probably counting down the days until your due date. You’ve reached what many call the “Golden Period” of pregnancy. Now you’ve had a few ultrasounds and have an idea of what the baby looks like. Even better, you may now know the gender of your child! You may be planning the baby room and putting together a registry for the baby shower.

SECOND TRIMESTER (WEEKS 14 TO 26)

Things really start to develop with the baby during the second trimester. This is when the pregnancy symptoms typically begin to calm down and you start to feel better when it comes to nausea and fatigue. Your belly begins to grow and many pregnant women begin buying maternity clothes. You may start to experience a rise in appetite and begin to experience leg cramps accompanied by heartburn.

WEEK 14 THROUGH 20

Between week 14 to 20 the genitals are fully developed. Some hair will begin to grow but not much. What will occur is a lot of movement. Nothing you may feel, but he or she will be wiggling. By week 16 the baby will be smiling and able to keep their head up. During the 18th week, the baby will be able to see any bright lights directed at the belly. Speaking of bellies, the baby will continue to form fat so that he or she can maintain warmth at birth; this will continue throughout the rest of the pregnancy.

WEEK 20 THROUGH 26

Now that we are in the 20th week the baby will continue to grow more hair and form fingernails and toenails. When the 26th week arrives the baby will be able to feel touch and may start rubbing their face and hands. Your baby will also have a sense of balance and will now know when they’re upside down or upright in the belly.

LETS DIVE INTO WHAT IS HAPPENING WEEK BY WEEK!

• Even at 14 weeks, when they are the size of a peach, babies have been known to be able to squint or even suck their thumb!
• At 15 weeks, your baby is approximately the size of an apple. They are now able to freely move, and muscle movement is controlled by their brain!
• 16 weeks into your pregnancy, the baby is the size of an avocado. They can ball their fist and suck their thumb at this point in their development!
• In week 17, your baby’s size resembles that of a pear. Did you know that in this stage, you can feel your baby hiccup?
• By week 18, the baby is roughly the size of a sweet potato. They now have one-of-a-kind fingerprints!
• During week 19 of pregnancy, the baby is the size of a mango. The baby’s legs are now longer than their arms, and you will begin to feel their movements a bit more.
• By 20 weeks, the baby is the size of a banana, and they are starting to grow more hair!
• 21 weeks along, your baby’s size resembles that of a carrot. When you touch your stomach, your baby is now able to respond!
• 22 weeks into pregnancy, your baby will be approximately the size of a papaya. In this stage, the baby’s lungs are developing quickly!
• When you have reached the 23 week mark of your pregnancy, your baby is the size of a grapefruit. More development has occurred in their brain and hearing, and at this stage, they begin to recognize your voice!
• At 24 weeks, your baby is roughly the size of an ear of corn. “Practice breathing” occurs in this stage of development, and the baby’s nostrils inhale amniotic fluid.
• During week 25 of pregnancy, the baby has likely reached the size of an acorn squash. They can even stick their tongue out!
• In week 26, the baby has grown to the size of a zucchini. They now have eyelashes, and even more hair!

WHAT YOU MAY BE EXPERIENCING

As we wrap up the second trimester and move into the third trimester you may start to deal with a few symptoms, such as hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and shortness of breath. In addition, as your pregnancy progresses your uterus increases in size, going from around two ounces to two and a half pounds at the moment of birth. This increase in size places pressure on the bladder, causing another common symptom known as urinary incontinence, meaning that it may become a little bit difficult to control your bladder.

THE THIRD TRIMESTER

(WEEKS 27 TO 40)

By week 27 the baby will look very similar, if not the exact same, as he or she will look at birth. While your child is in your womb, they will be able to hear and recognize your voice and get comfortable with other voices that they may hear on a daily basis. The baby will begin to transition from small movements to strong movements and jabs by week 29. Once you hit week 32 your baby will have their eyebrows, eyelashes, and hair on their head. By the 36th week your baby will be fully grown, ready and waiting to meet you.

LETS DIVE INTO WHAT IS HAPPENING WEEK BY WEEK!

• During week 27, which also marks the end of the second trimester, your little one has reached the size of a cauliflower. They can even recognize multiple voices, and notice the difference!
• In week 28, the baby is approximately the size of an eggplant. They are now capable of opening their eyes and blinking!
• By week 29, your little one has grown to the size of a butternut squash. The brain is continuing to quickly develop!
• In week 30 of pregnancy, the baby has reached the size of a large cabbage, and they begin to have a sleep cycle.
• When you have reached week 31 of your baby’s development, they are likely the size of a coconut. The baby can potentially gain 0.5 pounds every week up until birth!
• As of week 32, the baby has grown to the size of a jicama. At this point, your little one’s taste buds are developing, and they can begin to develop food preferences based on the nutrients they receive through amniotic fluid.
• In week 33, when the baby has reached the size of a pineapple, they are at the point of almost fully developing an immune system!
• During week 34 of pregnancy, the baby has reached the size of a cantaloupe. This stage of development includes increased body movement and fully-developed bones.
• By week 35, the baby has grown to the size of a honeydew melon. They have already started getting ready for birth, which means that they are now positioned upside-down!
• In week 36 of your baby’s development, they are roughly the size of a head of lettuce. Where the baby’s skin was wrinkly before, it is starting to fill out as the baby gains weight and continues to grow!
• Week 37 is the time that your baby grows to the size of a stalk of swiss chard. You are so close to the end of pregnancy that the baby does not have as much room to kick. Instead, many of their movements just consist of wiggling or stretching.
• In week 38, the baby’s size in terms of length is close to that of a stalk of rhubarb. At this stage, the brain is continuing to develop, and preparing your baby for birth and activities such as swallowing.
• By week 39 (you’re almost done!), the baby has reached the size of a small pumpkin. In this stage, they are now forming a smoother layer of skin!
• In week 40, the baby has reached the size of a watermelon. This is often the final week of pregnancy! Congrats, you did it!

THE FINISH LINE

We have now made it to the final trimester. Constantly getting up at three in the morning to pee or clinging to the toilet in the mornings may be driving you crazy, but you know it’s all been worth it. You’re probably getting ready for baby showers and gender reveals, adding the finishing touches to your baby room, or taking it easy while your neck deep in baby books and or going to birthing and parenting classes. Either way, this is your time to get ready to meet your baby!

THE BIG ARRIVAL

Hopefully this guide was helpful throughout your pregnancy journey and allowed you to better understand the changes happening to you and your child. You can also download many different pregnancy apps that will allow you to track your pregnancy as well as that, that you can use to accompany this blog. Our goal at A Women’s Pregnancy Center is to educate and empower women on the journey of parenthood. We provide free pregnancy resources and parenting classes to any who are interested; our only goal is to provide you with the support you need. Give us a call today at 850-297-1174 or request an appointment online. We’d love to meet with you.