The Development Of The Baby In The Womb Month After Month
Every month the baby develops new physical structures. Even weekly, the fetus changes to a great extent. The baby’s development is a long process.
To determine the length of pregnancy, the first day of the menstrual cycle is taken into account. Weeks in which the woman is not yet pregnant also count towards pregnancy.
Pregnancy: The Development Of The Baby – The Miracle Of Life
A normal pregnancy lasts between 37 and 41 weeks, which is roughly 9.5 months. If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, we invite you to read how the baby develops in the womb, month after month.
First month
In the first two weeks of pregnancy, when the menstrual cycle begins and ovulation occurs, your baby has not yet started development. But one can still speak of an ongoing process. In the first month, fertilization takes place and the fertilized egg cell travels through the fallopian tube into the uterus.
The fertilized egg contains the information necessary to develop into a baby, which is why it becomes a blastocyst and then an embryo. In the meantime, the mother’s body is responsible for producing the elements necessary to support the embryo in its further development.
Second month
The fifth week begins the baby’s development and what is known as the “embryonic phase”. It is at this time that the main structure of the fetus develops along with the vital systems.
By this month most of the cell divisions have already been performed and some functions are already developing. For example, neurons and most blood cells develop.
There are also:
- The brain
- The spinal cord
- The heart
- The gastrointestinal tract
- External limbs
Third month
The third month of pregnancy is the time between the sixth and ninth week of the baby’s development. Here the changes can be seen more clearly. We can see his legs and arms forming. It also begins the development of the tissue that later becomes bone.
In many cases, by the end of the month, the upper and lower limbs will have elongated and fingers can be seen.
Other changes:
- Regularity of the heart rhythm, but the heart continues to develop
- Blood begins to pump through the major veins
- The eyes and ears gradually begin to shape
- The lungs have started to form
- Some nerves of what the skull will be have already formed
Fourth month
At this stage most of the organs have already been formed and are in full growth, which is why we stop saying embryo here and use the name: fetus. From this moment on, the facial features also become more defined.
The development is complemented by the following:
- elbow
- nipple
- Toes
- Hair follicles
- Eyelashes
- Ears
Fifth month
Although the baby is already largely shaped, its head is still larger than the rest of the body and its skin is almost transparent. At that moment his eyelids form, but they stay closed, something that won’t change until week 28.
Other possible developments:
- Formation of the bone structure that will support the teeth
- Defined facial features
- Proof of genital formation
- The development of the nails begins
- The liver starts producing red blood cells
Sixth month
Although at this stage the baby is largely shaped, it is still transparent. Little by little, very fine hair known as lanugo appears on his head. Bones and muscles also get stronger.
At this point, the baby is already moving, expanding and starting to feed on itself. Its activity increases because it can already hear and therefore reacts to stimuli. His heart can now also be heard through a stethoscope.
Seventh month
By the seventh month his eyes have formed and his first bowel movement is in the intestinal tract. Although air bubbles can form in the lungs, they are not yet developed well enough to function outside the uterus.
At this stage its brain is almost fully developed so that the fetus can control many of its body functions because the nervous system has already developed.
Eighth month
In the eighth month , the fetus’s lungs still have to mature even though they are already breathing rhythmically. The maturation of the lungs is a difficult process. It continues to grow and accumulate fat. The bones are now fully formed, but they are still very soft.
At this stage, the fetus prepares to absorb and store many nutrients: the main ones are phosphorus, iron and calcium.
Ninth month
A normal pregnancy lasts between 37 and 41 weeks. At this time, the fetus can weigh up to two and a half pounds, or a little more. Fat builds up under the skin and prevents it from becoming wrinkled.
In addition, all of its organs, muscles, and bones are fully developed. The lanugo that was once on most of his body is now only found on his shoulders and arms, and his hair is thicker.
The baby should now be 38 weeks old so that its birth can be expected at any moment.
