Fertilisation

During ovulation, an egg, or ovum, is released from the ovary and travels down the fallopian tube towards the uterus (womb). Fertilisation occurs when one of the millions of sperm penetrates the outer layers of the egg and fuses with its nucleus.

A sperm penetrating an egg

Genetic Code

Both the egg and the sperm carry 23 chromosomes that pair off to determine every aspect of your baby’s genetic code. This includes sex, eye colour, intelligence, hair colour, height, whether you are having a single baby or multiple birth, among several other defining factors. The cluster of cells, at this point called a morula, rapidly multiplies as it continues its journey towards the womb.

On its arrival, it becomes known as a blastocyst and floats freely within the womb cavity for about three days before embedding in the wall lining and linking to the blood supply. Once attached, conception is complete and from this moment your growing baby is called an embryo. Already it has grown from a single cell to a mass of hundreds of cells. A primitive placenta begins to form around it, though this will not be fully-functional until around week 14. The inner cells form three layers that become different parts of the baby’s body. One layer becomes the brain, nervous system, skin, eyes and ears; the second becomes the lungs, intestines and stomach and the third becomes the heart, blood, muscles and bones.

Mucus Plug
A plug of mucus has formed at the entrance to the womb acting as a barrier to infection. Seven days after implantation, chemical signals called hormones prevent a period from starting. The placenta produces a hormone called human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) that passes into your urine. The presence of this hormone, detected by a pregnancy test, confirms a positive result 12-16 days after fertilisation. Some women notice a small amount of bleeding following implantation and mistake it as a period. It may not be until a second period is missed that pregnancy is confirmed. Many women say they know instinctively that they are pregnant the moment they conceive.

5 Weeks

Umbilical Cord
The embryo is now floating in the amniotic fluid attached by strings of blood vessels that eventually form the umbilical cord. Through this cord, your body provides nutrients and oxygen to your baby and in return receives waste products. Measuring 2-4mm, the embryo would be visible to the naked eye and at this stage, a rudimentary brain and spine is forming.

First Signs

Your first signs of pregnancy may include slightly enlarged, tender or tingling breasts, a heightened sense of smell and a strange, metallic taste. A need to pass more urine is likely, due to a combination of increased blood flow to the kidneys producing more urine, your enlarged womb pressing on your bladder, as well as pregnancy hormones relaxing the bladder itself. It’s common to catch colds now as your immune system is slowing down to ensure you do not reject the baby nestling inside you.

6 Weeks

Heart
Your baby has more than doubled in size in the past week. Its tiny heart is forming and will already have the power to pump blood around its own body. The jaw and mouth are developing and ten dental buds are growing in each jaw. Small limb buds are beginning to appear from which your baby will develop hands and feet.

Nausea

Morning sickness, which despite its name may occur at any time of day and last all day and night may continue for the next six weeks or more. It is a most common symptom of early pregnancy and is thought to be caused by the digestive enzymes reacting to the HCG pregnancy hormone. Naturopaths believe the severity of morning sickness reflects the health of the maternal liver. Hormones may also cause the intestines to relax and become less efficient causing constipation. Drink 2-3 litres of water daily and eat lots of vegetables to relieve this problem.
It is likely that your vagina becomes bluish or violet colour in response to hormonal changes and increased blood flow.

Your baby’s spinal cord and the brain are now almost complete and the head is beginning to look more human-like. Measuring about 1.3cm long, its limb buds have grown into tiny arms and legs with small ridges that will develop into fingers and toes. Tiny rudiments of the kidneys, eyes and lungs are forming.

Breasts

By now your breasts will be noticeably larger and your nipples may be more prominent with small nodules called Montgomery’s tubercles appearing on the darkened surrounding areola area. You may feel overwhelmingly tired in the first trimester as your body adjusts. Eat small meals regularly to maintain your blood sugar levels. Your energy levels should pick up in the second trimester. Alternatively, there is also a possibility that you feel great!

8 Weeks
Facial Features

Your baby’s tiny heart has started the pumping of blood that will continue for a lifetime. It now has all its main organs, correctly positioned, though in a rudimentary form and a brain is already visible through the rice-paper-thin skin revealing every little branching blood vessel beneath. Measuring about 2cm, its body may have uncurled a little and its head, larger than its body, is attached to, and resting on its chest. Facial features are becoming more defined with a mouth and tongue, eyes, ears and small openings that will become nostrils.

Discharge

This is the time your second period was due. There may be a slight vaginal discharge, considered normal. If you experience vaginal bleeding at any stage throughout your pregnancy contact your doctor immediately.

You may find yourself changing your eating habits as soaring hormones act as a natural screening process against foods that may not be good for you. Fatigue will continue as your body’s workload has expanded.

9 Weeks
Heart Chambers

Your baby’s heart now has all four chambers and beats twice as fast as yours - at times up to 180 times a minute. Its arms and legs can be seen on a scan and the fingers have separated but the toes are still stuck together. The embryo’s liver is producing red blood cells that are pumped around its body by its tiny heart.

Chloasma

Your skin may show changes due to the hormones in your system. Increased secretion of melanin may produce patches of darker skin called chloasma, on your nose, cheeks or forehead. You may also notice small blood vessels becoming visible on your face. These changes will disappear after pregnancy. If you notice moles appearing or existing ones changing, have them checked by your medical professional. Your gums will soften and become vulnerable to infection, and may even bleed when brushing your teeth. See your dentist as gum disease has been linked to premature labour.

Your thyroid gland in your neck, the hormonal gland responsible for growth, development and reproduction, may seem more prominent. Meanwhile, you will probably notice your waist thickening.

Your baby, now called a foetus, has obvious elbows, wrists, ankles and clearly visible fingers and toes. It measures between 3-4.5cm in length and its external sex organs have begun to form. The eyes and the inner ears have developed, though the eyes remain sealed. Its bones are forming, made of soft flexible cartilage, with muscles stretching
over the bones producing slight movement.

Placenta

The placenta begins to produce progesterone and by the end of the 14th week, should be producing enough to supply all your baby’s nourishment.
Your growing uterus remains hidden within your pelvic crest. More noticeable will be morning sickness, your larger breasts and disappearing waistline.

11 Weeks
Skin

The baby’s skin comprises two layers and is transparent, covered with a fine down called lanugo. All major organs have formed, including the testicles or ovaries. The genitals are unlikely to be visible on an ultrasound scan as yet. The baby’s digestive system is developing rapidly.

Relaxing

Fluctuating hormones may cause mood swings and irritability.
During pregnancy the amount of blood in your body increases 30-50 per cent to nourish and supply the baby with oxygen. The hormone relaxin softens the walls of your blood vessels allowing the flexibility to stretch and accommodate the extra blood flow. Consequently your blood pressure drops and you may at times feel dizzy or faint. Eat small amounts regularly to maintain a healthy blood sugar level.

12 Weeks
Body Weight

This is the end of the first trimester considered the most intense part of the development of the pregnancy. By now you may have put on an extra 10 per cent of your body weight. You may not look pregnant to most people but your baby has made the miraculous leap from a mere cell cluster to a recognisable but tiny human being.

Eyelids

The baby measures about 6cm but weighs only 18gms or half an ounce. The head is more round, the eyelids have formed, and both arms and legs can move. The placenta is now fully-developed and takes over as the life support system, providing oxygen and nutrients from your blood supply. As your expanding womb pushes out above your pubic bone into the abdomen, pressure on your bladder eases. The extra blood circulating may raise your body temperature.

Your baby’s genital swelling becomes a penis or clitoris. Its neck elongates and the head raises up, looking more human-like. The womb environment, like a bag of water, cushions the baby from bumps, keeps it at a constant warm temperature and allows freedom of movement. Your baby’s arms are lengthening to become more in proportion with its body. At this stage, it has no layer of fat beneath its skin and looks very thin and wrinkly.

From here on the likelihood of miscarriage occurring dramatically reduces. Morning sickness is likely to have disappeared by now though some women experience nausea throughout most of the pregnancy.

Baby inutero 14 weeks

14 Weeks

Miniatures

All the baby’s organs are perfectly formed miniatures and the features are more discernible. It has eyebrows, a small amount of hair on its head and its heartbeat can be heard by ultrasound. The baby can drink the amniotic fluid and pass its own urine. Measuring about 8cm in length, it would still fit within the palm of your hand.

Heartburn

Your uterus is now the size of a large grapefruit and during pregnancy will increase 20 times in weight. Although you may feel less tired than you were initially, you may continue to experience digestive problems. This is due to hormones slackening the sphincter at the entrance to your stomach. Regurgitated food and acid may rise up causing heartburn. A brown line called the linea nigra may begin to appear down the centre of your abdomen. Caused by the Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) it will fade after the baby is born. Your nipples and the surrounding areola (region around the nipple) will also darken in colour.

15 Weeks

Grasping

The placenta is now fully-formed and functioning and can supply all the oxygen and nutrients to the growing baby via the umbilical cord. One blood vessel takes oxygen and nutrients to the baby and two small veins take waste products back into your own blood system for elimination. If your baby has dark hair, the pigment cells of the hair follicles are beginning to produce dark pigment.

Fingerprints

The baby can now grasp the umbilical cord and suck its thumb. Its fingernails are beginning to grow and its own unique fingerprints have developed. The face is more recognisably human although its skin remains translucent and red in colour.
To cope with the increased amount of blood circulating in your body and your baby’s need for oxygen your heart has increased its output by 20 per cent.

Your baby may now measure 15cm and weigh up to 125 grams. Its legs are now longer than its arms. Because it has no layer of fat under its skin it will look fragile and thin and through its transparent skin layers you would be able to see the intricate network of blood vessels.

Co-ordination

Your baby is now co-ordinating its own movements. You may feel fluttering in your abdomen, like bubbles bursting, as your baby moves around. This sensation, called “quickening” usually occurs between 16 and 20 weeks. At first you may think the movement is your own digestive wind.

17 Weeks

Lanugo

Your baby now weighs more than the placenta. It is likely to be aware of loud sounds that it hears outside the body and may respond with sudden movements. Swirls of soft down-like hair covers the body. Called lanugo, most of this will have fallen off before birth.

Constipation

Progesterone, the hormone that maintains pregnancy, slows your digestion and may cause constipation. Drink plenty of plain water, as much as 2-3 litres a day, and eat simple foods that are easily digested. Exercise will also help. You may find you are sweating more than usual due to the extra blood in your system. You may also notice an increase in vaginal discharge, or experience nasal congestion due to an increase in fluid levels. On a more positive note, these pregnancy hormones can add lustre to your hair and a glow to your skin.

18 Weeks

Boy or Girl?

A skilled ultrasound operator can now determine if you are having a boy or girl. Although ultrasounds have become a routine part of anti-natal care you may not choose to have one if your pregnancy is problem-free.

More and more your baby will be moving about, testing its reflexes. The amniotic fluid provides a perfect environment with enough space for the baby to bounce about, kicking and grasping, at times energetically. If you have trouble sleeping experiment with additional pillows placed around your body for increased comfort.

Posture

Your posture becomes vitally important as you compensate to support the extra weight and changing centre of gravity. Because pregnancy hormones soften and stretch the ligaments and muscles that support your joints, this can cause backache. Try to maintain as straight a spine as possible and avoid the tendency to thrust your stomach forward. Doing this will compress the lower spine and disrupt your nerve flow. You will feel this as jabbing pains or numbness in the buttocks and legs. Avoid high heels.

Your baby can suck its thumb and now has a wide range of movements and co-ordination. Weighing about 280 grams, its dental development continues as the buds for permanent teeth are already forming behind its milk teeth. Inside your womb, your baby twists and swims and is able to change position as it wishes. The foetal kidneys are constantly producing urine every 40 minutes or so. Most of the foetal waste products go through the placental membrane into your circulation though some pass into the amniotic fluid.

Swallowing

At times, your baby swallows mouthfuls of amniotic fluid, taking in its own urine. This is not harmful. (Bizarre at it may seem some naturopathic teachings advocate drinking your own urine to relieve skin conditions). By now, your energy levels may be rising and at the same time you may be gaining extra weight on your buttocks and abdomen to cushion and support you. It’s a good idea to start practising deep relaxation and steady, rhythmic breathing.

20 Weeks

Half Way

You are now halfway through your pregnancy. The baby has probably more than doubled in size since the start of the second trimester and its body has now reached its correct relative proportions, measuring up to 20 -25cm long. Most of your weight gain occurs between the fourth and seventh months.

Navel

Your navel may suddenly pop out and protrude until after the birth. Hormonal changes in your body may produce a warm and alluring scent and trigger a rampant libido. (Or it may not! Appetites vary hugely). Sex will not harm the baby though you may find it necessary to experiment to find more comfortable and enjoyable positions.

21 Weeks

Rocking

Your baby’s muscles are now more developed. Weighing about 390 grams, you may notice there is more activity when you are resting and less when you are moving around. This is because your movement creates a soothing, rocking sensation coaxing your baby to sleep.

Fundus

The top of your womb, called the “fundus” should almost reach your navel. At your antenatal appointments, your health professional may measure your bump from the pubic bone to the fundus. As a guide, it should measure 1cm for every week of your pregnancy.
As your uterus begins to move above the navel, the skin stretches and may be itchy. This is a normal reaction, though if you notice an abnormal itchiness all over your body at any point contact your health professional to rule out the possibility of obstetric cholestasis, a rare liver-related condition.

The cycle of life begins early. A girl baby will already have about seven million eggs in her ovaries and nipples will already have formed on both sexes. At this stage, it may be settling into a regular pattern of activity and sleep that may be opposite to yours. When you are up and about, the natural rocking movement of your pelvis calms the baby and sends it to sleep. Your baby’s lungs are starting to produce surfactant so it can breathe independently after the birth.

Colostrum

A straw-coloured liquid called colostrum may leak from your nipples. This is the first type of milk you produce for your baby. It is rich in nutrients and high in antibodies. Leakage can occur as early as the middle trimester. Some women never experience it at all. If it is a problem, placing breast pads in your bra may help you through what could be an embarrassing moment.

23 Weeks

Braxton Hicks

The different parts of the baby can be felt through your abdominal wall. Its weight is now about 540 grams. If you feel a stitch-like sensation down the side of your tummy, this is the uterine muscle stretching. Sometimes resting will alleviate this pain. Small “rehearsal” contractions, called Braxton Hicks, may occur. These contractions massage the baby and help prepare your body for labour, though initially you may not be aware of them. Some women never experience them.

Modify Exercise

If you are working out, it is advisable to modify your routine and cut down on high impact activities. Exercise is recommended to prepare you for labour although caution is advised to avoid placing pressure on your abdomen.

24 Weeks

Respiration

A baby born at 24 weeks would have a chance of survival with the aid of highly specialised care. Doctors consider a baby born this early “viable”. Born 16 weeks premature, its vital organs are still maturing. It is unlikely that its lungs would be sufficiently developed for survival outside the womb without the aid of technology as they lack a lining to enable the baby to breathe adequately. As well, the respiratory muscles would be too weak to support respiration. In your womb, your baby is able to safely practise breathing in the amniotic fluid.

Faint

If you feel faint when lying on your back, it may be that the weight of the uterus is compressing the inferior vena cava, the large vein that carries blood from your lower body back to the heart. Lying slightly angled will stop the compression.

The baby’s bone centres are beginning to harden and thousands of tiny veins are now clearly visible through the baby’s skin. It should be possible to hear the baby’s heartbeat through a stethoscope or a special foetal trumpet. Your baby’s brain is now showing similar waves to those of a new-born.

Response

Measuring between 22cm and 32cm in length, your baby can now respond to external sounds as well as internal sounds including music and the sound of your and your partner’s voices. It will also respond to touch. If you press on a small heel or elbow sticking out from your belly, you will feel your baby kick or spin inside you. These little kicks may be slight at first though further down the line they can be quite forceful and even painful.

26 Weeks

Wrinkly

Your baby’s heartbeat has now dropped to an average of 150 beats a minute. Its skin, though still very wrinkled, is thickening to gradually become opaque. A layer of fat slowly begins to build up beneath the skin and the exterior is now covered in a protective white, greasy substance called the vernix caseosa produced by sebaceous glands.

Vernix

The vernix acts as a lubricant in the womb so that the baby does not get tangled in the umbilical cord. Its body length will increase by an average of 1cm a week and its weight is about 820 grams. As it continues to grow, you may notice stretchmarks appearing though these usually fade after the birth. You should still be fairly mobile.

27 Weeks

Antibodies

The baby is developing its own immunity to infection via the antibodies that cross the placenta. The first milk your breast produces, called colostrum, is high in nutrients and helps stimulate your baby’s digestive system. Your baby’s senses are awakening. Its eyes are open and it can see and focus although vision is limited until a few weeks after the birth. It can even tell which way up it is inside you.

Weight Gain

Your weight gain will be regular from now until around week 36. Your practice contractions are likely to be more recognisable from this stage on.

28 Weeks

Cramp

It may be between 25-35cm long and could weigh as much as 900 grams or 2lb. Its breathing will become more rhythmic and constant. Because you are carrying so much extra weight, you may have cramping in your calf muscles.

Stretch

Avoid pointing your toes downwards and help alleviate the cramps by stretching. You will probably feel huge and awkward and breathing may get more difficult as your ribs have to lift about 5cm to let your womb expand.

The last trimester is a crucial time for brain development. As the brain mass increases, the tissue folds into its characteristic walnut-like appearance. By now the baby weighs one kilo. Its head is almost in proportion with its body.

Immense

In the coming weeks, your breast size may increase up to a third in size. Your organs may feel crowded by the growing baby and there will be pressure on your diaphragm, liver, stomach, intestines and bladder. In short, your body may feel immense.

30 Weeks

Nerve Impulses

The baby’s brain is rapidly developing as intricate nerve fibres form. This will allow impulses to travel faster and increase your baby’s ability to learn. From here on your health professional will become increasingly interested in your baby’s positioning in the womb. About four per cent of babies will still be in a breech position at birth with the bottom pointing downwards. If this is the case, you may be advised to have a caesarean birth.

Gravity

Try to encourage your baby to turn. You can do this by spending some time every day on all fours. Gravity will encourage your baby to manoeuvre into the desired birth position with its head facing toward the birth canal. Acupressure point Bladder 67 may help. If your baby is already positioned head downward, you are likely to feel a kick in your ribs. And not a polite little kick, these can be painful.

31 Weeks

Taste Sensation

The baby’s tastebuds are developed and it is able to sense some of the stronger foods, such as spicy curry and chilli that you may be eating. Its weight will be about 1.6 kg. You may notice that it is more responsive to conditions and becomes drowsy if the weather is hot or following a large meal.
You may become breathless as the baby presses against your ribcage. This may feel alarming at times but rest assured it will not affect the baby’s oxygen supply as this is passed via the placenta.

Pre-Eclampsia

Correct posture is essential as the weight distribution alters and pulls you off balance. Be aware when changing position from sitting to standing and support your back.
Watch for warning signs of pre-eclampsia in the final trimester. Also known as toxaemia, this is a serious condition that affects the placenta, reducing the blood supply and oxygen to the baby. If the condition is allowed to progress, clots and fatty acids build up in the placenta blocking the arteries and causing the placenta to fail. Symptoms include raised blood pressure, protein in your urine and oedema swelling in your face, hands and ankles.

32 Weeks

Hiccups

Your baby’s lungs will now have most of the airways and air sacs ready for breathing after birth. You may feel twinges as your baby practises breathing inside the womb. This is the amniotic fluid passing in and out of the baby’s windpipe, like hiccups.
A baby born now would still need to be in an incubator as the fat reserves beneath its skin would not be sufficient to maintain its body temperature. Perfectly formed, it may now measure 30 - 40cm in length. Sleeping may be difficult for you, as the moment you stop to rest, the baby wakes.