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CHAPTER 2

Your baby’s pre-birth development

It is exciting to track your baby’s growth, but there’s also something wonderful about knowing a mysterious miracle is unfolding inside you. Here’s a brief overview, trimester by trimester.

THE FIRST TRIMESTER

The first trimester lasts from the start of pregnancy until 12 weeks. Most of your baby’s development takes place in the first trimester. Take a look at some highlights:

•In the first month after conception, Baby grows 10 000 times bigger than the original sperm and egg cell – the fastest rate of human growth ever!

•By around week four, the cluster of cells has formed an inner and an outer group; the inner group will become your little baby, while the outer group of cells will become the placenta.

•By six weeks, you’ll be able to see your baby with the naked eye and hear his little 2mm-long heart beating during an ultrasound.

•At week eight, major organs have formed and have started very basic functioning. Baby is essentially a complete human being at this stage, even though he’s only the size of a small apricot. It’s in this week that Baby’s eyes, nose and lips start forming.

•Fingernails start to form at 11 weeks, and by the end of your first trimester all organs and systems found in a newborn baby are present.

•Your perfect but skinny baby swallows amniotic fluid in the womb from week 12 and at the end of the all-important first trimester, Baby is about 8cm long and weighs around 45g.

THE SECOND TRIMESTER

The second trimester of pregnancy stretches from week 13 to week 28 and is often called the honeymoon phase, because most women feel on top of the world. Take a look at some highlights:

•At the end of the 14th week, Baby will have his own unique set of fingerprints, while his footprints will form in week 15. Baby will also start to respond to any bright lights you shine on your belly.

•By week 16, an ultrasound scan may show if Baby is a boy or girl, and in just another two weeks or so you may start to notice your baby’s sleeping and waking patterns.

•By week 20, Baby will be able to hear your heartbeat, breathing and even your tummy grumbling; he may even move at the sound of your voice! It’s common to start feeling these movements at about 22 weeks, although some women do feel them earlier.

•At the end of your sixth month, your baby will blink when he’s startled by loud noises.

•By the end of the second trimester, at week 28, Baby will be able to detect different scents and can distinguish between sweet and sour tastes.

•By the close of week 28, Baby weighs 1.1kg or a little more, is 34cm long, his movements are vigorous and he may be able to breathe alone if born now, although a lot of lung development is still necessary.

THE THIRD TRIMESTER

Week 29 marks the start of the third and final trimester of pregnancy. You may feel more uncomfortable but this is an important phase to ensure that your baby is perfectly ready for birth and life outside the womb. Take a look at some of the highlights:

•At the start of your third trimester, Baby weighs about 1.2kg.

•By week 32, fat layers start accumulating underneath Baby’s skin, making him cuddly for birth.

•At week 35, Baby’s brain is still growing at a rapid pace, and this won’t slow down anytime soon.

•Even during these last few weeks, Baby is still growing and maturing all the time, and all the finishing touches are taking place.

•By week 37, Baby could arrive at any time but unless there’s a medical reason not to, it’s best to wait for labour to start naturally. Hang in there, Mom, you’ll be cuddling your little one before you know it!

•At week 37, Baby weighs in at about 2.9kg or more, he may well have reached the 50cm mark and his skeleton starts to harden.

•Growth continues at a rapid rate and by the end of week 38, Baby weighs about 3.1kg, and is anything from 48–50cm long.

•By week 39, the hair on Baby’s head may have grown up to 4.6cm long, and his skin is very sensitive to touch all over his body.

•Week 40 is in theory the end of pregnancy but many first-timers go all the way to 41 or 42 weeks and it is best to let Mother Nature take her course, while keeping track of regular movements by Baby in the womb – a sure sign that all is well.

•By the end of week 40, Baby weighs between 3.2kg and 3.8kg on average and is about 50cm long.

•Most first pregnancies end spontaneously around week 40–42.

How amazing is this?

An ovum is 0.8mm in diameter and a sperm is 0.05mm long. The fusion of these two cells results in the birth of a bonny baby that weighs between 3.2kg and 3.5kg!