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During the short nine months from conception to birth, a microscopic single cell evolves with amazing speed into a seven-pound, 20-inch fully formed infant. By the fifth week after conception, before most women even realize they are pregnant, the baby’s heart is beating, the backbone and muscles are forming, arms, legs, eye and ears have begun to show. By 8 weeks in utero, everything is present that will be found in a fully developed adult.
Below you will find an overview of your baby’s development. For more detailed information on your baby’s growth week by week, please visit www.babycenter.com/pregnancy.
Day 1 – Conception – Sperm joins with the egg to form one cell – smaller than a grain of salt. The life has inherited 23 chromosomes from each parent, 46 in all. This one cell contains the complex genetic blueprint for every detail of human development – the child’s sex, hair and eye color, height, skin tone.
Day 21 – The heart begins to beat.
Day 40 – Brain waves can be detected.
Week 8 – At a little more than an inch long, the developing life is now called a fetus – Latin for “young one” or “offspring.” Everything is now present that will be found in a fully developed adult. The stomach produces digestive juices and the kidneys have begun to function. Forty muscle sets begin to operate in conjunction with the nervous system. The fetus’ body responds to touch, although the mother will not be able to feel movement until the fourth or fifth month.
Week 12 – The fetus now sleeps, awakens and exercises its muscles energetically, turning its head, curling its toes, and opening and closing its mouth. The palm, when stroked will make a tight fist. The fetus breathes amniotic fluid to help develop its respiratory system.
Month 5 – The fetus is about 12 inches long and the mother has begun to feel movement. If a sound is especially loud or startling, the fetus may jump in reaction to it.
Month 7 – The baby now uses the four senses of vision, hearing, taste and touch. He can recognize his mothers voice and since last month, if born and given the proper care, he would survive.
Month 9 – The average duration of pregnancy is 280 days from the day of the mother’s last menstrual period, but this varies. By this time the infant normally weighs 6 to 9 pounds and his heart is pumping 250 gallons of blood a day. He is fully capable of life outside the womb.