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week 5
At this stage, he or she looks like a tiny collection of tubes. -
week 15
Baby's skin is so thin that it can be seen right through it. Baby's muscles are getting stronger, and he or she is testing them out by moving around, making fists, and trying out different facial expressions. -
week 11
The baby still only measures just 2 inches long from the top of the head to the rump — about the size of a prune. Most of that is the head, which makes up about half of your baby's entire body! -
week 8
He or she has officially graduated from embryo to fetus. You can the beginnings of a face on the bean-sized baby. You could make out two eyes, a nose, ears, and an upper lip. -
week 19
The amniotic fluid that surrounds and protects the baby can also irritate his or her delicate skin. That's why the baby's body is now coated with a waxy, white substance called vernix caseosa. Under the skin, a layer of fat is forming to provide warmth. -
week 22
This week the baby is almost 1 pound and 8 inches long from the top of the head to the rump! All sorts of systems are forming inside the baby, including hormones that will give his or her organs the commands they need to operate, and the nerves baby needs to touch, smell, and experience all sorts of other sensations. Baby's sex organs are also developing now. In boys, the testes have started to descend. In girls, the uterus, ovaries, and vagina are where they should be. -
week 28
By now the baby measures about 10 inches long from the top of the head to the rump and weighs more than 2 pounds — about as large as a squash. He or she can do all sorts of things — blink, cough, hiccup, and possibly even dream! Baby is moving into position for childbirth, which is getting closer every day. -
week 32
The baby, at almost 4 pounds, is like a cantaloupe weighing down your belly! There isn't much room left in your uterus, but somehow the little bundle will still manage to wriggle and squirm around in there, though maybe not as forcefully as before. The baby is making final preparations for his or her appearance. The fine covering of body hair called lanugo is falling off, and hair only remains where it's meant to be — on the eyelashes, eyebrows, and head. -
week 35
the baby weighing in at nearly 5 1/2 pounds, but now the serious growth begins. For the next few weeks, the baby will put on 1/2 pound or more a week. Baby is also settling into position lower in your pelvis for delivery – this movement is called "lightening." -
week 39
At just over 7 pounds, the baby is like a little watermelon in your belly — and you can feel every ounce. You're probably more than ready to be done with the heartburn, backaches, and constant bathroom visits and ready to meet your baby already! You won't have to wait much longer. Baby could be born any day now. You may notice more Braxton Hicks contractions as your body prepares for labor. If they get more regular and intense, it's time to call the doctor.
