This hub is especially for all pregnant mothers and fathers:

The growth of your baby is a continuous process that often conveys a sense of awe.

First trimester

• Baby is 1/4 inch long.
• Heart, digestive system, backbone and spinal cord begin to form.
• Placenta (sometimes called "afterbirth") begins to develop.
• The single fertilized egg is now 10,000 times larger than it was at conception.

First trimester

• Baby is 1-1/8 inches long.
• Heart is functioning.
• Eyes, nose, lips, tongue, ears and teeth are forming.
• Penis begins to appear in boys.
• Baby is moving, although the mother can not yet feel movement.

First trimester

• Baby is 2-1/2 to 3 inches long.
• Weight is about 1/2 to 1 ounce.
• Baby develops recognizable form.
• Nails start to develop and earlobes are formed.
• Arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet and toes are fully formed.
• Eyes are almost fully developed.
• Baby has developed most organs and tissues.
• Baby's heart rate can be heard at 10 weeks with a special instrument called a Doppler.

Second trimester

• Baby is 6-1/2 to 7 inches long.
• Weight is about 6 to 7 ounces.
• Baby is developing reflexes, such as sucking and swallowing, and may begin sucking thumb.
• Tooth buds are developing.
• Sweat glands are forming on palms and soles.
• Fingers and toes are well defined.
• Gender is identifiable.
• Skin is bright pink, transparent and covered with soft, downy hair.
• Although recognizably human in appearance, the baby would not be able to survive outside the mother’s body.

Second trimester

• Baby is 8 to 10 inches long.
• Weight is about 1 pound.
• Hair begins to grow on baby’s head.
• Soft woolly hair called lanugo covers baby’s body. Some may remain until a week after birth when it is shed.
• Mother begins to feel fetal movement.
• Internal organs are maturing.
• Eyebrows, eyelids and eyelashes appear.

Second trimester

• Baby is 11 to 14 inches long.
• Weight is about 1-3/4 to 2 pounds.
• Eyelids begin to part and eyes open sometimes for short periods of time.
• Skin is covered with protective coating called vernix.
• Baby is able to hiccup.

Third trimester

• Baby is 14 to 16 inches long.
• Weight is about 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 pounds.
• Taste buds have developed.
• Fat layers are forming.
• Organs are maturing.
• Skin is still wrinkled and red.
• If born at this time, the baby will be considered premature and require special care.

Third trimester

• Baby is 16-1/2 to 18 inches long.
• Weight is about 4 to 6 pounds.
• Overall growth is rapid this month.
• Tremendous brain growth occurs at this time.
• Most body organs are now developed, except for the lungs.
• Movements or “kicks” are strong enough to be visible from the outside.
• Kidneys are mature.
• Skin is less wrinkled.
• Fingernails now extend beyond fingertips.

Third trimester

• Baby is 19 to 20 inches long.
• Weight is about 7 to 7-1/2 pounds.
• The lungs are mature.
• Baby is now fully developed and can survive outside the mother’s body.
• Skin is pink and smooth.
• The baby settles down lower in the abdomen to prepare for birth and may seem less active.