| Day 20 |
| Foundations of the brain, spinal cord and nervous system are already established. |
| Day 21 |
| The heart begins to beat |
| Day 28 |
|
The backbone and muscles are forming. Arms, legs, eyes and ears have begun to show.
|
| Day 35 |
|
Five fingers can be discerned in the hand. The eyes darken as pigment is produced.
|
| Day 40 |
| Brain waves can be detected and recorded. |
| Week 6 |
|
The
liver is now taking over the production of the blood cells, and the
brain begins to control movement of muscles and organs. The mother is
about to miss her second period and has probably confirmed that she is
pregnant.
|
| Week 8 |
| A little more than an inch long, now it is called a fetus. |
| Week 9 |
| Fingerprints are already evident in the skin. |
| Week 10 |
| The fetus can squint, swallow and wrinkle its forehead. |
| Week 12 |
|
The
fetus now sleeps, awakens and exercises its muscles energetically –
turning its head, curling its toes, and opening and closing its mouth.
|
| Week 13 |
|
Fine hair has begun to grow on the head, and sexual differentiation has become apparent.
|
| Month 5 |
|
Half the pregnancy has now passed, and the fetus is about 12 inches
long. The mother can definitely feel movement by now. If a sound is
especially loud or startling, the fetus may jump in reaction to it. The
fetus also sleeps and wakes at regular intervals.
|
| Month 6 |
|
If the baby were born in this month and given the proper care, it would
survive. Finger and toe prints can be seen. The eyelids begin to part
and the eyes open.
|
| Month 7 |
|
The baby now uses the four senses of vision, hearing, taste and touch.
It can recognize its mother’s voice. The baby can suck its thumb.
|
| Month 8 |
|
The skin begins to thicken with a layer of fat stored underneath for
insulation and nourishment. Antibodies increasingly build up.
|
| Month 9 |
|
Toward the end of this month the baby is ready for birth. The average
duration of pregnancy is 280 days from the first day of the mother’s
last menstrual period, but this varies. Most babies (85-95%) are born
somewhere between 266 and 294 days. By this time the infant normally
weights 6 to 9 pounds, and his heart is pumping about 250 gallons of
blood a day. He is fully capable of life outside the womb.
|
