To understand your pregnancy, it is helpful to know how your baby changes month to month during the 9 months you are pregnant.
First Month
The process of implantation begins after about 5 to 7 days when the sperm fertilizes the egg, and the egg attaches to the lining of the uterus. The fertilized egg then begins to grow in the uterus, doubling in size every day. At this stage of development the baby is called an embryo.
Shortly after implantation the placenta and umbilical cord begin to form. The placenta and umbilical cord take care of the nourishment and oxygen being provided to your baby and carry away the baby's wastes. Your baby is enclosed in a sac of fluid to protect the baby from bumps and pressure.
In another week the baby has a spinal cord. Within a few days , she develops 5 to 8 bones of the spinal column (vertebrae). By the end of your first 6 weeks of pregnancy, your baby has a head and trunk. The eyes, brain, mouth, inner ears, and digestive system begin to form, as do tiny buds that will be the arms and legs. The heart also forms, and it begins to beat on the 25th day after conception (5 to 6 weeks after the last menstrual period).
By the end of 6 weeks your baby is about a half inch long (1 centimeter) and weighs a fraction of an ounce (or a few grams).
By the end of this month, most mothers start feeling nausea termed as “morning sickness”. It gets worse for some mothers as months progress while others may not experience this symptom at all.
Second Month
This month is part of the most critical aspect of your baby development. It is imperative to take precaution against external factors like drugs, viruses, or environmental factors such as pesticides which may cause birth defects.
Your baby's development is very rapid during the second month. By the end of the second month, all of your baby's major body organs and body systems, including the lungs, liver, and stomach, have begun their development cycle. Eyelids form and grow but are sealed shut, and ears are formed. Ankles, toes, wrists, fingers, and sexual organs start developing. If your baby is a boy, his penis will appear as part of the organ growth.
By this month end your baby starts looking like a miniature human infant rather than the small cell it was conceived as. The baby is a little over 1 inch long (3 centimeters) and still weighs less than 1 ounce (less than 28 grams). The baby is now in a sac called the amniotic sac.
The expectant mother may start having enlarged breasts nad prominent nipples. There may be some tenderness and pain in the area due to an increase in the body hormones. There may be increased vaginal secretion and the mucous plug begins to form. The expectant mother may feel an increased urge to urinate because of increased pressure from the uterus due to the growing fetus.
Third Month
Your baby is completely formed by the end of the third month. The fingers and toes have soft nails, and tooth buds have formed under the gums. Appearance of hair may start on the head, although at this stage the head is large compared with the rest of the body. Swellings on the side of the neck show where the ears will be and the inner ears are forming. There is a bit of a nose and the lips are forming. The kidneys develop and start draining urine into the bladder. The baby's heart has four chambers and beats at 120 to 160 beats per minute. The baby may open and close its mouth and start moving its hands, legs, and head. You might be excited about when to feel your baby but you will have to wait as at this time you will not sense the slight movements. Your baby is now 4 inches long (10 centimeters) and weighs just a little over 1 ounce (over 28 grams). This is the end of the first trimester of pregnancy. The baby is now called a fetus.
Fourth Month
This is the most exciting month as your baby is now completely formed. Your sonography done this month will show the baby completely albeit looking a little strange with a large head. The skin is pink and somewhat transparent, and eyebrows and eyelashes begin to appear. The baby's body is covered in fine soft hair called lanugo. The baby is storing fat under the skin, and the bones are making blood cells. The external sex organs have become distinctly male or female. Your baby has vocal cords, taste buds, and a strong heartbeat. Now the body grows faster than the head.
The baby moves, kicks, sleeps, wakes, swallows, and passes urine. You may start to feel a slight sensation of movement in your lower abdomen. This feeling is like bubbles or fluttering. When you first feel the baby's movement (called quickening), write down the date. This date helps the doctor determine when your baby is due.
Your baby is now 6 to 7 inches (16 to 18 centimeters) long and weighs about 6 ounces (about 170 grams). In India as preference is for baby boy, lot of women specially in the rural areas try to undergo sonography for sex determination which is illegal . This month is the most critical for women as any attempted abortion during this stage can harm even the health of the mother and is definitely illegal is done only for preferential sex baby.
