Pregnancy Calendar (Week By Week)

This pregnancy calendar is a week by week chart very helpful for parents who are keen to know about the level of growth of their baby. This calendar keeps you updated about the growth of your baby and simultaneously pregnant mom can get information regarding the changes that take place in her body during pregnancy and the care that she should take during every stage of growth of her baby.

·         Total days of pregnancy: 40 weeks (Gestation period)

·         Age of delivered baby:   38 weeks.

Since duration of pregnancy is calculated from the first day of last menstrual period, and at the end of second week only fertilization would have taken place. So the delivery of the baby will be around 38-42 weeks which is considered to be normal.

The total gestation period is broadly divided into:

            I  Trimester------------1^st week to 12^th week.

            II Trimester------------13^th week to 26^th week.

            III Trimester------------27^th week to the end.

 

Week by week changes:

Week 1:

Since the period of pregnancy is calculated from the first day of your last menstrual periods. This week comprises of menstrual period only. But during this period baby has not been conceived yet.

 Care for the mom :

·         Illicit drugs, alcohol should be avoided.

·         Over the counter medicines and other medicines should be taken only after proper opinion from doctors.

·         Diet rich in vitamins or multivitamin supplements with extra folic acid should be continued.

Week 2:

By the end of this week, ovulation takes place that is release of egg from the ovary. If at all a sperm is available in the fallopian tube there are more chances for fertilization. Sperm has to undergo lot of preparatory changes in itself before it enters the egg. Once it enters the egg there will be changes in the outer portion of the egg preventing other sperms to fuse further.

During this fusion only the gender of the baby is established.Male sperm has two chromosome types X and Y.Female egg has only X chromosome. Hence if,

                    Male(X) +Female (X)   = baby girl.

                    Male(Y) + Female (Y) = baby boy.

This stage of embryo is called as Zygote.

Week 3:

After 30 hours of formation of zygote, there starts division of the cells .This is called as cleavage as the two cell body divides into 4 cell stage, then 8 cell stage, then 16 cell stage.

During this stage it starts moving from the fallopian tube to the uterus wall. In this stage it looks like a ball of cells called as Morula.Further division takes place leading to the formation of Blastocyst.Outer most layer of this stage is called as trophoblast which gets attached to the endometrium of the uterus. This important process of attachment is called as implantation.

It is this endometrium that provides nutrition to the embryo at this stage. This implantation site later develops into placenta.

Care for the mom

• At the time of implantation there will be spotting of blood called as implantation bleeding.
• Since the embryo starts taking nutrition from the mother it is important to enrich mother’s food with protein (For cell division) and iron, calcium etc.

Week 4:

During this stage the embryo comprises of:

• Epiblast  & Hypoblast.   
• Amnion  & Yolk sac.

The former are involved in the formation of body organs.

The latter amnion helps in protection with amniotic fluid forming a cushion like support and yolk sac forms blood and nourish the embryo until the placenta takes over that role.

Week 5:

Until this stage the embryo looks like a cell mass and later this it takes up a definite shape.

By this time it will be a size of a grain.

• The upper portion of the embryo develops in to neural tube which later forms brain and nervous components later.
• A bulge appears in the centre which later forms heart.
• Placenta starts developing with lot of finger like projection called as microvillus which increases the area of absorption.

Care for mom:

• From this stage onwards other symptoms of pregnancy show up.
• She tends to have morning sickness, unusual craving for food
• Chances of miscarriages increase due to food borne illnesses and hence a mother should be very careful in selecting her food and any allergic food items should be completely avoided.

Week 6:

 By this week size of the baby will be 3-4 mm.

• There is rapid growth of neural components like brain and spinal cord this stage is very important.
• In the head portion of the embryo on the lateral aspects two depressions called as vesicles develop which further develops into eyes.
• Still farther from the vesicles there develops passage ways for the development of ears.
• Heart formation is progressing with the first heart beat started.
• There are signs of developing respiratory and digestive systems.
• Small buds start appearing in the upper and lower half representing the future arms and legs.

Care for the mom:

• The heart starts beating and can be seen in the ultrasound.
• Digestion will be affected due to activities of various hormone.
• Food has to be enriched with protein, vitamin sand minerals.
• There may be loss of weight which occurs in many mothers due to morning sickness and improper digestion but care should be taken to maintain healthy levels.
• The typical symptoms of breast sore and tenderness starts here.
• Increased frequency of urination due to extra fluid kidney has to excrete.
• Fatigue dominates everything due to the increased demand from the embryo.

Week 7:

There is incredible growth of the embryo from the size of 4-5 mm at the start of the week to 1-1.3 cm at the end of the week.

• The hand and leg buds which appear earlier grow longer with well differentiable arms, shoulders and hands.
• Digital plates too develop forming the fingers and toes subsequently.
• There is appreciable formation of chambers of heart.
• There appears primary bronchus which carries oxygen to the lungs.
• Brain has well distinguished cerebral hemispheres. The development of eyes and nostrils are remarkable.
• Appendix, pancreas and intestines also start forming.

Care for the mom:

• There seems to be a little weight gain.
• Food has to be supplemented with Calcium and vitamin-D as they are needed for bone formation.

Week 8:

 The size of embryo will be around 1.6 cm and it’s of 1 gram weight.

• Eyelids are forming in this stage and retina of the eye develops with nerve cells in it.
• Both external and internal ears are forming.
• Tip of the nose is developed.
• There are distinctions between arms and forearms with the formation of elbow.
• Chambers of the heart are developing with valves in between them.

Care for the mom:

• Size of the uterus is increasing gradually.
• As it grows there will be cramping accompanied with vaginal bleeding.

Week 9:

Size of the embryo is now around 2.3 cm and weighs around 2 grams.

• The embryo starts looking like a human form not like a cell mass or tadpole like.
• Eyelids are completely formed and cover the eyes.
• Fingers have developed completely and the hands remain flexed.
• The head is now straighter as the formation of neck progresses.
• There starts mild movement of the baby.

Care for the mom:

Vitamin C and Iron are very important during pregnancy and most women tend to become anaemic, hence food should be supplemented with iron. Iron is rich in green leafy vegetables, liver, egg, date fruits, grapes, dry fruits etc.

Week 10:

Size of the baby increases to 3.1 cm and it weighs around 4 grams.

The end of this week is the end of the embryonic period of pregnancy, and the foetal period begins. This stage is characterized by rapid growth of the foetus and during this period the foetus is most susceptible to factors which could interfere with its development.

Care for the mom:

• Taking in protein during pregnancy will provide amino acids which are essential for the growth and repair of the foetus, placenta, uterus and breasts. Protein is rich in Soya and its products, legumes, egg, meat etc.

However, protein should only make up about 15% of your total calorie intake during pregnancy.

Week 11:

The size of the baby measures 3.1 cm and weighs 4.5grams.

Foetal growth is rapid now and baby’s crown to end length will double. At this stage baby's head is almost double the length of baby's entire length. As the head straightens the chin lifts from its chest and the neck will start to strengthen and develop

External genitalia are beginning to show distinguishing features, and by the end of the next few weeks the transformation into either a boy or a girl will be complete.

Week 12: 

The size of the baby will be around 5.4cm and weigh about 14 grams.

• Fingers and toes which remain fused so far get separated.
• External genitals are formed and can be seen in ultrasounds.
• There are centres of bone formation which further helps in growth of the bone.
• Pituitary gland which is the master of the gland starts producing hormone.
• Digestive alimentary tract has been formed and it can push the food forwards.

Care for the mom:

• Size if the uterus keeps on increasing and its bigger enough to be inside the pelvis and it can felt above the pubic bone.
• Bone formation is active and intake of calcium and vitamin D should be sufficient.

Heart beat can be heard using Doppler.

Week 13:  (II Trimester)

Baby grows quickly reaching a size of 7.4 cm.and it weighs around 23 grams. Growth and development of the foetus is particularly striking from now until the 24th week. Already the baby has doubled in size from what it was at 7 weeks.

One interesting change is the slow down in growth of head compared to the rest of body. In the 13th week the head is about half of the crown to end measurement, and by the 21st week it will be about 1/3 of the crown to end measurement.

Face is starting to take on a more human like appearance. The eyes which started at the side of the head are now moving closer together and the ears will take up their normal positions on the side of the head.

Week14:  some of the notable changes observed are:

• Ear of the foetus are now on the side of the head.
• The neck continues to grow in length and the chin won’t be resting on the chest.
• Genital organs continue to grow and the sex differentiation becomes much easier.

Care for the mom:

• Body weight keeps on increasing.
• If being overweight one should be cautious in selecting the food of fewer calories.

Week -15:

The size of the baby is 10cm and weighs around 70gms

• Skin of the foetus is very thin and is covered by a thin layer of hair.
• Eyes are widely separated and they start moving towards the centre.
• External development of ears completed and they resemble human ear.
• Bones of the foetus are forming and density keeps on increasing.

Week16:

  The size of the baby is 12cm by now and weighs 100gms.

·         Fingers of the foetus are completely formed.

·         There is placenta attached to the stomach.

·         Lengthening of arms and legs and fine movement started.

 Care for mom:

• By now uterus can be felt some few centimetres below the belly.
• Women are advised to take healthy nutritious food avoiding oily, junk foods.

Week- 17: 

During this stage there is gradual increase in size and weight of the foetus.

Foetus resembling more of a human form.

Week-18:

The size of the embryo reaches 15 cm and weighs around 200gms.

Total weight gain at this stage should be at around 4.5kgs; however this weight gain can vary from one pregnancy to another. Iron plays an important part in pregnancy and at this stage one need about 30mg a day due to the increase of blood volume.

Week- 19:

There seems the same gradual growth of the baby.

There seems development of brain and nervous tissue here.

There will be weight gain of another 1kg by now.

Week- 20:

Baby weighs around 300gms by now.

The skin which is covering baby's body will be very thin and now begins growing from two layers, the epidermis (surface) and the dermis, which is a deeper layer. At this stage of baby’s development the skin will secrete what is called vernix; this is to protect skin of the foetus from the amniotic fluid.

From the 20th week of pregnancy uterus should grow about 1cm every week.

Week-21:

The body of the foetus straightens and the final length is26.7cm and it will weigh around 360gms.

The digestive system of the foetus is already functioning in a simple way. At this stage foetus can swallow amniotic fluid, absorb much of the water in it and then pass the unabsorbed matter as far as the large bowel.

By this time abdomen will show out making pregnancy obvious.

Week-22:

Organ systems of the foetus are becoming specialized for their particular functions.

Many of the early symptoms of pregnancy are reduced to a greater level. It is vitally important that you keep your fluid intake up during pregnancy. Fluids will help your body process nutrients, develop new cells, keep up your blood volume and help regulate your body temperature

Week-23:

Baby will be weighing around 500gms.

The important organs that foetus uses to produce hormones are in development. One hormone in particular, insulin is being produced by the pancreas. Insulin helps to break down and use sugar.

When foetus is exposed to high blood sugar levels the pancreas will respond by increasing the blood-insulin level

Care for mom: The size of the abdomen varies from person to person at particular time. Mother should continue taking nutritious food at the same time maintaining an average weight gain.

Week-24:

Baby will be around 30 cms and 600gms weight. Baby is starting to fill out and its face and body are starting to look more like that of an infant at birth with each passing day, even if it weighs a little over a pound it is still tiny.

Care for Mom:   Some women suffer from nasal stuffiness during their pregnancy, or even frequent nosebleeds. It is believed that this may be due to the hormonal changes that body is going through as body is changing and adapting with pregnancy, which in turn causes the blood vessels in nasal passageways to swell and bleed more.

Week -25:

There is gradual growth of the baby.

The size of the uterus gradually increases.

During this trimester there is maturation of the organs of the baby.

The size of the abdomen shown out is greatly increased.

Care for mom:

On of the main complaining symptom here is itching through out the body and is mainly related to the hormonal imbalances.

Week-26

Baby has some sort of sleeping pattern. Certain times of the day he/she is more active than other times. All his/her five senses will now be fully developed.

On Hearing to baby's heart beating there will be a skipped beat. This is not unusual and is called an arrhythmia. An arrhythmia may occur as the heart is growing and developing but will disappear as it matures.

Care for mom:

In the second half of pregnancy there is growth of abdomen nearly 1cm each week and if one have been following a balanced, nutritious meal plan there will be  a total  weight gain  between 7.2 and 9.9kg around this week.

As your uterus, placenta and baby get bigger, Back pain, head aches, leg cramps and pressure in pelvis may become more frequent now.

Eating fish is particularly good during pregnancy. It has been proven that women who ate a variety of fish during pregnancy carried for longer, resulting in a healthier birth weight of their baby. It has also been studied that eating fish reduces the risk of premature labour due to the omega-3 fatty acids that cause a hormonal response to protect from pre-term labour.

Week-27: (III Trimester )

       Baby’s eyes first appear at around 5 week’s gestation and look like a pair of shallow grooves on each side of the brain. These grooves continue to develop and will turn into pockets, called optical vesicles, of which the lenses will start developing.

     At around 7 to 10 weeks the eyes start moving toward the middle of the face and at around 8 weeks blood vessels start to form and during the 9th week the pupils form.

     At this stage the nerve connection from the eyes to the brain will start to form, this is called the optic nerve. At 11 to 12 weeks the eyelids form but remain fused together until 27 to 28 weeks, when they start to open and close and he/she will start to develop his/her sense of sight.

Care for the mom:

A pregnant women tends to have mood swings and depression but one should be able to divert herself and be happy and these thoughts involve the baby and affect his/her personality itself.

Week-28:

Baby will be weighing around 1.0kg.

At around 28 weeks of pregnancy baby’s brain will begin to form characteristic grooves and indentations on the surface. Eyebrows and eyelashes will be present and baby's hair on his/her head will even be growing longer. Baby will continue to have fat deposits under his/her skin, making his/her appearance look a little chubbier.

 Week-29:

Care for the mom:   A pregnant women tends to have mood swings and depression but one should be able to  divert herself and be happy and these thoughts involve the baby and affect his/her personality itself.

Week-30:

The size of the baby increases to 40 cms.

The uterus is now about 10 cm from the belly button and the abdomen is popping out so obviously as the growth of the uterus& baby is enormous during this period.

Week-31:

The baby weighs around 1.5 kgs.

All the internal organs are getting matured faster.

Care for mom:

There will be weight gain of around 12 kgs.

Sleeping will be affected in the night due to the greater size of the abdomen but it is advised to sleep in the left lateral positions so that blood supply to the baby will not be affected.

Week-32:

 Baby will be able to register on all five of his/her senses.

Baby’s iris, which is the coloured part of the eye, will open in darker light and close in brighter light.

Care for mom:

• Due to enormous weight gain, pregnant women tend to have back pain due to shift in their centre of gravity and arching of spine.
• Pregnant women’s bladder is compressed by the growing foetus and hence they tend to urinate often.

Week-33:

• Baby may begin to practice sucking this week by sucking on his/her fingers.
• Baby will continue to deposit fat under the skin as he/she will continues to gain weight
• As a result of the fat deposits, baby's skin will be changing colour from red to pink

Care for mom:

Pregnant women tend to have indigestion due to the growth of the baby compressing on the intestines and stomach affecting the process of digestion, hence they tend to have heart burn.

Hence it is advised to take intermediate meals and not heavy meal a single time.

Week-34:

Baby weighs around 2 kgs by now.

• Baby has already started to develop his/her immune system to help fight against any infections.
• The fingernails will be nearing the end of the fingers, and may even need to be trimmed within the first couple of days after birth.
• Baby’s eyes will appear blue now, although they may change after the baby is a couple of weeks old.

Care for mom:    A few weeks before labour begins, the distance between the top of the uterus and the pubic symphysis is found to be reduced. This is known as lightening, and occurs when the baby's head enters the birth canal.

With lightening one may experience a mixture of benefits and problems, such as:

Benefit: More space in stomach, making one feel less squashed, ability to breathe easier.

Problem: More pressure on bladder, anus and pelvic area.

Week-35:

Baby weighs around 2.3 kgs.

• Fatty deposits continue this week, as baby will start to get fatter around the arms and legs now.
• If it’s a boy, then the testes should have completed their descent into the scrotum this week.

 If the baby to be born this week, he/she will loose weight faster than a full term baby as the digestive tract is not yet completely developed to be self sufficient.

Week-36:

Baby will be weighing around 2.6 kgs

• At this stage baby form dimples at the elbows and knees as fat is still being deposited under his/her skin
• If baby hasn't already dropped into the birth canal by now, then he/she may do so at any time.

Care for mom:

There will be a final weight again of around 13 kgs by now. And care should be taken to maintain this range.

Week-37:

By the end of the 36th week baby will have settled into its birth position, although it is still possible for it to turn again.

• Baby is building up it's strength with each day that passes
• At this stage not all  baby's bones have ossified, and this is an advantage to both the mom and  baby as it means that he/she will be more flexible during birth
• At this stage  baby will automatically turn towards light
• From the end of this week,  baby's growth rate will slow right down

Week-38:

Very slow increase in weight of the baby to make it ease for delivery.

• At this stage of pregnancy baby is gathering a lot of meconium in his/her intestines. This will then pass through the system as the first stool.

Care for mom: One might feel much like eating; as they will be more tired, sore and bloated some of the following nutritious items should be taken avoiding oily snacks.

• Bananas, raisins and dried fruits for iron, potassium and magnesium
• String cheese for calcium and protein
• Crackers for fibre
• Fruit shakes made with skim milk and yogurt for calcium, vitamins and minerals

Week-39:

• Baby continues to gain weight while still inside the uterus, although the rate of growth is very slow.
• All his/her organ systems are now in place and capable of functioning on their own

Care for mom:   Since after delivery pregnant women have to breast feed her baby, she has to start taking extra 500 calorie to compensate for that.

Week-40:  (End of Pregnancy).

The long awaited time has come finally and child birth will be anywhere around or before this week itself.

Care for mom:

It’s very common to have pain and it’s bearable during delivery, hence no need of worrying. Pregnant women should be confident and co-operate with the gynaecologists for easy delivery. At the first sight of new born baby they tend to forget all the sufferings and pain they beared through out pregnancy.