Pregnancy Calendar

Week 7

• your baby will double in size this week, from 4mm to 8mm, about the size of an M&M
• baby's heart is beginning to divide into chambers this week
• areas which will become the eyes, ears, and nose continue to develop
• arm and leg buds are present now, and by the end of the week the beginning of little hands and feet are there
• baby grows a tail that will gradually disappear as the body grows
• you may be feeling nausea, breast tenderness, or other symptoms now
• these symptoms are caused for the most part by the rush of hormones in your body
• if you are feeling nauseous, it may be a good thing, as nausea is usually associated with rising progesterone levels which are necessary to maintain a pregnancy - small comfort I know :)
• however, don't worry if you aren't nauseous or don't experience many early pregnancy symptoms - everyone reacts differently to the hormonal and physical changes that come along with growing a baby

Week 8

• little fingers are starting to form and the arms and hands continue to lengthen and develop
• baby's head has grown larger in proportion to the body
• the eyes are obvious now, as the retina develops pigment (already eye color is beginning to develop)
• at the start of this week ears are visible as little slits on the baby's head, much lower than they will be at birth
• by the end of this eight week the ears will have developed further and look quite like little baby ears
• the face is continuing to take shape, with the nose and upper lip forming this week
• baby is 13mm or about half an inch long

Week 9

• baby will grow from 13 to 18mm this week, from pinto to kidney bean size
• eyelids are beginning to develop and a little chin is visible, but still not very developed
• little arms are continuing to change, with elbows and wrists becoming more apparent
• tiny fingers are growing, but are still fused together

Week 10

• this is the most critical time in a baby's development, as the essential internal organs and other parts of the baby are forming
• it's the legs' turn to grow, with knees and toes developing
• by the end of week 10, baby is 30mm or about an inch and a quarter, like a 2-peanut shell
• upper arms get longer and the elbow bends, fingers are now distinct, but still have webbing between them
• baby's sex organs are developing, but you still can't tell if it's a boy or a girl
• baby begins to move this week, but is still too small for these movements to be felt by mommy
• if you've experienced mild nausea in the past weeks, it may start to subside now, however, everyone's different, and pregnancy-related nausea can last anywhere from a few weeks to the entire pregnancy