Knowing what stage of pregnancy you are at is essential if you hope to maximize your baby's developing health. Each phase will come with its own challenges that you as a mother will experience as well as many different physical transformations that your baby will undergo.
During the first state of pregnancy, also referred to as semester one, the baby starts out as a single planted seed and then progresses to an embryo until the age of about 8 weeks. By the end of eight weeks, everything that is seen in a normal human is now present and facial features are starting to develop. As this is the end of the embryo period, it is now called a foetus. By the end of this trimester, the genitals have formed and you will now be able to tell if it is male or female.
That takes us to the second stage of pregnancy, which lasts from week 14 until 26. During this phase the baby will actually start making movements that the mother can feel and small features such as eyebrows, finger nails and eyelashes start to form. Fat will begin to develop and the nervous system will make the most rapid changes. During this phase is when you need to be most careful of the foods and drinks you are putting in your body as they can seriously harm your growing baby's brain. By the end of this stage the baby will likely be around two and a quarter pounds and fourteen inches long.
Finally, during the third trimester, which goes from week 27 until about week 38, the baby will finish its development and grow to its full size. The bones will finish developing and the lungs and respiratory system will also now be in place. The foetus will have reached its full size of about 19-21 inches and between six and three quarters of a pound to ten pounds.
So try and enjoy the whole entire process as much as you can. Realizing what is going on with your baby during the different phases will make it feel more special to you and will help you develop a strong connection with your baby even before it is born.
