The secret life of your unborn baby

The secret life of your unborn baby

O TO 5 WEEKS

Your baby

Her heart is now the size of a poppy seed and her neural tube will fuse this week (which is why taking folic acid reduces the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida).

Your body

The first hormone-induced signs of your pregnancy may start to appear now. Your boobs may feel tender and your sense of smell may become more acute.

17 TO 20 WEEKS

Your baby

Her internal sex organs have developed and her liver has started producing red blood cells. Her body is catching up with her head in terms of growth and she’ll eventually lose her comma-like shape as her tail disappears.

Your body

Your boobs might have grown more noticeably and the area around your nipples—the areola–may begin to darken.

25 TO 28 WEEKS

Your baby

She will grow by half her body length and triple in weight. The connection between the parts of her brain responsible for pain perception and thinking become more established. By 28 weeks, she’ll be around 26.5cm long and weigh about 1.3kg.

Your body

You’ll feel aches and pains due to your extra weight, and your increased blood supply can lead to varicose veins and piles. From around 27 weeks you may feel Braxton Hicks contractions (lasting from 30 secs to two mins), which prepare you for labour.

37 TO 40 WEEKS

Your baby

Her lungs are now mature enough for her to breathe air and her hearing is good, although her eyesight will continue to develop once she is outside the womb. Her amazing 40-week journey from single cell to baby is now complete.

Your body