Nine months is a long time to wait to meet your baby. You know it’s there growing inside of you, but all of those ultrasounds and heartbeats are making you even more excited! With only these short glimpses of your little one, it’s hard to know what’s going on during these nine months.
So what is happening and what is your baby doing during this time? Here are some fun facts to give you a bigger picture of what your little one is up to.
First Trimester (0-13 weeks)
The first trimester has a lot of changes – it is the time when your body is first experiencing the pregnancy after all! This is the time when you shift from providing for just yourself, to providing for you and your growing baby. This change can be super draining as you’re adjusting to working overtime to care for your little one. Here are just a few of the things happening during the first trimester:
- Did you know your baby’s heart will beat approximately 54 million times before the baby is born?! It will start to beat for the first time around 3 weeks after conception.
- As early as 6 weeks, the baby exhibits reflexes (grasping, moving their jaw, pointing their toes in response to touch) and can even roll over
- By 6.5 weeks, the baby’s heart has 4 chambers and is already mostly complete. At this point, it beats more than 160 times per minute! Most other organs begin to develop, such as the brain and spinal cord
- Baby can swallow and their bowel movements begin at around 6 weeks
- Your baby can start having hiccups as early as 7 weeks
- At 9 weeks, the baby can sigh and has started sucking its thumb
- 75% of all babies show right-hand dominance at 8 weeks (the other 25% show either left-hand preference or no preference)
Second Trimester (14-26 weeks)
For many women, the second trimester is seen as the “easiest” when it comes to symptoms. Usually, morning sickness and nausea tend to significantly decline, and you might start to have more energy and feel like yourself a bit more than you did in the first trimester. However, this does not mean that your body is done working hard to provide nourishment for your baby. During the second trimester…
- Your baby can hear both inside and outside of the womb at 16 weeks. Your baby can hear the sounds going on inside of your body, such as your heartbeat, your breathing and can also hear you talk and sing (research shows that babies can actually react to the sound of their mother’s voice and likely finds these sounds comforting!)
- Although your baby’s not opening them quite yet, their eyes are developed by 20 weeks
- Fingerprints and toeprints have formed and fingernails have grown on the tips of the fingers and toes
Third Trimester (27-40+ weeks)
You’re nearing the end! Whether or not your first two trimesters were easy, you are probably starting to get ready to not be pregnant anymore. Your baby is now running out of room in your uterus, and you’re starting to feel it! With the baby pressed on your organs, you are probably feeling a lot of discomfort and need to use the bathroom regularly. With the discomfort, you are also able to feel the baby move around more and more, and might be able to see them move from the outside as well! Some fun facts about baby development in the third trimester:
- At 27 weeks, your baby’s eyes open. It’s site is a bit blurry, but he/she can distinguish between light and dark and can detect light streaming in from outside of your body (if you were to hold a flashlight up to your belly, baby can see it!)
- By the third trimester, a baby can tell the difference between his mother’s voice and others and has even developed a more favorable response to certain voices
- By the end of your pregnancy, your uterus is 500-1000 times its normal size!
While it might seem like not a lot is happening during your pregnancy – especially in the first trimester – your baby is growing, and growing fast! A lot of what you do affects your baby in utero, even from the earliest stage. JMJ Pregnancy Center wants you to be the best mom possible, starting from your baby’s conception. Reach out if you would like any more information or support during this time. Our medical professionals are prepared to help you and your baby.
Congrats to you and your body! Growing a baby is not easy, and we recognize all the hard work that goes into pregnancy. So if no one else tells you – we appreciate all the sacrifices you are making for your little one during these nine months! Let us know how we can support you.
Sources:
https://lifecharity.org.uk/news-and-views/10-astounding-facts-about-the-development-on-the-unborn-baby/
https://www.mother.ly/pregnancy/third-trimester/5-amazing-things-your-baby-is-doing-in-your-3rd-trimester/
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-second-trimester/
