Pregnancy is a cherished, desired and complicated phase in the life of every woman. It is the fusion of sperm cells with an ovum in ovaries. The hormones make the lining of the uterus thick and spongy which prepare the body for pregnancy. Millions and millions of sperms are ejaculated but only one sperm happens to fertilize the ovum which results in pregnancy.

The entire pregnancy is divided into three phases,

1. First trimester (1st to 13th week)

2. Second trimester (14th to 27th week)

3. Third trimester (28th to the 40th week until delivery)

The first trimester  

The first step begins with an accurate calculation of the last menstruation. The pint-size egg after fertilization implants itself in the uterine wall. The single cell zygote fertilizes into an embryo with a bundle of growing limbs. Within 6th to 10th-week legs, hands and feet with fingers and toes develop. Nails, skin with hair follicles and nail beds are formed around the 11th week. The significant development is the digestive system with two sets of kidneys. You can watch baby growth week by week video in various pregnancy forums available online. In the period of 8th to the 10th week, the sensation of touch around face and palms, soles and feet are observed. Optic nerves with retina develop in the 8th week. Baby’s heart spontaneously vibrates by the 5th week. During this period the following developments are observed,

• Development of the brain with the sensation of tastes

• The formation of muscles

• The production of white blood cells to fight off germs

• The development of vocal cords

The second trimester          

The baby shows significant signs like little jabs and kicks in this period. The belly grows well and weighs like a chicken breast with yawns and hiccups. Sprouting hair, skin, nails, eyelashes, and eyebrows are few other developments in this period. The baby now starts tasting food via amniotic fluid. Baby’s waste system develops with frequent peeing, though he receives nutrition via the placenta. The baby gradually starts responding to smell, hear, and see with those little eyes. The brain of the baby starts to control the heartbeat which can be felt with a stethoscope. By the 25th week, the capillaries start to take oxygenated blood throughout the body. With the function of the brain, other coordinating movements already start like blinking of eyes.

The third trimester

It’s the phase when the growth of the baby gradually completes. This is from 28th week to 40th week. The baby transforms from cartilage to boney skeleton, consuming a high amount of calcium from the mother which can be seen in the baby growth in womb week by week video. By the 36th week, fat continues to accumulate as baby shades vernix and lanugo. The digestive system starts to build up the baby’s intestine. In the 31st week, the baby gets signals from all five senses. Baby perceives to light and dark, the taste of food, sound, voices and smell. The brain starts growing faster in this phase. The baby responds to some nifty skills including blinking, dreaming, regulating its body temperature. The baby is now ready to see the light of a new world.