You could hear your health care expert use medical words like embryo and zygote to describe different stages of pregnancy. These are the developmental stages of your baby. The time between conception and birth during which a baby grows and develops inside the mother's womb is known as gestation. Because it's hard to predict when a child is conceived, gestational age is calculated from the first day of the mother's last menstrual cycle to the present day. It's counted in weeks.
during the first two weeks of pregnancy women are unable to predict about the pregnancy. After first 4 weeks women become able to gauge about the signs and symptom of the pregnancy. A normal pregnancy lasts between 37 and 42 weeks.
Fetus vs. Embryo
- A baby-to-be isn't considered a fetus until the 9th week following conception
- The embryonic era is all about the development of the body's major systems. Consider it your baby's basic framework and foundation.
- The fetal phase, on the other hand, is more about your baby's growth and development so that he or she may live in the womb.
Week 2 to 3
Conception usually happens two weeks following the start of your last menstruation. Your health care professional will calculate your expected due date by counting forward 40 weeks from the start of your last period. This implies that even if you weren't pregnant at the time, your period is included as part of your pregnancy.
Ovulation occurs in the third week.
Ovulation, or the release of an egg into a woman's fallopian tubes, begins this week. There's a chance, the egg will be fertilized and transform into a zygote if the sperm is ready and waiting.
Weeks 4 to 11 of the embryo's development
Most organs are produced during the embryonic stage of development. The embryo begins to grow and visible external growth that can be observed. By the sixth week, the heart and major blood veins have formed, and the heart has begun to beat. The neural tube, which connects the brain and spinal cord, begins to form.
Almost all of the baby's organs, including the arms and legs, are formed by 12 weeks of pregnancy. During pregnancy, the brain, and spinal cord, on the other hand, continues to develop. At the end of the embryonic period, the infant is around 2 inches long.
Weeks 12 through 40 of the fetal period
The fetal period is a period during which the developing fetus grows. Organs and structures established during the embryonic stage continue to develop and increase.
In the 13th week, the second trimester begins. The gender of the fetus can be determined at 14 weeks of pregnancy. Between the 16th and 20th weeks of pregnancy, women can start to feel the movement of the fetus. During the second trimester, the baby weighs roughly 2 pounds.
Starting in the 27th week of pregnancy, the baby takes on the size and characteristics of a newborn and prepares for birth in the third trimester. The fetus will open its eyes and take in the amniotic fluid as it breathes.
References
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002398.htm
- https://familydoctor.org/your-babys-development-the-first-trimester/
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/prenatal-care/art-20045302
- https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/how-your-fetus-grows-during-pregnancy