Pregnancy - the First Trimester

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There is so much going in your body at such a fast rate! The first trimester of pregnancy is actually the most important for your baby because of the extremely quick growth rate.



During the first four weeks of your pregnancy, many things happen. Of course, ovulation and conception must occur for you to get pregnant. As soon as the egg is fertilized, the gender is determined. It's actually the sperm that makes the baby a boy or a girl. Females can only give off girl chromosomes, but males can give off boy or girl chromosomes. Implantation also happens during the first four weeks. Some people begin spotting during this time and may think they are starting their period. This usually happens between ten and fourteen days after conception. In the baby, the neural tube forms which will develop into the nervous system. The heart and a primitive circulatory system form too.



During the fifth week of your pregnancy, the heart of your baby begins beating. If you have an ultrasound now you can actually see the little heart beating! The umbilical cord also develops. It is responsible for giving the baby oxygen, removing waste, and supplying nutrients. Most of the baby's organs are now developing and there is blood pumping through the body. The baby does not have arms and legs yet, but little buds begin to appear.



During week six, the arms and legs are stretching out, the brain is growing, the eye lenses appear, the nostrils form, the intestines grow, and the pancreas develops. The intestines are initially located outside of the baby's body inside the umbilical cord.



During week seven, the elbows form, the fingers begin to develop, the feet start to appear, the ears start to appear, the eyes start to appear, the nose starts to appear, and the teeth start to grow underneath the gums. Your baby still doesn't look very much like a human yet; it is very strange looking.



During week eight, the bones and cartilage start to form, the tongue begins to develop, and the intestines now move into the body. The fingers and toes are pretty much developed all the way now, but they are webbed and shorter than normal. Your baby is only 0.61 inch long now and weighs only 0.04 ounce!



During the ninth week, the baby begins to move. It's still too small for you to feel though. If something touches the palm of the baby's hand, they will curve their fingers around it. This is truly amazing! Most of the joints are now formed in the baby and fingerprints are already there.



As soon as you enter week ten, this is when the baby becomes known as a fetus. The most critical part of your baby's development is now over. Now there will be a period of very rapid growth. During this time, the baby's proportions do not look normal. The head is half the length of the baby! The eyelids fuse shut now and eye color is determined. The baby is about 1.22 inches long and weighs about 0.14 ounce.



During week eleven, almost all of the organs and structures in the baby are developed and starting to function. Also, the fingers and toes separate, and the hair and nails start to grow. The genitals start to have normal characteristics and amniotic fluid begins to accumulate. Amniotic fluid provides a cushion for the baby in the womb.



During week twelve, the vocal cords start to form, the eyes move closer together, the ears shift to their normal location, the intestines go further in to the body, the liver starts to work, and the pancreas starts to produce insulin. The baby is growing very fast and is now about 2.13 inches long and weighs 0.49 ounce.



During the thirteenth week, the hands of the baby are becoming functional, the neck is getting longer, and the ears and eyes develop more. Nourishment is now taken from the placenta. The baby is about 2.91 inches long and weighs about 0.81 ounce, about the weight of four quarters.



Week fourteen is the last week of the first trimester. The thyroid gland is fully developed and the baby starts producing hormones. In boys, the prostate gland forms, and in girls, the ovaries move into the pelvis from the abdomen. Your baby is about 3.42 inches long now and weighs about 1.52 ounces. Your baby may even start to such their thumb during this time!



The very beginning of your pregnancy is the most crucial for the baby and is the time when the mother needs to be the most careful. This can be hard though, because many women do not even know they are pregnant at first.



Kaynak: SağlıkHaber