What Happens Each Pregnancy Week?

In every new pregnancy week, many changes occur in your body as your baby thrives and grows. There are three trimesters of pregnancy. Each trimester lasts approximately three months or 40 weeks for a full-term pregnancy. These trimesters are like goals for pregnancy. Make it to the second trimester and things are a bit safer. Make it to the third trimester and the pregnancy is nearing the exciting day of birth. Each of these trimesters marks a pregnancy milestone and brings new and exciting changes for mom and baby.

During the first trimester of pregnancy, women find out they are pregnant, attend the first prenatal appointment and notice a long list of changes in their body. Understanding what happens in the body during the first trimester of pregnancy is important — because some of these changes may not be quite what you expected! The second trimester is a very moving time, both literally and figuratively. Your belly is starting to show evidence of your growing uterus, you are feeling your baby move, and you may even find out the sex of your baby if you so choose. By the time the third trimester rolls around, you are accustomed to the various transformations your body has gone through. Unfortunately, it isn’t over yet. Many of the changes you noticed in previous months persist, though some come at a more rapid pace. Follow each pregnancy week to learn how your body changes, your baby changes, what Dad should focus on and tips for each week of pregnancy.

Daily Personalized Pregnancy Calendar

Here's your own daily personalized pregnancy calendar to follow your baby's development! ... read more »

42 Weeks Pregnant

If natural induction techniques have not worked, doctors will commonly admit you to the hospital. ... read more »

41 Weeks Pregnant

For the baby, week 41 is nothing more than an extended vacation but you may be getting antsy. ... read more »

40 Weeks Pregnant

Your belly is stretched beyond the imagination and you may have forgotten what your feet look like. ... read more »

39 Weeks Pregnant

As the final days of pregnancy become a reality, you may be feeling off balance and clumsy. ... read more »

38 Weeks Pregnant

Hormones are increasing, the cervix is ripening and the baby is shifting lower and lower in the uterus. ... read more »

37 Weeks Pregnant

The fetus weighs around 6½ pounds and practices breathing during every waking moment. ... read more »

36 Weeks Pregnant

Four weeks to go until the due date now! The body is making some rapid changes. ... read more »

35 Weeks Pregnant

There is very little room left in the uterus now, so when your baby moves, you will feel it! ... read more »

34 Weeks Pregnant

Edema is normal during pregnancy, but pitting that lasts over a few seconds can signal preeclampsia. ... read more »

33 Weeks Pregnant

Fetal brain development is rapid and the size of the head is growing to hold new brain tissue. ... read more »

32 Weeks Pregnant

By the 32nd week, all five senses are in full working order. Your baby can see, taste, smell, feel and hear. ... read more »

31 Weeks Pregnant

All necessary body functions are working perfectly. Lung development and weight gain are now the focus. ... read more »

5 Weeks Pregnant

By week 5, baby is moving along quickly in the growth process and changes are starting to happen. ... read more »

2 Weeks Pregnant

It is at the end of week 2 when ovulation and fertilization typically take place. ... read more »

13 Weeks Pregnant

The alien look of an early fetus on ultrasound disappears. Eyes move closer together and ears shift. ... read more »

30 Weeks Pregnant

Your baby's bones have developed and bone marrow has started producing red blood cells. ... read more »

29 Weeks Pregnant

The fetus is finally starting to look like a baby: the head and body are proportionate and weight gain is rapid. ... read more »

28 Weeks Pregnant

Welcome to your 3rd trimester! Your baby has a 90% chance of survival if born this week. ... read more »

27 Weeks Pregnant

You've reached another huge landmark in pregnancy: the last week of the second trimester! ... read more »

26 Weeks Pregnant

The fetus continues to grow rapidly, weighing about two pounds and measuring nine inches or more. ... read more »

25 Weeks Pregnant

Your abdomen is now about the size of a soccer ball which may be causing aches and pains. ... read more »

24 Weeks Pregnant

There is no hiding the pregnancy now as your tummy is growing by leaps and bounds. ... read more »

23 Weeks Pregnant

This week marks a huge milestone: the fetus could survive if an early birth is required. ... read more »

22 Weeks Pregnant

An interesting thing happens: you may start to feel better about your body and self-confidence soars. ... read more »

21 Weeks Pregnant

Baby continues to grow, but more attention is paid to internal organs than weight gain. ... read more »

20 Weeks Pregnant

The 20th week marks the halfway point! Fetal growth continues to add length and weight. ... read more »

19 Weeks Pregnant

Lanugo has already been growing on your baby’s skin. Now, vernix caseosa starts to develop. ... read more »

18 Weeks Pregnant

All the changes in the womb are starting to show. Your baby looks like a human and weighs up to 8 ounces. ... read more »

17 Weeks Pregnant

The uterus is growing and your bump is likely visible. You may feel better than you have in a long time. ... read more »

16 Weeks Pregnant

By the start of the 4th month, you may start noticing movements that feel like little flutters. ... read more »

15 Weeks Pregnant

By the 15th week of pregnancy, some parents are itching to find out the sex of the baby. ... read more »

14 Weeks Pregnant

Doppler is commonly used around this time in the first trimester to hear your baby’s heartbeat. ... read more »

12 Weeks Pregnant

Your uterus makes a move upward this week, which (thankfully!) relieves some of the pressure on the bladder. ... read more »

11 Weeks Pregnant

Your baby is now officially called a fetus, and the most crucial development phases are concluding. ... read more »

1 Week Pregnant

Technically, it's week 1 of your pregnancy, but you still have 2 weeks until fertilization/ovulation. ... read more »

7 Weeks Pregnant

In the 7th week, your baby is still very small, but many of the crucial organs are developing rapidly. ... read more »

10 Weeks Pregnant

Thanks to the ability of the human body to adapt, morning sickness should be easing off by week 10. ... read more »

9 Weeks Pregnant

Cartilage develops, bones grow, and baby forms the skeleton that s/he will use to stand, walk and run. ... read more »

8 Weeks Pregnant

In week 8, you are more than halfway through your first trimester and baby continues to grow rapidly. ... read more »

6 Weeks Pregnant

The heart has now started beating and can often be seen early in the 6th week by transvaginal ultrasound. ... read more »

3 Weeks Pregnant

During the 3rd pregnancy week, the fertilized egg travels trough the fallopian tube. ... read more »

Your Body Changes During Pregnancy

There are many body changes during pregnancy that will happen both physically and emotionally. We will explain them here as well as offer some suggestions for relief. ... read more »

Third Trimester of Pregnancy: What Happens With My Baby?

You're finally in your third trimester, and you're feeling it from head to toe. While you enjoyed the second trimester thoroughly, the third trimester starts a whole crop of new physical and emotional changes. ... read more »

Cardiovascular Pregnancy Body Changes

  The following changes with the circulatory system during pregnancy happen week by week as early as the very first pregnancy week ... read more »

Musculoskeletal Body Changes During Pregnancy

The musculoskeletal system endures a lot of changes during pregnancy and there is an increased strain on the muscles and ligaments supporting the vertebral column. ... read more »