Weeks 1 – 2 You’re not really pregnant yet. It’s at this time that the sperm and egg unite in one of your fallopian tubes to form a one-celled entity called a zygote.
Week 3 The zygote is no longer one-celled, but about 500 by now and is called a blastocyst. It has made its way to the uterus and burrow into the uterine wall for nourishment. The placenta, which will nourish your baby throughout the pregnancy, also begins to form. You may be looking at a positive pregnancy test at this time.
Week 4 The blastocyst is considered an embryo. The baby (now 1/25 of an inch long) is starting to form the brain, spinal cord, heart and other organs.
Week 5 Now your baby’s heart and circulatory system are becoming one, functioning system. About now, your baby’s heart will begin to beat. An ultrasound could even pick up the motion of your baby’s beating heart.
Week 6 Your baby is now about 1/8 of an inch long. The digestive and respiratory systems are beginning to form. Facial features also begin to appear including an opening for the mouth and passageways in the inner ear. This is beginning of the buds will soon grow into arms and legs.
Week 7 The embryo is now considered a fetus. Dark spots on his or her head indicate where the eyes will be forming and pits mark the upcoming nostrils and ears. Your baby’s brain is developing rapidly, and limbs and facial characteristics are now forming. The esophagus and trachea are developing into separate tubes, with lungs positioned on either side.
Week 8 Your baby is no longer a mass of cells, but he’s looking more and more like a miniature baby-to-be. Your baby’s face is becoming more defined: her nose is beginning to protrude, her upper lip is taking shape, and eyelids have formed. Fingers and toes are starting to develop from her arms and legs.
Week 9 Your baby is now nearly 1 inch long and weighs a bit less than 1/8 of an ounce. Your baby’s head — which is nearly half the size of his or her entire body — is now tucked down onto the chest. Hair follicles begin to form. Your baby’s pancreas, bile ducts, gallbladder and anus are in place. The internal reproductive organs, such as testes or ovaries, start to develop, but not the external organs, an ultrasound could not yet tell your baby’s sex. Your baby may begin moving this week, but you won’t be able to feel it for quite a while yet.
Week 10 Your little one weighs in at a hefty four grams! Your baby’s vital organs have a solid foundation and the bones of your baby’s skeleton begin to form. Your baby has fully separated fingers and toes. Both the external ear and upper lip are complete, and tooth buds are forming as well. The beginnings of external genitalia appear and if your baby is a boy, his testes will start producing the male hormone testosterone.
Week 11 Bigger changes are starting about now until your 20th week (the halfway mark of your pregnancy). Your baby will increase his or her weight 30 times and will about triple in length. The blood vessels in the placenta are growing larger and multiplying so your baby will get enough nutrients. By the end of the week, your baby’s external genitalia will develop into a recognizable penis or clitoris and labia majora.
Week 12 Twelve weeks into your pregnancy, your baby is about the size of a softball. Your care provider will be able to feel your uterus during an abdominal exam. Your baby’s head is nearly half the size of his or her entire body. This week marks the arrival of fingernails and toenails. Your baby’s chin and nose will become more refined as well.
Week 13 Week 13 marks a milestone for your baby-to-be. He’s looking—and acting—more and more like a baby every day. She appears to be resting because her eyelids have formed and are fused together, but her arms and legs move and twitch (although you probably can’t feel it … yet). She can suck her thumb, too.

Technorati Tags: baby, early pregnancy, fetus, First Trimester

So if there’s no bump, you’re not really pregnant, yet.

Yeah, right.

The tender boobs, the nausea, the need to nap all tell you that you are definitely pregnant.

So you are in this in-between time. You don’t look pregnant yet and aren’t getting (yet) the pampering, the crooning, the sympathy, and the spoiling a woman with a big belly gets. Even people who know you are pregnant may not always remember that you are and offer you glass of wine or don’t offer to help bring the bags in. Oh, might not even dare to part in the pregnant women parking spots in case someone gives you an evil look. Heck, some days you wonder if you really are pregnant and when is it going to be really obvious to even you.

Oh, your time is coming, but you need some of that pampering now. That fatigue you are feeling is real. The indigestion is so annoying. The morning sickness is knocking you out on some days. And you want some company: to sympathize with your inconveniences, to give you break because you are making a baby 24/7, to share your joy with congratulations. You want people to know you are carrying this special little person and there is some bonding going on here.
So how do we go about this short of wearing a t-shirt everyday that says “pregnant woman coming through”?

• Start reading and keep reading – getting information is good. First, you will see that you are not alone in your experiences. Someone, somewhere has had the feelings or symptoms you have. Second, you would be frightened or worried at things that happen or don’t happen. With a good guide to pregnancy,you will know what is normal and OK and what should be questioned. You will probably find, more often than not, many things you are feeling are actually normal. Two excellent books (that I loved too)

• • What to Expect When You’re Expecting – the classic, undisputed guide to everything you need to know about being pregnant. And it may take you the whole pregnancy to read it, there is so much information. Don’t fear, Ms. Murkoffwrites in a way that is very friendly and readable and the information is clearly organized.
  • The Girlfriends’ Guide to Pregnancy – if you have a wicked sense of humor or are tired of all the seriousness, let this book give you laughs through your pregnancy (except labor – no woman in the history of time has laughed during active labor). Much of the experiences and advice has truch to it, some more tongue in cheek than others. Don’t worry- you’ll know the difference and you’ll enjoy a funny perspective from someone else who knows.

• Track your pregnancy – You have just begun an incredible journey, both physical and emotional. And you are starting a life-long connection to a whole new person to boot. How doyou feel? What’s going on with you? What are you thinking? This is a great time to buy a journal and j ot down your emotions, thoughts, questions and happenings. A journal can even help with your medical appointments, to keep track of what is going on with your body and symptoms. There are many specific “pregnancy journals”–a good one I like is The Belly Book–that have sections to record the unique things going on through a pregnancy. Any notebook will do as well. You should also consider this: a pregnancy journal is a one-of-a-kind keepsake you can keep will after she or he is born and share with your child when he or she is older. Not all children enjoy this–but many do want to know all about them, even when in your belly.

• Get in touch with your baby now – you can hear a heart beat even now. You may not have your first or next appointment for a month and no ultrasound on the horizon until about the 5th month or so, but your baby is active now and you can hear and check. Fetal heartbeat monitors sold in the stores are actually very good now. And one of the nice things about this type of monitor is that Dad, your parents, your friends and other can be involved in your pregnancy. They can actually hear the baby too.

Keep doing some of the things you were doing  –  as long as you safely can. If you were already a runner, you can still run. If you like dancing, go to the club a few more times (but stay away from second-hand smoke). Take advantage of this time in-between–where you know you’re going to be a mom, but you don’t have the mom / pregnant lady restrictions yet. Sleep on your stomach, enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon, wear all your best heels when you go out (not only are they a bad idea while you are pregnant and your center of gravity is shifted, but you feet will have spread a half size when all is said and done–sorry). You’re life is going to change for good! Look forward to that, BUT, enjoy these last times of relatively worry-free quiet!

Technorati Tags: early pregnancy, First Trimester