Pregnancy Week by Week

This section describes week by week the way that your baby develops during your pregnancy. During the 40 weeks or so of pregnancy, your baby will grow from a pinprick-sized cluster of cells to a baby boy or girl weighing an average of 3.4 kilograms.

Pregnancy Week by Week also looks at some of the changes your body goes through at this time, and how your emotions and experiences may change as your pregnancy progresses.

Each woman will experience pregnancy slightly differently so you should see the stages of pregnancy described here as just a guide. It lets you know what is likely to be happening to your body at each stage of your pregnancy and tells you about your baby's growth and development.

Keep in mind that different pregnancies may develop at different rates. The measurements given for weight and length are averages - this means that your baby may be a little smaller or larger and still be growing well.

You may like to think about keeping a diary during your pregnancy. Your diary can become a special place to write down how you are feeling and the changes you are experiencing in your body as your baby grows. A pregnancy diary can be a wonderful record to look back on after your baby is born.

Trimesters

Often health staff will talk about the stages of your pregnancy using the term 'trimester'. Trimesters are each 3 months long, so the 'first trimester' means the first 3 months of your pregnancy.

The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see your doctor or midwife.