Any parent, especially the would-be mother should be very conscious of baby development. Every week, new changes are happening, which could be crucial to his growth while he or she is still inside the mother’s tummy. Moreover, getting exact week by week information allows mothers to properly take care not only of themselves but, most of all, of their baby. They can prevent future problems such as early miscarriage, spotting, or gestational diabetes.

When it comes to baby development, there are three trimesters that make up one pregnancy cycle. It means that a woman would normally carry her unborn baby for nine months. During these times, mothers should coordinate with her doctor in order to obtain week by week information about her baby.

The first trimester is considered to be the most dangerous and crucial stages in baby development. After all, it’s at this phase that the baby is slowly being developed and is formed. First week marks the time when the couple, especially the woman, is more than ready to conceive. Fertilization, or the meeting of the egg and the sperm cell, would occur on the second week, while on the third week, the zygote moves into the uterus of the mother, where it will stay until it comes to full term.

By weeks five until nine, rapid physical transformations happen, including the baby’s first heartbeat, formation of toes and hands, attachment of the umbilical cord to the mother’s womb, and the development of the baby’s sex. Your week by week information therefore should include the importance of vitamins and prenatal checkups, as well as the reasons why you need to avoid addictive substances, such as cigarettes and alcohol.

During second trimester, baby development is more apparent. Majority of its organs are already fully developed, and the baby is already gaining weight and size. This is also a great time for mothers, since they will be out of the so-called danger zone, and if they’re suffering from morning sickness, this will suddenly disappear. A great part of the baby’s nourishment now comes from the woman, particularly when the umbilical cord starts to thicken.

Thus, when you’re gathering week by week information from your doctor, you must learn how to ask which types of food would be extremely helpful for the growth of your baby and which ones you should avoid. You also need to determine your current blood pressure, the size of your uterus, and your baby’s heartbeat. You can also test yourself if you’re prone to developing preeclampsia or gestational diabetes during your pregnancy through a urine test.

The third trimester means that you’re already nearing the end of the journey. Commonly, when you speak of a full-term pregnancy, it will last for 40 weeks, but you can deliver your baby from your thirty-eighth to forty-second week. The baby development is complete, and the child is ready to be born. You can also expect to feel a lot of baby movements inside.

If there’s one thing you have to know about the week by week information, it’s the fact that the baby must be born with his or her head positioned near the uterus or the cervix. This is to prevent the umbilical cord from being tied around his neck and make him or her vulnerable to choking. Weekly or even daily checkups become necessary therefore during your third trimester.