Monthly Pregnancy Calendar

First Month

The first month begins your nine-month miraculous journey into parenthood. Conception takes place about 2 weeks before your next expected period and after about a 7-10 day trip, the newly fertilized egg ends up in your uterus, where it implants itself into your uterine wall and continues developing. During implantation, you may experience some mild cramping and spotting, although most women are still unaware conception has taken place at this early stage. Some women claim they just “feel” pregnant, even before their period is late. If you haven’t already started, you should begin taking daily prenatal vitamins which contain folic acid.

Second Month

Your breasts may be fuller and a bit swollen. Your nipples may very likely be sore and quite painful now. The veins in your breasts may even become more visible, along with the all the other breast changes occurring now. You may be starting to experience morning sickness and feel nauseated throughout the day. You’re probably making bathroom trips quite often this month, which is just another normal part of early pregnancy. By the end of the month your baby’s upper and lower limb buds will also appear. And the primordia of the liver, pancreas, lungs, and stomach are evident. While your baby is a girl or a boy, it is not yet apparent without genetic screening. Early on in this month your baby’s heart will begin to beat. First it beats slowly, then very rapidly, later in pregnancy the heart rate will slow a bit more. Your baby is now measuring between 8-11 mm from crown to rump.

Third Month

The third month is typically still filled with morning sickness, which is probably at it’s peak. Soda crackers are your best friend if you’re one of the many women plagued with this common pregnancy ailment. You may have gained a few pounds by now, or lost a few if you’ve been too sick to keep foods down. Moodiness is common throughout pregnancy and you may notice yourself becoming easily irritated. Dizziness might be a problem if you stand up too quickly or if you let your stomach become too empty through the course of the day. By the end of this month, you might have trouble zipping up your favorite pair of jeans, especially if this isn’t your first pregnancy. Your baby is moving all over inside your womb now, but it’s still too soon for you to feel it, since your little one is under 3 inches crown-to-rump.

Fourth Month

The placenta has taken over production of the hormones needed to sustain your pregnancy. Your baby is also making some of its own insulin and bile. Your baby even urinates into the amniotic fluid in small amounts every 45 minutes or so. Your baby’s heart pumps about 25 quarts of blood a day. Your baby is about 3 ounces (85 grams) and 6.3 inches (16 cms). The gender may be detectable by ultrasound. Though gender predictions at this point are much harder to rely on.

Fifth Month

The fifth month may be an exceptionally exciting month, because you will probably begin to experience “quickening”, which is your baby’s first movements. Your partner probably won’t be able to feel them on the outside until next month. These movements won’t be strong; only little flutters, since your baby is less than 7 inches in length crown-to-rump. Your belly is getting more noticeable and visibly “pooching out” by now, particularly if this is your second or third pregnancy.

Sixth Month

Eye brows are forming now and the lanugo darkens in color. Your baby is moving and practicing breathing for when he or she will be born. The practice contractions that you may or may not notice don’t bother your baby one bit. Your baby may or may not be head down, because of the amniotic fluid your baby can move all around still. Your baby is also depositing brown fat. The brown fat will help him or her regulate body temperature at birth. This brown fat will continue to be laid down until birth. Baby's weighs in at 1 lb 5 ounces (595 grams) and 30 cms or 11.8 inches total length. A few babies are born this early. They do have some chance of survival depending on many factors.

Seventh Month

By this month, you’ve most likely gained a substantial amount of weight, that is, unless you are one of the few unlucky women with continued morning sickness. Leg cramps and backaches may be plaguing you at this stage in pregnancy. Sleep may become difficult, since your growing belly may prove to be a difficult obstacle to deal with when it comes to comfortable sleep positions. Food cravings and aversions are also very normal and to be expected. Frequent trips to the bathroom may start up again, as your growing baby puts more pressure on your bladder this month. Your baby’s movements are becoming more and more vigorous and frequent. If your baby was born prematurely this month, he or she would have a good chance of survival and would be just over a foot in length.

Eighth Month

Your baby is really getting ready to be born. Every day in the uterus is said to be two less days your baby would spend in the hospital at this point. Red blood cell production is done entirely by your baby’s bone marrow. Amniotic fluid is still present and your baby urinates into it daily, about a half a liter of urine a day. He or she opens and closes their eyes at will. Even the finger nails reach the end of the fingers. Some babies might even need a nail trim at birth! Your baby may have a lot of hair on their head or none, both extremes are normal. Your baby has put on about 2 pounds of weight, mostly fat and muscle tissue, since last month, bringing the total to an average of three pounds eleven ounces (1.7 kilograms), and measurements to 40 cms or 15.8 inches.

Ninth Month

Your baby’s organs have been finished forming for a long time. Now is the time for finishing touches. You may feel clumsy and huge by this month. Your baby’s kidneys are still producing lots of urine every day, helping to make up the almost two pints of amniotic fluid. Your due date is a guess as to when your baby may arrive. The majority of babies will show up from two weeks before this date to two weeks after this date. Some of your baby’s movements and kicks may be down-right painful now, especially when it comes to your ribs. You may feel heaviness and achiness in your pelvic region, as your baby drops down in preparation for delivery. Labor is caused by the baby’s signals to the mother’s body that he or she is ready to be born. Good luck for your child!