A Week By Week Guide To Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a gift given to women by the Divine. Guide to pregnancy is the greatest need at this time as this is a miraculous part of a woman's life. Some women are nervous, naturally, because of the mystery surrounding pregnancy. There is a marked lack of knowledge, by pregnant women, about pregnancy and what happens to the body, and inside the body, during pregnancy. In anticipation of this miracle, many women are interested in having a guide to pregnancy; a guide informing them what happens during the nine months it takes to create a new life.

Pregnancy affects every woman differently, and the rate of development of the fetus is also different. It is important that during pregnancy, women maintain good health, not only for their benefit, but also for the benefit of the little bundle of joy they are bringing forth. Many women, undergoing pregnancy are interested in what change they go through, and for them, we have a week to week guide to pregnancy.

Changes During Pregnancy

Though the changes that occur in women differs from woman to woman, the following is the general week to week guide to pregnancy:

• Week 1 to 4 - Week 1 starts from the date of your last period. Fertilization of the eggs occurs during the Week 4, and this is when the process of creating a new life begins!
• Week 5 to 8 - You would have noticed that you have missed your period during Week 5, and would begin to suspect you are pregnant. Pregnancy test will confirm you are pregnant. The baby's heart starts to beat during Week 6, and morning sickness may start by Week 7. The fetus begins to develop rapidly, and has small arms and feet by Week 8.
• Week 9 to 12 - During this period, from Week 9 to 12, your body continues to grow to adjust the growing fetus. Though you may not notice, the baby starts to move inside your body. Week 12 is when the morning sickness begins to subside.

• Week 13 to 20 - During Week 13, it may be possible to determine the gender of your baby, though not with great accuracy. By Week 14, during the visit to your doctor, you can hear your baby's heart beat. The baby's bones begin to harden, and during the Weeks 15 to 20, you begin to feel the baby moving inside you. The baby's organs begin to develop, and the baby's gender can accurately be determined through the ultrasound.
• Week 21 to 24 - This is when you may begin to feel contractions, slightly. Your baby starts to practice breathing, and fat deposits begin to develop.
• Week 25 to 32 - Your baby's movements begin to slow down, and it begins to sense light and darkness, in addition to hearing sounds from outside, during the Weeks 25 to 28. From Week 29 to 32, its head begins to grow rapidly, its eyes and brain are fully developed, and by Week 32 only the lung remains to be fully developed.
• Week 33 to 36 - It is during this period that your baby begins to open and close its eyes, and its fingernails begin to grow. Your baby's weight is around 4 pounds and its length around 16 inches, by the Week 36.
• Week 37 to 40 - These are the final weeks of pregnancy. You could give birth to your baby anytime during this period. All the major organs of your baby are fully developed, but the lung is still developing.

The actual delivery of your baby could be two weeks on either side of the 40 weeks. This guide to pregnancy is just a guide, and there is a lot more to learn about pregnancy.