The development from month to month

Baby
If an egg cell and a sperm cell merge together in the fallopian tube of a woman, it results in fertilisation. The fertilised egg of the woman travels in the uterine cavity for 6 to 10 days and implants itself there. By the end of the 4th week of gestation, the egg cell divides several times. The embryo is now approximately the size of a grain of rice. And the placenta, also known as the afterbirth, develops.

Mum
Now, many women experience the first discomforts, for example, nausea, increase urge to urinate or fatigue. However, a pregnancy is not an illness and you can continue your life in the usual manner. This also include sexuality. However, consult you doctor in case of bleeding or pain.

Baby
In the 7th weeks, you baby is approximately as big as a hazelnut. From now on through to the 21st week, it will grow very quickly.

Mum
Are you sometimes in a very good mood and then suddenly very sad? Mood swings are completely normal and can occur throughout the entire pregnancy. The cause of this, is not just changes in your hormonal balance. You need to mentally prepare for the new situation. If you are sad or distraught for longer periods of time, have problems with your partner or financial worries, then please obtain support from the specialists. Specialised women’s advice centres can help you in these difficult times.

The good news is: At the end of the 3rd month, the nausea usually stops in most pregnant women.

Baby
The face with auricle, nose and eyes now very much resemble a human face. The small heart beats strong. You notice this at the first ultrasound examination between the 8th and 12th week of gestation. The vital organs have developed within this period: Liver, kidneys, intestines, brain and lungs are now “complete”. At the end of the 12th week, your baby will weigh between 50 and 70 grams and when measured from head to toe, it is approximately 8 centimetres long.

Caution! It is important that the first mother-child health passport examination takes place by the end of the 16th week.

Mum
Now the pregnancy becomes visible in many women because the stomach is growing. Moisturise the skin on your stomach so that you prevent the appearance of stretch marks. You can find substances against these marks in the pharmacy and chemist’s shop. You can also use normal olive oil.

Baby
All of your child’s organs are now fully developed and must now just get bigger. Eye brows and hair begin to grow. By the end of the month, your baby will be the size of an avocado. It is already very playful and can even suck its thumb.

Caution! In the 18th to 22nd week of gestation, please go to your 2nd ultrasound examination. In the process, the doctor measures the size of the baby and the assesses its development. Furthermore, the doctor can recognise whether the baby is a girl or a boy.

Mum
In the 18th to 20th week of gestation, you will feel the movement of your child for the first time. Many women experience this to feel like a gentle knocking. Sometimes the muscles in the womb contract for a few seconds. In the process, your stomach becomes very hard. This is very normal.

Baby
Your child can now moves arms, hands, legs and feet in a more targeted manner. Everyday it drinks around half a litre of amniotic fluids. In technical terminology, the baby is now called a foetus.

Mum
The physical discomforts such as nausea, bladder pressure and fatigue must now have passed. Enjoy this period!

Baby
The foetus already looks like a “real” baby. It can already hear and is approximately 25 centimetres long. Many babies develop hiccups by drinking the amniotic fluids. Your stomach then moves in short, regular intervals.

Mum
During this period, water is stored in the body of many women. They may also be troubled with leg cramps, haemorrhoids, varicose veins and itchiness on the stomach.

Baby
At the end of the 7th month, your baby is between 35 to 38 centimetres from head to toe. It can now open its eyes. If it notices bright rays of light from the outside, it will turn its head towards it. Your child is training its lungs by taking small breaths

Caution! From the 30th week of gestation, the mother-child health passport recommends the 3rd ultrasound examination.

Mum
Are you experiencing shortness of breath or other discomforts? Many women find it more difficult to breathe because now, the uterus almost reaches the ribcage. If possible, do not lie on your back. Lying on your side – maybe with a pillow between your thighs – is the most comfortable.

Baby
Usually, your baby will now move into the birthing position and will place its head downwards. It weighs between 1.5 and 1.8 kilogrammes and is approximately 40 centimetres long. It cannot move very much because there is less and less space.

Baby

The weight of your baby will continue to increase by the 36th week to 2.5 to 2.75 kilogrammes. If your baby is still facing upwards, this is called the breech presentation or pelvic presentation. An oblique or transverse presentation is rarer. This complicates the birth. There are many possibilities to “move” the baby into a head-down position, for example, with acupuncture. Ask your gynaecologist or midwife.

Mum
The last few days can be extremely long. Do things that you like and things that make you feel good. After the birth, it will take a while before you will be able to do everything again.

Baby
Almost there! A small human developed out of two tiny cells. The big day is now within sight. Your baby’s weight will increase once more. At birth, it can weigh between 2.5 and 4.5 kilogrammes and be 48 to 54 centimetres long. It now receives a lot of food in the womb so that it will manage for a while after the birth. This is because it usually takes a few days until you have enough milk to feed your baby.

From the calculated due date onwards, you should go for examinations at frequent intervals so that your doctor can examine the heartbeat of your child with a CTG device.