DEVELOPMENT OF BABY IN WOMB: MONTHS 1-5
First Month By the third or fourth week, or end of the first lunar month the heart, head, eyes and backbone are formed. In a primitive form, the digestive, urinary and circulatory systems appear.
Second Month The embryo continues to develop and by the second month of the pregnancy the toes begin to separate, the fingers and eyelids are formed. The newly developing baby has already taken the shape and physical looks of a child. At this stage the embryo is still only 2.5 cm (1 inch) long.
Third Month In the third month (12 weeks) the face, limbs, arms and neck are more perfectly formed. The nails on the fingers and toes begin to appear and the first signs of the sex of the developing embryo now begin to show. Baby is now about 6.5 cm (2.5 inches) in length.
Fourth Month As mother and child enter the fourth month of pregnancy the placenta, or afterbirth, begins to play an important role. This placenta (a configuration of blood vessels surrounding the fetus) supplies oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. These nutrients are taken from the blood of the mother and at the same time the placenta detoxifies the fetal blood, removing impurities from the fetus and returning them to the mother’s blood stream for excretion by the mother’s organs (kidneys, lungs, intestines and skin).
Now the first signs of hair on the fetus begin to appear on the head and other parts of the body. The developing fetus is now approximately 8-9 cm (3.5 inches) in length.
Fifth Month Baby is now entering the fifth month and mother can now feel the baby start to move. This is one of the most exciting times for the new parents as the realization that the swollen tummy and clothes that don’t fit any more forecast a new life.
During this month, your practitioner can hear the sounds of the baby’s heart for the first time. This is very exciting and the parents should ask their practitioner if they could listen. This will help develop a special closeness and love.
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