Your baby’s growth
Nine months before we meet
Follow your baby’s growth week by week, from the first cell to the day you meet.
Scroll to follow the stages of development, from the earliest beginning of pregnancy to full term.
Weeks 1 – 4A beginning
In the first four weeks the foundations are laid. A single cell divides, settles into the lining of the uterus, and begins to organise itself into the earliest structures of a body.
- The neural tube, which becomes the brain and spine, starts to form
- The heart begins as a simple tube
- Most women do not yet know they are pregnant
﴿وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن سُلَالَةٍ مِّن طِينٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاهُ نُطْفَةً فِي قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ﴾
And We created man from an extract of clay, then placed him as a drop in a firm lodging.
سورة المؤمنون ١٢–١٣ 
Week 5The heart begins
Early cardiac activity starts this week. The embryo is about the size of a sesame seed, curved in on itself, with the beginnings of a circulation already moving.
- A heartbeat may be detectable on ultrasound from around week six
﴿ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً﴾
Then We made the drop into a clinging form.
سورة المؤمنون ١٤ 
Week 6Taking shape
The head grows faster than the rest of the body, and small buds appear where the arms and legs will be. Dark spots mark the places the eyes will form.
- Facial features begin to take shape
- Limb buds appear
﴿فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً﴾
Then We made the clinging form into a lump.
سورة المؤمنون ١٤ 
Week 7Development accelerates
Arms and legs lengthen and begin to bend. The brain is growing rapidly, faster than any other organ, and the embryo starts to make small, spontaneous movements.
- Roughly 10,000 new nerve cells form every minute
Week 8Recognisably human
Fingers and toes have separated. The tail that marked the earliest weeks has gone. From this point the embryo is called a fetus.
- All major organs have begun to form
- About the size of a raspberry
﴿فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا﴾
Then We made the lump into bones.
سورة المؤمنون ١٤ 
Week 10Hands and feet
Tiny nails begin to form. Joints work: the elbows bend, the knees flex, and the fetus moves often, though far too lightly to be felt.
- Vital organs are formed and starting to function
﴿فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا﴾
Then We clothed the bones with flesh.
سورة المؤمنون ١٤ 
Month 3The first trimester closes
By the end of the third month the body is fully formed in miniature. The remaining six months are about growth and maturing rather than building anything new.
- Can swallow, yawn and curl the fingers
- The risk of miscarriage falls substantially
﴿ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ﴾
Then We brought him into being as another creation.
سورة المؤمنون ١٤ 
Month 6A world within
Hearing is developing, and familiar voices begin to register. Movement becomes strong enough to feel clearly, and a pattern of sleeping and waking takes hold.
- Responds to sound and to touch
- The lungs continue an important period of development
Month 9Ready to meet you
The baby is full term, curled close with little room left to move, resting and gaining weight in the final weeks before birth.
- Usually settles head-down in preparation
- Average weight around 3.4 kilograms
﴿فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ﴾
So blessed is God, the best of creators.
سورة المؤمنون ١٤
Every pregnancy is a unique journey
From the first consultation to the first hello, one team follows you the whole way: obstetrics, fertility and paediatrics in the same building.
This page illustrates typical stages of fetal development and is intended for general educational purposes. Individual pregnancies and developmental timelines may vary. Medical imagery licensed for use by Aya Specialist Hospital.
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