Fetal Development by Month

Although every baby develops differently, this guide will give you an idea of how your baby is growing and developing throughout your pregnancy.

Second Month

Your baby is now just under one inch long (measured crown to rump), or about the size of a grape, and is considered an embryo. Its little heart is beating away and he or she is wriggling in your uterus, even though you will not be able to feel the movements for many more weeks. If you are carrying a baby boy, his penis is beginning to appear, although it won't be big enough to see on an ultrasound for another couple months. Its liver is churning out large amounts of red blood cells, and will continue to until the bone marrow forms and takes over this function. Week eight marks the beginning of a very busy developmental stage: its face continues to change as the ears, eyes and the tip of the nose appear; the intestines start to form in the umbilical cord; and your baby's teeth begin to develop under the gums.

You may be experiencing one of the least-favorite symptoms of pregnancy: morning sickness. If so, keep some crackers by your bed and eat a few before getting up in the morning. Keeping a little food in your stomach at all times can help stave off the waves of nausea. Your breasts are probably still sore and your areolas and nipples have darkened, and you may have put on a few pounds (although some women don't and a few even lose a couple pounds during the first trimester due to morning sickness and lack of appetite). You're probably feeling tired and can't wait to climb into bed at the end of the day, and all those hormones raging through your body may have put you on an emotional roller coaster.

Take heart - the nausea, fatigue, and mood swings should all disappear by the end of next month as you near the beginning of your second trimester.

See What Happens Next Month!

First Month
Second Month
Third Month
Fourth Month
Fifth Month
Sixth Month
Seventh Month
Eighth Month
Ninth Month