Fetal Development Month by Month: Months 1 to 9

How many months pregnant am I? Weeks-to-months

Pregnancy is tracked in weeks because the count starts on the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP) and every week has a specific developmental meaning. But everyone asks how many months you are. Here is the conversion:

Is pregnancy nine months or ten?

Both answers are defensible, because two different “months” are in circulation:

• Calendar months: 280 days is about nine months and one week. This is why pregnancy is popularly called nine months.
• Four-week months: 40 ÷ 4 = ten. Many clinical and educational sources divide pregnancy into ten four-week blocks, which is why you’ll see charts running to “month 10” (weeks 37-40).

This is the first reason charts disagree: one source’s “month 8” can be the tail end of another’s month 7. Always check the week number, not the month label.

Working out your due date

The standard method is Naegele’s rule: take the first day of your last period, go back three months, then add seven days. If your last period started on March 10, your estimated due date is December 17. Adding 280 days to the same date gets you there too.

The rule assumes a regular 28-day cycle. If your cycles are long, short or irregular, the date shifts — which is why a first-trimester ultrasound crown-rump measurement is the most accurate dating tool available, and why your provider may revise your due date after that scan.

Why does your baby’s length differ between charts?

The second and bigger source of confusion is the measurement itself. In the womb your baby is curled with the knees drawn up; straightening the legs to measure is simply not possible in early pregnancy. So:

• Until about 20 weeks, length is measured from the crown of the head to the bottom — the crown-rump length (CRL).
• After 20 weeks, once the baby has straightened out, measurement switches to crown-to-heel.

The gap is not trivial. At 20 weeks a baby is roughly 6½ inches crown-to-rump but 10 inches crown-to-heel. Same baby, same week, two very different numbers.

One more allowance to make: the weight an ultrasound reports is an estimate. It’s calculated from head circumference, abdominal circumference and femur length, and it typically differs from actual birth weight by 10 to 15 percent. “My baby is measuring half a pound behind” is often inside that margin of error — which is why clinicians look at the trend across several scans, not one number.

How does a baby form in the womb?

Before the month-by-month walkthrough, it’s worth being precise about the first two weeks. Conception is not a single moment but a chain of events spread over about a fortnight — and almost all of it happens before a pregnancy test can tell you anything.

• Around day 14 of your cycle
  Ovulation. A mature follicle ruptures and releases an egg. The egg can be fertilised for only 12 to 24 hours, but sperm survive in the reproductive tract for up to five days — which is what widens the fertile window.
• Same day or the next
  Fertilisation. Egg and sperm meet in the wide end of the fallopian tube. Of millions of sperm, only one gets in; the moment it does, the egg's outer membrane changes to lock the rest out. The single cell that results is a zygote. Your baby's sex is decided right here — the egg always carries an X, and whether the sperm carries an X or a Y settles it.
• Days 1-4
  Cleavage. The zygote travels toward the uterus, dividing as it goes: 2 cells, 4, 8, 16. Overall size doesn't increase yet — only the number of cells. The 16-cell, mulberry-shaped stage is called a morula.
• Days 5-6
  The blastocyst reaches the uterus. It is now a fluid-filled ball whose inner cells will become the baby and whose outer cells will become the placenta. That division of labour starts this early.
• Days 6-10
  Implantation. The blastocyst burrows into the uterine lining, usually high on the back wall. Some women notice a few spots of light pink bleeding. From this moment hCG is produced — the hormone every pregnancy test detects.
• Weeks 3-10
  The embryonic period. The neural tube, the heart, the limb buds, the eyes and ears and the foundations of every internal organ are laid down now. This is when a pregnancy is most vulnerable to outside influences.
• Week 10 to birth
  The fetal period. No new organs form. What exists grows, matures and starts working. That is the job of the remaining thirty weeks.

How do twins form? Two separate eggs fertilised by two separate sperm produce fraternal (dizygotic) twins, who can differ in sex and appearance. A single zygote splitting early produces identical (monozygotic) twins, who share the same genetic makeup.

At a glance: size and weight by month

For closer tracking, here are the weekly figures:

The jump at week 20 is not a growth spurt — it is the measurement method changing. These are averages from standard fetal growth curves; plenty of healthy babies are born well above or below them.^[1][2]

Month 1 (weeks 1-4): fertilisation and implantation

The strangest fact about month one: for the first two weeks you are not pregnant at all. Because the count starts at your last period, weeks 1 and 2 are your body preparing to ovulate.

This month in your baby:

• Around week 2: a follicle matures and ruptures, releasing an egg.
• Week 3: fertilisation happens in the fallopian tube, and the zygote begins dividing as it travels.
• Weeks 3-4: the blastocyst implants in the uterine lining. Some women see a few spots of light bleeding and mistake it for a period.
• End of week 4: the embryo is about 2 mm — the size of a poppy seed. The amniotic sac and the structures that will become the placenta are forming.

This month in your body: implantation triggers hCG production. A blood test can turn positive a few days before a missed period; a home urine test is reliable from about three to five days after the period was due. Mild cramping, breast fullness and unusual fatigue are common.

What to do this month: if you are planning a pregnancy or have just found out, start folic acid now — the neural tube closes at weeks 5 to 7, before most women know they are pregnant. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises 400 micrograms daily from before conception. Stop smoking and drinking, and review every medication with your provider rather than stopping or continuing on your own.

Month 2 (weeks 5-8): the heart starts beating

This is the most critical month, because the foundations of every organ are laid. Sensitivity to medication, infection and alcohol peaks between weeks 5 and 10.

This month in your baby:

• Week 5: the neural tube — the precursor of the brain and spinal cord — closes. The first heart cells begin contracting.
• Weeks 6-7: the heartbeat becomes visible on ultrasound, at roughly 110-160 beats per minute. Arm and leg buds appear; eye and ear structures begin to form.
• Week 8: fingers are still webbed but separating. The nose, upper lip and eyelids take shape. Length is ½ to ¾ inch crown-to-rump.

This month in your body: nausea usually starts around week 6 and peaks at weeks 9-10. Extreme sensitivity to smells, a metallic taste, frequent urination and overwhelming tiredness are typical. For most women nausea eases by weeks 12-14.

What to do this month: the first prenatal visit is usually scheduled at 8 to 10 weeks. Expect confirmation of the pregnancy by ultrasound plus baseline bloodwork: complete blood count, blood type and Rh factor, rubella immunity, hepatitis B, HIV, syphilis and a urine culture.

Month 3 (weeks 9-13): from embryo to fetus

Week 10 is a threshold: medically the embryonic period ends and the fetal period begins. Every organ exists; from here it is growth and maturation.

This month in your baby:

• Webbing between the fingers disappears completely and nail beds form.
• The kidneys start working; your baby urinates into the amniotic fluid.
• The intestines withdraw from the umbilical cord into the abdomen. Tooth buds appear.
• External genitals begin to differentiate, though sex cannot be reliably identified on ultrasound this month.
• Your baby moves — kicking, stretching, hiccupping — but you can’t feel it yet.
• End of week 13: about 2¾ to 3 inches crown-to-rump, roughly 1 ounce.

This month in your body: the risk of miscarriage drops sharply by the end of this month. The uterus rises out of the pelvis and the lower abdomen begins to fill out. Nausea generally eases.

What to do this month: weeks 11 to 14 are the key screening window. The nuchal translucency scan combined with first-trimester bloodwork estimates the risk of Down syndrome and trisomies 18 and 13. NIPT — cell-free fetal DNA from a maternal blood sample — is available from 10 weeks and is the more sensitive screen. All of these are screening, not diagnosis: a high-risk result leads to a discussion about chorionic villus sampling (11-14 weeks) or amniocentesis (15-20 weeks) for a definitive answer.

Month 4 (weeks 14-17): the month sex becomes visible

For most women this is the easiest stretch of pregnancy: the nausea has gone and the bump isn’t heavy yet.

This month in your baby:

• Facial muscles work; your baby frowns, squints and makes expressions.
• The body is covered in lanugo, a fine downy hair that holds the protective vernix against the skin.
• Fingerprints form — and will never change.
• Bones harden and the skeleton is clearly visible on ultrasound. Your baby can suck a thumb.
• Sex is usually clearly visible on ultrasound at 16-18 weeks, depending on position.
• End of week 17: about 4½ to 5 inches crown-to-rump, 3½ to 5 ounces.

This month in your body: appetite returns. Nasal congestion, bleeding gums and darkening skin along the midline (linea nigra) are hormonal and normal. If you’ve been pregnant before, you may notice the first flutters late this month.

What to do this month: if you didn’t have first-trimester screening, the quad screen is offered between 15 and 22 weeks. This is also when many providers check in about weight gain and start discussing the anatomy scan.

Month 5 (weeks 18-22): first movements and the anatomy scan

The halfway mark falls this month, and two milestones land with it: you feel your baby for the first time, and the most detailed ultrasound of the pregnancy takes place.

This month in your baby:

• Hearing develops. From weeks 18-20 your baby picks up your heartbeat, your digestion and sounds from outside; in the following weeks they begin responding to familiar voices with movement.
• The skin is coated in vernix caseosa, a white waxy layer that protects it from the amniotic fluid.
• In girls the uterus and ovaries are in place with eggs already formed; in boys the testes prepare to descend.
• Meconium — the first stool — starts collecting in the bowel.
• Week 20: measurement switches to crown-to-heel — about 10 inches and 10½ ounces. By week 22, roughly 11 inches and 15 ounces.

This month in your body: quickening typically arrives at 18-20 weeks in a first pregnancy and 16-18 weeks if you’ve been pregnant before. It feels like a butterfly or a gas bubble at first. An anterior placenta can delay the sensation by a couple of weeks, which is normal.

What to do this month: the anatomy scan (also called the 20-week scan or level II ultrasound) is done between 18 and 22 weeks. It examines the brain, the four chambers of the heart, the spine, kidneys, stomach, limb bones, lips and palate, the position of the placenta and the volume of amniotic fluid.

Month 6 (weeks 23-27): the threshold of viability

This month carries the most emotionally loaded milestone of pregnancy: from around 24 weeks a baby can survive outside the womb with modern neonatal intensive care. The odds improve substantially with every additional week.

This month in your baby:

• The lungs begin producing surfactant, the substance that keeps the air sacs from collapsing. It is the single most important factor in preterm survival.
• The eyelids separate and your baby opens and closes their eyes (around week 26).
• The brain’s surface folds rapidly; hearing pathways mature and loud noises produce a startle.
• The skin is still red and wrinkled because subcutaneous fat is only starting to build.
• End of week 27: about 14 inches crown-to-heel, 2 to 2¼ pounds.

This month in your body: movements can now be felt from outside. Backache, heartburn, leg cramps and painless irregular Braxton Hicks contractions may begin.

What to do this month: the glucose challenge or tolerance test for gestational diabetes is done between 24 and 28 weeks. Untreated gestational diabetes can cause excessive fetal growth and delivery complications, so this is not a test to skip. Bloodwork is usually repeated to check for anaemia.

Month 7 (weeks 28-31): laying down fat, finding a rhythm

The third trimester begins. From here the work is growing, gaining weight and maturing the lungs.

This month in your baby:

• Brown fat accumulates under the skin; wrinkles smooth out and the colour shifts from red toward pink.
• Regular sleep-wake cycles establish themselves. You’ll notice movement clustering at certain hours.
• The eyes respond to light; a bright light on the abdomen can make your baby turn.
• Bone marrow takes over red blood cell production entirely.
• Most babies start settling head-down, though there is still room to turn.
• End of week 31: about 16 inches crown-to-heel, 3¼ to 3½ pounds.

This month in your body: shortness of breath, heartburn, swollen ankles and trouble sleeping all increase. Colostrum may leak from the breasts.

What to do this month: at 28 weeks, women who are Rh negative receive Rh immune globulin (RhoGAM) to prevent sensitisation. This is also the week to start tracking your baby’s movements — the method is below. Visits typically move to every two weeks.

Month 8 (weeks 32-35): the lungs mature

This month in your baby:

• The lungs mature quickly; your baby “breathes” amniotic fluid in practice movements.
• Fingernails reach the fingertips. Lanugo begins to shed.
• The skull bones stay deliberately soft and mobile so they can overlap passing through the birth canal. Other bones harden.
• Your baby stockpiles iron, calcium and antibodies — the antibodies that will carry their immunity through the first months of life.
• Space is tight, so the character of movement changes: rolls, stretches and pushes instead of sharp kicks. The number of movements should not drop.
• End of week 35: about 18 inches crown-to-heel, 5 to 5¼ pounds.

This month in your body: Braxton Hicks contractions become more frequent. Breathlessness peaks as the uterus presses on the diaphragm, then eases once the baby drops.

What to do this month: a growth scan is common around 32-34 weeks. Between 36 and 37 weeks (some practices start at 35) a vaginal-rectal swab screens for group B strep; if it is positive you’ll receive IV antibiotics in labour. If preterm birth is a risk, your provider may give steroids to accelerate lung maturity.

Month 9 (weeks 36-40): getting ready to be born

This month in your baby:

• From week 37 your baby is “early term” and the organs are largely ready.
• Vernix and lanugo mostly shed; what is swallowed becomes part of the meconium.
• Sucking and swallowing become coordinated — which is what allows feeding straight after birth.
• Your baby drops into the pelvis (lightening), typically two to four weeks before delivery in a first pregnancy and during labour in later ones.
• Weight gain runs at roughly half a pound a week. At 40 weeks, about 20 inches and 7 to 7½ pounds.

This month in your body: breathing gets easier once the baby drops, but you’ll be up at night to urinate. Losing the mucus plug suggests labour may be days away, but it is not a schedule. True labour contractions come at regular intervals, get closer together, and don’t stop when you change position.

What to do this month: visits become weekly. A non-stress test (NST) may be used to check heart rate and contractions, along with checks of amniotic fluid and the baby’s position. If you pass 41 weeks, induction will be discussed.

Where does the baby sit in your belly, month by month?

“Where is my baby right now?” has two answers: how far up your abdomen the uterus has grown, and how the baby is lying inside it. Both change month by month.

How high does the uterus rise?

Fundal height — measured from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus — is checked at every visit. After 20 weeks the measurement in centimetres roughly equals the week of pregnancy (within about 2 cm). It is the earliest and cheapest clue that growth may be lagging.

In a first pregnancy the bump usually shows at 16 to 20 weeks; if you’ve been pregnant before, stretched abdominal muscles can make it visible as early as 12 to 16 weeks. Two women at the same week can look completely different, and it says nothing about the baby’s health.

When does the baby’s position settle?

Until about month six your baby changes position constantly — head-down at one scan, breech at the next. There is room to somersault. Position settles in months eight and nine:

• Head-down (vertex): the position for delivery. By term about 96 percent of babies are here.
• Breech: bottom or feet first. At 28 weeks roughly a quarter of babies are breech; the proportion falls sharply through month eight, and only 3 to 4 percent are still breech at term. So “the baby is the wrong way round” at seven months is very likely temporary.
• Transverse: lying sideways. Rare at term.

If a baby is still breech after 36-37 weeks, your provider may offer an external cephalic version (ECV) — manually turning the baby from outside under ultrasound guidance. Success is roughly 40 percent in a first pregnancy and 60 percent in later ones. If it doesn’t work, you’ll plan the mode of delivery together.

Trimester summary

Prenatal calendar: which test, which week?

High-risk pregnancies — twins, hypertension, diabetes, previous preterm birth, growth restriction — are monitored more often, with Doppler studies added.

When do fetal movements start, and how do you count them?

Your baby actually starts moving at around week 8, but you can’t feel it until there is enough size behind it. The typical window is 18-20 weeks in a first pregnancy and 16-18 weeks afterwards. If you have felt nothing by 24 weeks, tell your provider.

Counting starts at 28 weeks (26 in a high-risk pregnancy). The usual method:

1. Pick the hour when your baby is most active — for most, after a meal or in the evening.
2. Lie on your left side or sit somewhere comfortable.
3. Count kicks, rolls, swishes and pushes. Ten movements within two hours is reassuring.
4. Repeat at the same time each day. What matters is your own baby’s normal pattern.

The belief that movements decrease in the third trimester is a persistent and dangerous myth: the type of movement changes as space runs out, but the frequency should not fall before labour.

What is fetal growth restriction (IUGR)?

When a baby doesn’t reach the growth expected for their gestational age, it is called intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), more accurately fetal growth restriction (FGR). The first flag is an estimated weight below the 10th percentile for that week.

Being small and being restricted are not the same thing. The distinction matters enormously:

Common causes: placental insufficiency (the most frequent), pre-eclampsia and chronic hypertension, poorly controlled diabetes, kidney and heart disease, severe anaemia, smoking, alcohol and drug use, certain infections (CMV, toxoplasmosis, rubella), multiple pregnancy, and chromosomal or structural problems in the baby.

How it’s identified: a fundal height measuring significantly smaller than the gestational week raises suspicion. Ultrasound then measures head circumference, abdominal circumference and femur length, estimates weight and plots a growth curve. Doppler ultrasound examines blood flow in the umbilical cord and the baby’s brain — the most valuable early indicator of placental insufficiency.

What’s done about it: there is no drug that makes a baby grow faster. The approach has three parts:

1. Manage the underlying cause: blood pressure and glucose control, stopping smoking, treating anaemia.
2. Monitor closely: growth measurements every one to two weeks, Doppler studies, non-stress tests and biophysical profiles.
3. Time the delivery: if surveillance deteriorates, delivering the baby can become safer than continuing the pregnancy. That judgement belongs entirely to the obstetric team and shifts with gestational age and findings.

Bed rest and special “growth” diets have not been shown to reverse growth restriction. Catching it early is the effective intervention — which is why routine appointments matter.

What should you eat for your baby’s development?

The most common misconception is “eating for two”. Calorie needs rise far less than people assume: essentially not at all in the first trimester, then roughly +340 kcal a day in the second and +450 kcal in the third. That’s a glass of milk and a handful of walnuts, or a slice of wholegrain bread with cheese. What matters is nutrient density, not calories.

The nutrients that count:

What to avoid:

• Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish and shellfish; sauces made with raw egg (listeria, salmonella, toxoplasmosis).
• Unpasteurised milk and soft cheeses made from it, plus deli meats unless heated through.
• High-mercury fish: swordfish, shark, king mackerel, tilefish, bigeye tuna. Low-mercury fish (salmon, sardines, anchovies) are actively recommended.
• Alcohol: no amount is established as safe.
• Caffeine: keep it under 200 mg a day — roughly one 12 oz cup of coffee. Count tea, cola, energy drinks and chocolate too.
• Herbal teas and supplements: “natural” does not mean safe in pregnancy; check with your provider.

Weight gain depends on your pre-pregnancy BMI: 28-40 lb if you were underweight, 25-35 lb at a normal weight, 15-25 lb if overweight and 11-20 lb with obesity. Twins have different targets.

Can your baby hear and see in the womb?

• Hearing: the auditory system starts working around week 18; from weeks 24-25 your baby clearly registers outside sound and startles at loud noises. The sound they hear best is your voice, because it reaches them through your body as well as through the air. That is why newborns recognise their mother’s voice immediately.
• Sight: the eyelids open around week 26. The uterus is dark, but a strong light on the abdomen registers and your baby may turn toward or away from it. Vision is the slowest sense to mature after birth.
• Taste and smell: from weeks 15-20 your baby swallows amniotic fluid, and the flavours of what you eat pass into it. Strong flavours like garlic and aniseed have been shown to change swallowing patterns — an early familiarity that carries into infancy.
• Touch: the earliest sense to develop. From week 14 your baby touches their own face and grasps the cord; after week 24 they may respond to a hand pressed on your abdomen.

Playing music or talking to your bump will not make your baby smarter, and products promising otherwise are not worth your money. But it is safe, enjoyable, and a good way to start bonding.

Preterm, term, and the “before 40 weeks” questions

The week of delivery is the strongest single predictor of how ready a baby is. The current definitions are:^[3]

These categories were introduced in 2013 and changed practice in one concrete way: elective delivery — scheduled caesarean or induction without a medical reason — is not recommended before 39 weeks. Babies born at 37 weeks are healthy too, but lung and brain maturation measurably advance in those last two weeks.

Viability begins around 24 weeks and improves steeply: survival with intensive care is roughly even odds at 24 weeks, exceeds 90 percent by 28 weeks, and approaches term outcomes after 32. The figures depend on the facility and the baby’s condition.

Myths worth dropping

Frequently asked questions

How does a baby form in the womb? An egg released at ovulation meets sperm in the fallopian tube, and fertilisation produces a single cell called a zygote. It divides as it travels, reaches the uterus as a blastocyst on day 5 or 6, and implants in the uterine lining between days 6 and 10 — the point at which hCG production begins. Weeks 3 to 10 are the embryonic period, when organs are built; from week 10 to birth is the fetal period of growth and maturation.

How big is a baby at one month? At the end of week 4 the embryo is only about 2 mm — the size of a poppy seed. At that size an ultrasound usually shows only the gestational sac, not the baby.

Where is the baby at one month? The cluster of cells has travelled from the fallopian tube into the uterus and implanted in the uterine lining, usually high on the back wall. The uterus is still inside the pelvis and can’t be felt from outside.

Where is the baby at three months? Around week 12 the uterus rises out of the pelvis and can be felt just above the pubic bone. Your baby floats freely in the uterine cavity and has no fixed position; it changes constantly.

Where does the baby sit at five months? By week 20 the top of the uterus reaches the level of your navel, and your baby sits around that height. Position is not fixed — with plenty of room, they can be head-down, breech or transverse within the same day. “Breech” at this stage means nothing yet.

Where does the baby sit at six months? By around week 24 the uterus is just above the navel. More than a quarter of babies are still breech, which is entirely normal; most turn head-down on their own by month eight.

Where does the baby sit at seven months? At 28 weeks the top of the uterus is about three fingers above the navel. Most babies start settling head-down around now, but there’s still room to turn: roughly a quarter are breech at 28 weeks, against only 3-4 percent at term.

How big is a baby at three months? By the end of week 13 your baby is about 2¾ to 3 inches crown-to-rump and weighs roughly an ounce — about the size of a plum. Every organ has formed and the fetal period has begun.

What happens at two months of pregnancy? By the end of week 8 your baby is ½ to ¾ inch long. The heartbeat is visible on ultrasound, arm and leg buds have appeared and facial features are taking shape. Because organ foundations are laid this month, it is the most sensitive period to outside exposures.

What does a baby look like at four months? At the end of week 17 your baby is about 4½ to 5 inches crown-to-rump and 3½ to 5 ounces. Fingerprints form, facial muscles work and the body is covered in lanugo. Sex is usually visible on ultrasound at 16-18 weeks.

How much does a baby weigh at eight months? Between weeks 32 and 35 the weight runs about 3¾ to 5¼ pounds and length about 16½ to 18 inches. The lungs are maturing and your baby is stockpiling iron and calcium.

How big is a baby at seven weeks? About half an inch — the size of a blueberry. The heartbeat is visible on ultrasound this week and the arm and leg buds are clearly formed.

What’s happening at sixteen weeks? Your baby is roughly 4½ inches crown-to-rump and 3½ ounces. They make facial expressions and can suck a thumb; the skeleton is clear on ultrasound. If you’ve been pregnant before, you may feel the first movements from this week.

What’s happening at thirty-one weeks? About 16 inches crown-to-heel and 3¼ to 3½ pounds. Sleep-wake cycles are established and fat is accumulating under the skin. Babies born this week have excellent survival odds but will need intensive care for a period.

Is a baby fully developed at 36 weeks? At 36 weeks a baby is about 18½ inches and 5¾ pounds, with organs largely ready — but “term” medically starts at 37 weeks, and the lowest-risk window is 39 to 40 weeks. Without a medical reason, delivery shouldn’t be scheduled before 39 weeks.

What should I eat for my baby’s development? Build meals around folate, iron, calcium, vitamin D, iodine, protein and omega-3 (DHA): leafy greens, legumes, eggs, dairy, red meat, two servings of low-mercury fish a week, nuts and wholegrains. Calorie needs rise by about 340 kcal in the second trimester and 450 in the third. Avoid raw or undercooked foods, unpasteurised dairy, high-mercury fish and alcohol, and keep caffeine under 200 mg a day.

Can fetal growth restriction be reversed? It depends on the cause. Controlling maternal hypertension or diabetes and stopping smoking can improve the growth curve. Where the cause is placental insufficiency there is no treatment that makes a baby grow faster; the approach is close monitoring and choosing the right time to deliver. Outcomes are markedly better when it is caught early.

When can you tell the baby’s sex? Ultrasound gives a reliable answer from about 16 to 18 weeks, depending on the baby’s position. NIPT can report sex chromosomes from 10 weeks, though that test is primarily a chromosomal screen.

My baby’s movements have slowed — what should I do? Don’t wait and watch. If movements are clearly reduced against their usual pattern, or you can’t count ten in two hours, contact your maternity unit the same day. Reduced movement is a reason to be assessed on its own.

Can my baby hear my voice? Yes. Hearing begins around week 18, and from weeks 24-25 sounds register clearly. Your voice carries through your body as well as the air, so it’s the sound your baby hears best — which is why newborns recognise it straight away.

Sources

1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) — How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy
2. Cleveland Clinic — Fetal Development: Stages of Growth
3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 579 — Definition of Term Pregnancy
4. Mayo Clinic — Fetal Development: What Happens During the Trimesters
5. NHS — Pregnancy: Week by Week Guide
6. StatPearls / NCBI Bookshelf — Fetal Movement
7. StatPearls / NCBI Bookshelf — Breech Presentation