2nd trimester

13 week


14 week


15 week


16 week


17 week


18 week


19 week


20 week


21 week
The baby now weighs almost one pound/ 430 grams, measures nearly 11 inches/ just over 27 centimeters long from crown to heel, and is proportioned like a newborn, albeit a thinner version since her baby fat hasn't yet developed. Although she's getting heavier every day, her skin still appears wrinkled because she needs to gain more weight. The lips are distinct and the eyes are formed, though the iris (the coloured part of the eye) still lacks pigment. The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily.

Even this early, the first signs of teeth appear in the form of tooth buds beneath the gum line. Before you know it, your baby will be born, and soon after, her first teeth will come through.

You've probably gained between 12 and 15 pounds/ 5.4 and 6.8 kilograms. Starting now, you'll begin to put on weight more steadily, averaging about half a pound/ 225 grams per week. You may crave certain foods and you may notice an increased (but not bloody) vaginal discharge. Both are a normal part of being pregnant.



22 week
The baby now weighs almost one pound/ 430 grams, measures nearly 11 inches/ just over 27 centimeters long from crown to heel, and is proportioned like a newborn, albeit a thinner version since her baby fat hasn't yet developed. Although she's getting heavier every day, her skin still appears wrinkled because she needs to gain more weight. The lips are distinct and the eyes are formed, though the iris (the coloured part of the eye) still lacks pigment. The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily.

Even this early, the first signs of teeth appear in the form of tooth buds beneath the gum line. Before you know it, your baby will be born, and soon after, her first teeth will come through.


23 week
Your baby now weighs a little over one pound/ 500 grams and measures about 11.4 inches/ 29 centimeters from crown to heel. Her hearing is well established and she can make out a distorted version of your voice, the beating of your heart and your stomach rumblings. Loud noises often heard in utero, such as the barking of a dog next door or the roar of a vacuum cleaner, probably won't bother your child when she hears them outside the womb.

Some studies seem to indicate that the unborn prefer classical music.

In addition to advances in your baby's hearing, her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing. She's swallowing but she normally won't pass her first stool (called meconium) until after birth.


24 week
fragile, she's now well-proportioned. Her brain is growing rapidly, and she is starting to fill the space in your uterus. From crown to heel she could measure 11.8 inches/ 30 centimeters. If you went into labour at this time, however, many obstetricians and doctors would make every effort to halt the progress of premature labour to enable your baby to continue maturing.

You may be noticing faint, red or brown streaks known as striae or stretchmarks on your abdomen, hips and breasts. While creams won't erase them, wearing a supportive bra may help prevent or minimise them on your breasts. They are very common at this stage of the pregnancy - about 90 per cent of women get them. After you've given birth, the reddish or brown pigmentation in the stretchmarks gradually fades, and the streaks become lighter than the surrounding skin.


25 week
The baby now weighs nearly 1.5 pounds/ 660 grams and is approximately 13.5 inches/ 35 centimeters long from crown to heel. He makes breathing movements but has no air in his lungs yet. At 26 weeks, fetal brain scans show response to touch. If you shine a light on your abdomen, your baby will turn his head, which according to researchers, means his optic nerve is working.


26 week
Measuring your baby from top to toe with his legs extended, he is about 14 inches/ 35.6 centimeters. He weighs a little more than 1.6 pounds/ 760 grams. Your baby's eyes begin to open around now. Response to sound grows more consistent toward the end of the seventh month, when the network of nerves to the ear is complete. He also continues to take small breaths and although he's only breathing in water and not air, it's still good practice for when he's born.

Since your baby is now growing so fast, and brain development is so intense at this stage, your nutrition is very important. Continue to eat a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of grains and vegetables. Fiber-rich foods, including whole-grain breads and cereals, lentils and brown rice are high in vitamin B and help fend off constipation.


27 week
Your baby now weighs nearly 2 pounds/ 875 grams and measures 14.5 inches/ 36.6 centimeters from head to toe. Her eyes open and close, she sleeps and wakes at regular intervals and she may suck a finger or thumb.

Sweet dreams, little baby! Some experts believe that babies begin to dream by the 28th week. What do they dream about? No-one knows for certain but the brain is active this week as well. The characteristic grooves on the brain's surface start to appear and more brain tissue develops.