Fetal Milestones

Fetal Milestones.... what are they?! 

This is an introduction to understanding of the growth of your baby through the weeks. It is truly a miraculous job what the body is capable of doing so here are a few insights into this: 

For the first month (4 weeks) 

• Once the egg is fertilised (egg meets sperm) this has now attached to the inside of your womb (uterus) and has already started developing 
• the fetal spine has now started to develop

By week 5-10 

• The brain has started to develop 
• blood vessels have started to form 
• heart is now starting to beat 
• now had tiny hands and feet with webbed fingers and toes 
• lungs have started to develop 

By week 11-16

• arms and legs are getting longer, elbow are now able to bend 
• fingers and toes are losing their webbing 
• hearts fully developed and beating 
• head will usually look bigger than the body in the scans you have however this will even out eventually. 
• liver, kidneys and digestive systems are now developing 
• can start sucking their thumb - you may see this in the scans

By week 17-24

• Start feeling baby move - this can sometimes feel like wind/bubbles in the earlier weeks
• the fetus taste buds are starting to form
• eyelashes and eyebrows are now forming 
• fetus can now start to hear noises, such as your heartbeat, outside noises like music/voices

By week 25-32

• starts attempting to make breathing movements but the lungs are not completely developed. 
• fetal movements become more defined and start feeling like kicks/jabs/rolling or stretching 
• they can start to smell, taste and hear more 
• developing more fat around their body 
• may start feeling fetus hiccups

By week 33-40

• toes nails and fingernails are formed and potentially may need a trim when they are born
• the fetus can feel when you touch your bump and sometimes react with a food/hand/elbow 
• lungs are now fully developed
• still moving (movements will NEVER decrease, if you think your movements have changed, contact your maternity unit IMMEDIATELY) 
• roughly put on about 14g a day in weight every day 

Have a look on our Instagram for a video showing the development - https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-x1RuuiX5A/?igsh=bTcyemc3MnlsZXEz