Fetal Development
From conception to birth

Illustration by R.K. O'Bannon

Day 1:  fertilization: all human chromosomes are present; unique human life begins. Click photo to enlarge.

Day 6:  embryo begins implantation in the uterus.

Day 22:  heart begins to beat with the child's own blood, often a different type than the mothers'.

Week 3:  By the end of third week the child's backbone spinal column and nervous system are forming.  The liver, kidneys and intestines begin to take shape.

Week 4:  By the end of week four the child is ten thousand times larger than the fertilized egg. 

Week 5:  Eyes, legs, and hands begin to develop.

Week 6:  Brain waves are detectable; mouth and lips are present; fingernails are forming. Week 7:  Eyelids, and toes form, nose distinct.  The baby is kicking and swimming. Week 8:  Every organ is in place, bones begin to replace cartilage, and fingerprints begin to form.  By the 8th week the baby can begin to hear.

Click photo to enlarge

Weeks 9 and 10:  Teeth begin to form, fingernails develop.  The baby can turn his head, and frown.  The baby can hiccup. 

Weeks 10 and 11:  The baby can "breathe" amniotic fluid and urinate.  Week 11 the baby can grasp objects placed in its hand; all organ systems are functioning.  The baby has a skeletal structure, nerves, and circulation.

Week 15:  The baby has an adult's taste buds.

Month 4:  Bone Marrow is now beginning to form.  The heart is pumping 25 quarts of blood a day.  By the end of month 4 the baby will be 8-10 inches in length and will be one half of its birth weight.

Week 17:  The baby can have dream (REM) sleep.  Week 19:  Babies can routinely be saved at 21 to 22 weeks after fertilization, and sometimes they can be saved even younger.

Click photo to enlarge

Week 20:  The earliest stage at which Partial birth abortions are performed.  At 20 weeks the baby recognizes its' mothers voice.

Click photo to enlarge

Months 5 and 6:  The baby practices breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid into its developing lungs. The baby will grasp at the umbilical cord when it feels it.  Most mothers feel an increase in movement, kicking, and hiccups from the baby.  Oil and sweat glands are now functioning.  The baby is now twelve inches long or more, and weighs up to one and a half pounds.

Months 7 through 9:  Eyes and teeth are present.  The baby opens and closes his eyes.  The baby is using four of the five senses (vision, hearing, taste, and touch.)  He knows the difference between waking and sleeping, and can relate to the moods of the mother.  The baby's skin begins to thicken, and a layer of fat is produced and stored beneath the skin.  Antibodies are built up, and the baby's heart begins to pump 300 gallons of blood per day.  Approximately one week before the birth the baby stops growing, and "drops" usually head down into the pelvic cavity. 

Sources Used:

Bergel, Gary (Produced by NRLC) "When You Were Formed in Secret." 1998.

 Flanagan,  Geraldine Lux.  Beginning Life.  The Marvelous Journey from Conception to Birth.  New York: DK Publishing Inc., 1996.

Hopson, Janet L.  Fetal Psychology.  Oct. 1998.  07 Jan 2003.
http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/tul/psychtoday9809.html.

Internet Sources:

"Fetal Development."  07 Jan 2003.
http://www.w-cpc.org/fetal1.html.

"When Does Life Begin?  Abortion and Human Rights."  National Right To Life.