Your Baby's Development
From this week until week 20, your baby will be growing rapidly -
increasing in size from about 2 inches (5 cm) to about 8 inches (20
cm) from crown to rump. To accommodate all this growth, the blood
vessels in the placenta are increasing in both size and number to
provide the baby with more nutrients.
Facial development continues as the ears move toward their final
position on the sides of the head. If you saw a picture of your
baby now, you'd think you had a genius on your hands - the
baby's head accounts for about half of the body length!
Although your baby's reproductive organs are developing
rapidly, the external genitals of boys and girls appear somewhat
similar until the end of week 11. They will be clearly
differentiated by week 14.
Your Body
Nourishing your baby usually requires that you
gain weight
- and in most cases, the recommended weight gain is 25 to 35 pounds
(11.33 to 15.87 kg) over the course of the pregnancy. If you were
overweight or underweight before pregnancy, your health care
provider may have different recommendations for weight gain.
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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