What do fetuses look like

Eyes, ears, arms and legs are identifiable. Fingers and toes are distinct and have nails. The fetus begins small, random movements, too slight to be felt. The fetus can swallow, the kidneys make urine, and blood begins to form in the bone marrow. For females, ovarian follicles begin forming.

For males, the prostate appears. A doctor may be able to identify the sex through special tests. Your baby is the size of a butternut squash. Your baby is surrounded by a pint and a half of amniotic fluid, although there will be less of it as she grows and claims more space inside your uterus. Your baby is the size of a large cabbage. Your baby can now turn his head from side to side. A protective layer of fat is accumulating under his skin, filling out his arms and legs.

Your baby is the size of a coconut. You're probably gaining about a pound a week. Half of that goes straight to your baby, who will gain one-third to half her birth weight in the next seven weeks in preparation for life outside the womb.

Your baby is the size of a large jicama. The bones in your baby's skull aren't fused yet. That allows them to shift as his head squeezes through the birth canal. They won't fully fuse until adulthood. Your baby is the size of a pineapple. Your baby's central nervous system is maturing, as are her lungs. Babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems usually do well in the long run.

Your baby is the size of a cantaloupe. It's getting snug inside your womb! Your baby's kidneys are fully developed, and his liver can process some waste products. Your baby is the size of a honeydew melon. Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day.

She's also losing most of the fine down that covered her body, along with the vernix casosa, a waxy substance that was protecting her skin until now.

Your baby is the size of a head of romaine lettuce. Your due date is very close, but though your baby looks like a newborn, he isn't quite ready for the outside world. Over the next two weeks his lungs and brain will fully mature. Your baby is the size of a bunch of Swiss chard. Are you curious about your baby's eye color? Her irises are not fully pigmented, so if she's born with blue eyes, they could change to a darker color up until she's about a year old.

At 39 weeks, your baby will be considered full-term. In the illustration, you can see the mucus plug sealing your uterus and how squished your intestines are now. Your baby's physical development is complete, but he's still busy putting on fat he'll need to help regulate his body temperature in the outside world. Your baby is the size of a mini watermelon. If you're past your due date you may not be as late as you think, especially if you calculated it solely based on the day of your last period.

Sometimes women ovulate later than expected. But if you don't go into labor on your own by your due date, your healthcare provider will probably do tests such as a sonogram and a non-stress test to make sure you can safely continue your pregnancy. Your baby is the size of a small pumpkin.

Your baby is now considered late-term. Going more than two weeks past your due date can put you and your baby at risk for complications, so your provider will probably talk to you about inducing labor. Meeting your baby for the first time is so exciting — but exactly what will lead up to that moment is unpredictable, and it's natural to feel nervous.

Here's some help as you prepare for the big day. Find out how you'll know you're in labor and what to expect from delivery, understand your childbirth choices, and more. Learn the signs and stages of labor. Get more information, expert advice, and support from our community of parents to guide you through your pregnancy and beyond:.

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We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. American Academy of Family Physicians. Prenatal development: How your baby grows during pregnancy.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Mayo Clinic. Fetal development: The 2nd trimester. Fetal development: The 1st trimester. Fetal development: The third trimester. Fetal development. Stages of pregnancy. Three months pregnant. Four months pregnant. Five months pregnant.

Six months pregnant. Seven months pregnant. Eight months pregnant. Nine months pregnant. Month by month with ultrasound images.

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Products and services. Fetal development: The 1st trimester Fetal development begins soon after conception. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Open pop-up dialog box Fertilization and implantation Close.

Fertilization and implantation During fertilization, the sperm and egg unite in one of the fallopian tubes to form a zygote. Open pop-up dialog box Fetal development three weeks after conception Close. Fetal development three weeks after conception By the end of the fifth week of pregnancy — three weeks after conception — your hormone levels are rising.

Open pop-up dialog box Fetal development four weeks after conception Close. Fetal development four weeks after conception By the end of the sixth week of pregnancy — four weeks after conception — small buds appear that will become arms. Open pop-up dialog box Fetal development five weeks after conception Close.

Fetal development five weeks after conception By the end of the seventh week of pregnancy — five weeks after conception — your baby's brain and face are the focus of development. Open pop-up dialog box Fetal development six weeks after conception Close.