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Relax and enjoy your pregnancy!

New life is growing inside you and your body is changing. With this fact-filled book and your doctor's prenatal care, you can follow your baby's progress and confirm what's happening in your own body.
Now in its fourth edition, this book provides the answers to your questions about all stages of pregnancy. Whether you are just planning your pregnancy or already pregnant, you'll find advice for taking care of yourself and having a healthy baby.

Each week you will learn about:
- Your baby's growth and development
- How your activities and actions affect your baby
- Medicines and medical tests
- Health precautions and illnesses
- Special considerations

Illustrations show clearly how you and your developing baby change and grow week by week. A delightful new feature offers a tip-of-the-week to new as well as experienced dads. Plus nutrition hints every week!
The most meically up-to-date book available, Your Pregnancy Week by Week is written by a leading obstetrician and fertility specialist.





First Trimester-
1-4 Weeks- {Month 1}
5-8 Weeks- {Month 2}
9-13 Weeks- {Month 3}
Second Trimester-
14-17 Weeks- {Month 4}
18-21 Weeks- {Month 5}
22-26 Weeks- {Month 6}
Third Trimester-
27-30 Weeks- {Month 7}
31-35 Weeks- {Month 8}
36-40 Weeks- {Month 9}

pg.1 = weeks 1-15
pg.2 = weeks 16-30
pg.3 = weeks 31-40

WEEK 3

How Big is Your Baby?
The embryo growing inside you is very small. At this point, it is only a group of cells that are multiplying and growing rapidly. The embryo is the size of the head of a pin and would be visible to the naked eye if it weren't inside you. The group of cells doesn't look like a fetus or baby. During this first week, the embryo is about 0.006 inches long (0.150mm).

How Big Are You?
In this third week of pregnancy, you won't notice any changes. It's too soon! Few women know they have conceived. Remember, you haven't even missed a period yet.

How Your Baby is Growing And Developing.
A great deal is happening, even though your pregnancy is in its earliest stage. Ovaries lie free in your pelvis. They are close to the uterus and fallopian tube. At the time of ovulation, the end of the tube lies close to the ovary. Some researchers believe this tube opening covers the area on the ovary where the egg is released at the time of ovulation.



BABY-GAGA

Fetal development - week 3:
Although your belly is still the same size and shape as it was pre-pregnancy, a plethora of amazing and dynamic changes are taking place despite this fact. Right now your little zygote is already 1.5 – 2.5mm in size. This is quite a change from the microscopic pack of cells you had just two weeks ago. Your microscopic little one is already composed of three complex “germ” layers: the ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm. Although you could hardly see them at this point, these layers are the beginnings of your baby's nervous system and brain, stomach and inner organs, and skeleton and connective tissue. Your baby is also starting to take on recognizable physical dimensions somewhat comparable to a very tiny pear. The round part of the pear will eventually become the head and the pointy part will be the spine. Perhaps the best part of this week is that somewhere around the 21st day, your miraculous little pear will have a beating heart, although the heart chambers and valves will not be completely developed for another couple weeks.

And how's mom doing?
You may be expressing many of the same symptoms as last week: fatigue, swollen breasts and frequent urination. This is to be expected and is nothing to worry about. Don’t panic if you gradually lose some of the symptoms, or trade one set of symptoms for another-- this is also totally normal. Many doctors recommend starting a prenatal vitamin early on in the pregnancy. Yep, now is the perfect time to begin! For those of you with lactose intolerance, practicing vegans and vegetarians, as well as women with a history of substance abuse, chronic disease, or the minority who are expecting twins (or more!), you are in even higher need of a prenatal vitamin to supplement and fend off the all-too-easy nutrient deficiencies you're prone to experience in your pregnancy. Calcium is an essential vitamin during the pregnancy as your body will strip calcium from your bones to build the bones of your baby if you don’t have enough supplemental calcium in your system. This is also a critical reason older women are so much more prone to osteoporosis: they simply didn't get enough calcium during their child-bearing years. Contact your primarey health care giver or local health food store nutritionist to identify the correct vitamin(s) for you and your baby.

**Calcium is an essential vitamin during the pregnancy as your body will strip calcium from your bones to build the bones of your baby if you don’t have enough supplemental calcium in your system

WEEK 5

How Big is Your Baby?
Your developing baby hasn't grown a great deal. It's about 0.05 inches long (1.25mm).

How Big Are You?
At this point, there are still no big changes in you. Even if you are aware you're pregnant, it will be a while before others notice your changing features.

How Your Baby is Growing And Developing.
As early as this week, a plate that will later become the heart has developed. The central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and muscle and bone formation are beginning to take shape. During this time, your baby's skeleton is also starting to form.



BABY-GAGA

Fetal development - week 5:
The changes to your growing embryo are not quite as drastic this week as they've been in the last few weeks. Growth is now largely focused on their little head, which is starting to develop much more rapidly than the rest of their tiny body. This is because their amazing brain is undergoing some very crucial and rapid development in order to effectively regulate their heart rate, blood circulation, and other vital functions. As for the rest of their miniature body, what were simple limb buds last week are limb flippers this week and the tail is more expressed. Amazingly, within a mere five weeks your little miracle is already developing the rudimentary forms of their liver, pancreas, lungs, stomach and nasal pits while their little heart is already increasing its circulation. Your baby is now a whopping 4-6mm in length.

And how's mom doing?
Your body is still adjusting to the increased amount of hormones and you are probably pretty much experiencing the same symptoms as last week. Still, some women will start feeling the joys of morning sickness set in this week (see Week 4 for specific symptom details). Don’t worry if your areolas are darkening this is a perfectly normal response to the hormonal changes in your body.
Also start having someone else changing the kitty litter for you. Avoiding this chore will keep you from the remote chance of contracting Toxoplasmosis. Toxo is a parasite that is only very rarely found in fecal matter of vermin and rodent-eating felines. Don’t worry though, you don’t have to get rid of your cat. Also, make sure you fully cook all your meat, wash your fruits and veggies clean, keep away from cat litter and wear gloves if you’re going to work with any soil. See facts about toxoplasmosis for more information.

**make sure you fully cook all your meat, wash your fruits and veggies clean, keep away from cat litter and wear gloves if you’re going to work with any soil.

WEEK 7

How Big is Your Baby?
Your baby has an incredible growth spurt this week! At the beginning of the 7th week, the crown-to-rump length of your growing baby is 0.16-0.2 inches (4-5mm). This is about the size of a BB pellet. By the end of the week, your baby more than doubled in size, to 0.44-0.52 inches (11-13mm).

How Big Are You?
Although you are probably quite anxious to show the world you're pregnant, there still may be little change. Changes will come soon though.

How Your Baby is Growing And Developing.
Leg and arm buds are beginning to appear as short fins. The hand and foot have a digital plate where the fingers and toes will develop. The heart bulges from the body. By this time, it has divided into right and left heart chambers. The primary bronchi are present (air passages to the lungs). The cerebral hemispheres, which make up the brain, are also growing. Eyes and nostrils are developing. Intestines are developing, and the appendix is present. The pancreas, which produces the hormone insulin, is also present. Part of the intestine bulges into the umbilical cord. Later in your baby's development, it will return to the abdomen.



BABY-GAGA

Fetal development:
Your baby is really beginning to develop more physical definition this week – their oversized head isn’t just large and oblong anymore, it’s actually a little bit pointy. The tiny receding tail bud is now starting to be overshadowed by the growth of their legs, which are now complete with knees and the beginnings of toes. Their eyes and ears are the most visible features on their head and their miniature bones are starting to harden throughout their body. You also have some variation on a boy or a girl at this point, although their genitals won’t be visible enough to determine which color cigars you’re going to buy until around the 16th week.

And how's mom doing?:
Your hormones are still out of whack because the placenta won’t take over hormone production for your little one for another couple of weeks. So until then, expect more of the same. At this point any close family or friends have undoubtedly noticed you’re a little more moody and/or irritable than usual. And there are probably times where you’re ready to tell the world off (maybe you already have), but it’s always worth the time and effort to explain to yourself and others the reason for your current emotional rollercoaster; you don’t have to be a monster just because you feel a little whacked out. Focus on your breathing and energy levels. Take naps if you feel fatigued but don't forget the stress-reducing benefits of long walks outside for fresh air and exercise. Sit down if you start to feel nauseous, and take the time to eat healthy vitamin-rich foods when you’re hungry. Even though there’s no bi-weekly paycheck or boss, pregnancy is harder work than you might think and you need lots of positive physical and emotional energy to provide your baby with the safest strongest home possible.

**it’s always worth the time and effort to explain to yourself and others the reason for your current emotional rollercoaster; you don’t have to be a monster just because you feel a little whacked out

WEEK 9

How Big is Your Baby?
The crown-to-rump length of the embryo is 0.9-1.2 inches (22-30mm). This is close to the size of a medium green olive.

How Big Are You?
Each week your uterus grows larger with the baby growing inside it. You may begin to see your waistline growing thicker by this time. A pelvic exam will detect a uterus a little bigger than a grapefruit.

How Your Baby is Growing And Developing.
Your baby's arms and legs are longer. Hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over the heart area. They continue to extend in the front of the body. Fingers are longer, and the tips are slightly enlarged where touch pads are developing. The feet are approaching the midline of the body and may be long enough to meet in front of the torso. The head is more erect, and the neck is more developed. The eyelids almost cover the eyes. Up to this time, the eyes have been uncovered. External ears are evident and well formed. Your baby now moves its body and limbs. This movement can be seen during an ultrasound exam. The baby looks more recognizable as a human being, although it is still extremely small. It is probably impossible to distinguish a male form from a female. External organs of the male and female appear very similar and will not be distinguished for another few weeks.



BABY-GAGA

Fetal development:
Congratulations! Your amazing growing baby has been accepted into to the fetus-club, a very exclusive and exiting new stage in their prenatal development. Basically, this means the little sweet pea has graduated from swimming embryo creature to a recognizable human being! This week in particular, the irises of their little eyes can function, but (frustratingly for them?) their eyelids remain fused shut for a while yet. Their external ears are formed and their inner ears are now filled with fluid—so your little one is already developing their sense of balance. Your baby's little swimmer legs are still relatively, although other bodily developments are going forward at a nice pace: their kidney is actually functioning now, which means they’ve started urinating (this might seem charming now but wait till you have to start buying diapers!).

And how's mom doing?:
You’re nearing the end of the first trimester and while there are plenty of dynamic and noticeable changes going on inside of you, not many changes are noticeable to you, with the exception of a mildly bulging midline-- which doesn't look pregnant enough to stop people from wondering if you need to lay off the donuts. Although your body might seem a little boring right now, you can expect the creeping-up-effect of weight gain as you will gain roughly 1-2 lbs gain per week (some more and some less). It’s not a bad idea to chart this to make sure you’re not over or underfeeding both of you. As you’ve entered into the Fetal Period, it might be a good time to evaluate your personal health regimen—that is, if you haven’t already. Are you eating enough protein? Remember, protein can be found in beans, soy products and nuts—it doesn’t have to be a 12 ounce sirloin! Are you sleeping well, exercising right, drinking enough (non-sugary) fluids and getting your vitamin C? Having a baby is the ultimate test for your body—if you take care of your health now you’ll come out of the pregnancy on top of your health and ready to be an energetic mother, if not, well, let’s just say, you’re increasing the chances of suffering from depression, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, and a multitude of little nasty viruses (think colds and flues) that good health could've beat before you even noticed they’d invaded.

**Having a baby is the ultimate test for your body—if you take care of your health now you’ll come out of the pregnancy on top of your health and ready to be an energetic mother

WEEK 11

How Big is Your Baby?
By this week, the crown-to-rump length of your baby is 1.75-2.4 inches (44-60mm). Fetal weight is about 0.3 ounces (8g). Your baby is about the size of a large lime.

How Big Are You?
While big changes are occurring in your baby, changes are probably happening slowly in you. You are almost at the end of the first trimester; your uterus has been growing along with the fetus inside it. It is almost big enough to fill your pelvis and may be felt in your lower abdomen, above the middle of your pubic bone. You won't be able to feel your baby moving yet. If you think you feel your baby move at this time, you either have gas or are further along in your pregnancy than you thought.

How Your Baby is Growing And Developing.
Fetal growth is rapid now. The crown-to-rump length of your baby doubles in the next three weeks.As the head extends, the chin rises from the chest, and the neck develops and lengthens. Fingernails appear. External genitalia are beginning to show distinguishing features. Development of the features into a male or female is complete in another three weeks. All embryos begin in life looking the same. Whether the embryo develops into a male or female is determined by the genetic information contained in the embryo.



BABY-GAGA

Fetal development:
Maybe you’ve noticed… your baby is a super-duper grower! Your lil' fetus will be gaining a substantial amount of weight this week and has already achieved fruit-size-status comparable to a plum. What's more, your little scientist is already starting to explore their body, focusing most intently on touching their head, and especially their face and mouth. Their mouth in particular will provide them with hours of entertainment. This happens not only because your baby is gaining coordination, and is therefore able to move a hand on command, but also because their palms have gained sensation and can actually “feel” what it touches.They're also developing their swallow reflex this week. And lastly, your baby's smelling and other olfactory senses will begin developing this week, which when combined with the maturing taste buds, will provide your baby with their first experiences of taste and smell.

And how's mom doing?:
If you’re still enduring the joys of morning sickness, it should finally be subsiding to the point of non-existence by the end of this week. The growing placenta combined with your little one’s developing pituitary gland have given you a break on hormone production, so now your can focus on the fact you’re about to enter the second trimester of pregnancy, which can be most aptly characterized by lots of growth for both you and your little uterus-tenant.
At this point you should be making a conscious effort to gradually increase your consumption of healthy, vitamin-rich food, but remember: THIS DOES NOT MEAN LIFE IS NOW AN OPEN BUFFET. Think about it, if it’s not good for you, then it won’t do any good for your developing baby. If you’re finding that you’re still hungry after dinner, don’t simply default to having extra ice cream for dessert. Have a second helping of vegetables and fish, or whole grain bread with jam. Good nutrition is absolutely vital for your baby's brain and body development.
Additionally, make sure you’re taking “me-time” to center yourself and focus on your body’s interactions with your baby: listen to relaxing or inspiring music, read good books, think happy thoughts, you know, all the mentally stimulating stuff that puts you in a good mood and makes your pregnancy feel like a positive experience. In other words, watching international news isn't recommended. The better you treat your body and emotions now, the healthier and happier your child will be once “they’re on the outside.”

**Think about it, if it’s not good for you, then it won’t do any good for your developing baby. If you’re finding that you’re still hungry after dinner, don’t simply default to having extra ice cream for dessert

WEEK 13

How Big is Your Baby?
Your baby is growing rapidly! It's crown-to-rump length is 2.6-3.1 inches (65-78mm), and it weighs between 0.5-0.7 ounces (13-20g). It is about the size of a peach.

How Big Are You?
Your uterus has grown quite a bit. You can probably feel its upper edge above the pelvic bone in the lowest part of your abdomen, about 4 inches (10cm) below your bellybutton. At 12-13 weeks, your uterus fills your pelvis and starts growing upward into your abdomen. It feels like a soft, smooth ball. You have probably gained some weight by now. If morning sickness has been a problem and you've had a hard time eating, you may not have gained much weight. As you feel better and as your baby rapidly starts to gain weight, you'll gain weight.

How Your Baby is Growing And Developing.
Fetal growth is particularly striking from now on through about 24 weeks of pregnancy. The baby has doubled in length since the 7th week. Changes in fetal weight have also been tremendous during the last 8-10 weeks of your pregnancy. One interesting change is the relative slowdown in the growth of your baby's head compared to the rest of its body. In week 13, the head is about half the crown-to-rump length. By week 21, the head is about one-third of the baby's body. At birth, you baby's head is only one-fourth the size of its body. Your baby's face is beginning to look more humanlike. Eyes, which started out out on the side of the head, move closer together on the face. The ears come to lie in their normal position on the sides of the head. External genitali have developd enough so that a male can be distinguish from a female if examined outside the womb. Intestines intially develop within a large swelling in the umbilical cordoutside the fetal body. About this time, they withdraw into the fetal abdominal cavity. If this doesn't occur and the intestines remain outside the fetal abdomen at birth, a condition called an omphalocele occurs. The condition can usually be repaired with surgery, and babies do well afterward.



BABY-GAGA

Fetal development:
This is your final week in the first trimester and your little weed continues to grow and grow and grow. Of the three trimesters, this one has been the most important for your little one’s development. Assuming you’ve carefully adopted a healthy diet, continue to exercise and get ample rest, your little one is set up perfectly for even more growth and development in tri-two! Way to go! He or she now weighs about 2.5 ounces and is roughly 3.5 inches in length. Little hairs, known as lanugo, will start to cover their body this week, as their sense of taste and smell are further refined. Their cozy little amniotic sac is also increasing in size and mass as it continues to fill with more fluid.

And how's mom doing?:
Congratulations on a successful first trimester! A lot has happened (and there’s a lot more to come). You should be proud of your hard work and sacrifice. Giving up lattes, soda, and wine is not easy. Even if you snuck in a few of these goodies over the past 13 weeks, don’t dwell on it—there’s a lot to look forward to! Besides, now is the perfect time to rededicate yourself if you have had a few lapses. Remember, every day and decision is an opportunity to improve your eating and exercise habits—your baby and your body will thank you in the long run.
If you’re the planning type, you can celebrate the beginning of your next trimester by purchasing some choice maternity clothing to fit your elegantly evolving new shape. The good news is some fashion designers are realizing that being pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t look sharp, sexy, sporty, or whatever your particular style might be. Cruise the online stores for a preview of the range of fashion out there for pregnant women—even if the local shops are still stuck in the nineties, you can always hit up some chi-chi online store based out of NYC! If you’d rather wait a few more weeks (until you really start to show) before making any purchases, then get ready to dig out your sweat pants, over-sized t-shirts, and any other comfy loose fitting clothes you’ve got at your disposal. At the very least, just unbutton that top button on those pants that still “almost fit”. Come on, you’re pregnant! This is definitely not the time to suffer for fashion.

**The good news is some fashion designers are realizing that being pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t look sharp, sexy, sporty, or whatever your particular style might be

WEEK 15

How Big is Your Baby?
The fetal crown-to-rump length by this week or pregnancy is 4.1-4.5 inches (93-103mm). The fetus weighs about 1.75 ounces (50g). It's close to the size of a softball.

How Big Are You?
You can easily tell you're pregnant by the changes in your lower abdomen, which alter the way your clothes fit. You may be able to feel your uterus about 3 or 4 inches (7.6-10cm) below your bellybutton. Your pregnancy may not be obvious to other people when you wear regular street clothes. But it may become obvious if you start wearing maternity clothes or put on a swim suit. It's still a little early to feel movement, although you should feel your baby move in the next few weeks!

How Your Baby is Growing And Developing.
Your baby's rapid growth continues. It's skin is thin. At this point in its development, you can see blood vessels through the skin. Fine hair called lanugo hair covers the baby's body. By this time, your baby may be sucking its thumb. Eyes continue to move to the front of the face but are still widely seperated. Ears continue to develop externally and look more normal. Your baby looks more human each passing day. Bones that already formed are getting harder and retaining calcium rapidly.



BABY-GAGA

Fetal development:
Your nearly four-inch long gymnast is happily mobile inside your womb and if you're really lucky, you’ll notice a point when your sneezing, coughing or laughing results in a little kick here or a poke there. Still, many women don't feel anything until the 17th week or later. Although the poking and kicking isn't very charming during sleeping hours, it’s a good sign as it means your baby is actually reacting to outside events. Yay! You’ve got yourself one active healthy baby! Their little elbows and knees are bending more freely this week and their little legs are finally growing longer than their arms and getting pumped up for prenatal Richard Simmons. Many of their major organ systems are increasing in capacity—particularly that amazing tiny heart and complex circulation system, which is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood per day, and will increase to a very impressive 200 quarts per day by the end of the pregnancy. As far as hair goes, we’ve got some new scalp patterns beginning to develop on the head, although actual head hair is not yet present.

And how's mom doing?:
Have your cheeks been rosier lately? (No, no, no-- we’re asking about your face.) Are you feeling especially radiant? This famed “glow” is brought to you courtesy of the pregnancy fairy who has waved her magical “rosy tinge wand” over you. Seriously though, your body is experiencing an increase in blood flow and you probably do have flushed skin and cheeks. Just be aware that increased blood flow might cause your blood vessels to expand, resulting in a series of not-so-magical nosebleeds for some women, which although perfectly normal, are a bit gory if you’ve got a day job. If you find the nosebleeds especially irritable, consider purchasing a humidifier to ward off future nose bleeds. Also, do your best to avoid irritants, such as aerosols, smoke, and dust.. Even though the placenta is regulating your babe’s hormones, you are still producing additional estrogen, which often causes swelling of the mucosa membranes, leaving you with a stuffy nose—potentially throughout the duration of the pregnancy. These are just a few of the charming physical experiences you can chalk up to the pregnancy fairy!

**be aware that increased blood flow might cause your blood vessels to expand, resulting in a series of not-so-magical nosebleeds