Pregnancy Tracker: Day by Day

During your ultrasound, a picture of your baby is produced when high-frequency sound waves bounce off your baby and translate into an image on screen. In this image, solid matter, such as bones, are white, while softer tissue appears gray. Areas ...

In your third trimester of pregnancy? As you approach 40 weeks, get tips on your health, weight gain, fatigue, baby size, labor and delivery, and preparing for baby. And check out our featured video on the general symptoms of pregnancy. ...

Your baby todayThe toes are now separate and are all the same length. The ankle joints are now mature enough to be working, although it will still be many weeks before you are likely to be conscious of any kicks. ...

In your second trimester of pregnancy? Learn about screenings, ultrasounds, weight gain, fetal development, complications, miscarriage risk, and more in weeks 13 through 25. ...

In your first trimester of pregnancy? Get tips and information on screenings, symptoms, your baby's size, weight gain, do's and don'ts, and miscarriage risk in the first 12 weeks. And check out our featured video on the general symptoms of pregn...

By 20 weeks, your baby's organs and body systems are well developed and can be seen clearly on an ultrasound scan. The sonographer performing the scan will look closely at how your baby's major organs and body systems have formed and whether ther...

Your baby todayThis is a microscope view of the amniotic cavity with the cells that will become the baby in a close-up. These cells will repeatedly divide and multiply, becoming more and more specialized at each stage of their development. ...

This ultrasound helps to accurately establish your baby's gestational age. This is particularly useful if you are not sure when your last menstrual period was, if you have irregular periods, or you became pregnant immediately after you stopped us...

You're now about as big as you're going to get. Soon-maybe this week-the baby will drop down lower into your pelvis, ready for birth. Your belly may shift downward, too, giving you a different shape. This doesn't necessarily mean that labor is im...

The baby is nearly ready, you are more than ready, so when is the birth going to happen? Probably not yet-especially if this is your first pregnancy. For another week or so, the uterus is still the best place for your baby while the finishing tou...

The third trimester is dedicated to intensive fetal growth. Your fetus will gain fully half its weight during this period. In the final months, there will be further essential lung and brain development. The food you eat during the final three m...

Know the signs that mean labor is really about to start. You may have some false alarms, so don't hesitate to call your doctor for advice and reassurance. Excitement will be competing with nerves-and that goes for your partner as well. No one can...

Like many moms-to-be, you may have to linger in suspense beyond the "last" day of pregnancy. Without a doubt, the big event is about to happen very soon and it will be worth the waiting, wondering, and worrying. Once you see and hold your baby, y...

Getting exercise is probably the last thing you want to do, but it's worth the effort. The more you move, the more energy you will gain. Gentle exercise will also help relieve some of the aches and twinges of late pregnancy. The baby's movements ...

Your baby todayThis image shows just how curled up the embryo is at this stage. The head end of the embryo is on the right. The embryo now has 22 pairs of somites (building blocks of the musculoskeletal system) running along the back. ...

Don't leave crucial arrangements until the last minute. Have an action plan ready for when you go into labor-it might be sooner than you think. Babies can arrive ahead of schedule, so make sure you and your partner feel confident about managing. ...

You may have firm thoughts about what you consider to be the ideal birth experience. However, keep an open mind because many factors can influence where and how your baby is born. There's nothing unusual in a woman changing her mind, even after h...

The baby has not settled into her final birth position just yet, but an assessment of how she's lying will be made at every routine checkup. There's still room in the uterus for your baby to exercise her limbs and she's getting much stronger and ...