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Stages of Unborn Child Development

During your baby's nine months in the womb, she goes through a multitude of transformations. During the embryonic stage your baby will go from being an implanted fertilized egg to having a heartbeat and an umbilical cord. During the second stage of development, the fetus stage, your doctor will be able to identify the baby's sex organs and she will begin to look more like a fully developed baby.

  1. First Trimester

    • The first three months of your pregnancy, called the first trimester, consist of the entire embryonic stage of your unborn child's development. During this stage your baby is referred to as an embryo. The first trimester begins with the fertilized egg having implanted itself onto your uterine lining. Around six weeks, the unborn child's heart begins to beat as blood begins to circulate through her body. Her umbilical cord, head, eyes, liver and intestines also begin to form. By the end of the embryonic stage at 10 weeks, the baby's external genitalia have begun to appear and the features of her face as well as the shapes of her limbs have become more distinguishable.

    Second Trimester

    • The fetus developmental stage begins in the second trimester and lasts through the third trimester until your baby is born. At this point in the pregnancy she is considered a fetus. By week 14, not only has your baby started growing hair, eyelids, fingernails and toenails, but she can also suck on her thumb and swallow. During week 16 of your pregnancy, your baby's genitalia have matured enough for the doctor to be able to tell the sex of the baby. Also during the second trimester, your baby will now have bones in her inner ear enabling her not only to hear sound but to react to it. At the end of the second trimester, around week 22, the baby's brain development begins to speed up.

    Third Trimester

    • At the beginning of your third and final trimester, the baby can open her eyes and blink. During this phase of development, your baby begins to practice breathing and may even come down with a case of the hiccups. She begins accumulating body fat in preparation for the world outside the womb, and her skin is red and wrinkled. At week 32 your baby stands a 50 percent chance of surviving a premature birth and by week 36 she has a 94 percent chance of survival. By week 40 your baby is fully developed and ready to be born but will normally be born up to a couple of weeks after fully developing.

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