Pregnancy week by week - guide to symptoms and size

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Having a guide of what to expect in pregnancy week by week helps you prepare for your child's birth and understand the changes in your body, including symptoms and size. You'll find information on the first trimester of pregnancy in our page of that name. Here we discuss pregnancy from weeks 14 to 40.

The second and third trimesters of pregnancy are in many ways easier than the first: the symptoms of morning sickness have subsided and you feel and look much better. This is because the placenta is now fully formed and is producing its own hormones, triggering changes to the texture of your skin and hair and cravings for certain foods. As levels of progesterone are also high and there is increased pressure on the bowel, you may suffer from constipation.

Weeks 14 - 15 - 16 - 17

Although you may not notice changes in your pregnancy week by week, inside you your baby is undertaking huge transformations. During this time the baby's internal organs mature, the nervous system begins to function, and the baby learns to bend and twist the fingers. By week 15 the eyebrows have started to develop and at week 16, the arms and legs are complete and the muscles are responding to signals from the brain. At your week 16 ultrasound the nurse should be able to tell you the gender of the baby. If you've had a previous pregnancy you may feel the first movements in week 17. The baby can now hear sounds and loud noises near you may startle it.

Weeks 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22

Between weeks 18 and 22 you may notice pigmented areas on your skin becoming darker, this is perfectly normal but speak to your doctor if you have any concerns. At this stage of pregnancy your hair stops shedding and becomes thicker, and you may experience increased libido. By week 22 your breasts will begin to leak colostrum. If this is your first baby you will begin to feel movements at this stage. You are now halfway through your pregnancy and the baby is growing rapidly, with the brain developing fast. This is a crucial time for development of the baby's senses and it will be able to hear and recognize your voice by now. By week 21 the baby's taste buds have formed and it can suck its thumb.

Weeks 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27

You may experience indigestion and heartburn in this period due to pressure on the abdomen, you'll also feel backache from the increased weight but you'll be less prone to mood swings as your hormone levels balance out. If you're going to get stretch marks these will appear at about week 26 and as the pelvic muscles stretch you may experience some incontinence when laughing or coughing. Meanwhile, the baby's lungs are developing and its spine is getting stronger. The bones of the inner ear have hardened and its hearing has improved sufficiently for it to distinguish voices. By speaking to it from now on it will recognize your voice at birth. The baby can now hold its feet and curl its hands, the eyes are completely formed, and by the end of this second trimester the eyelids can open.

Weeks 28 - 29 - 30 - 31

At the start of the third trimester you'll begin to feel discomfort under the ribs as the baby grows. By week 29 your belly button may be protruding and you may be feeling forgetful as your energy resources are redirected to the baby. Breathlessness is also common at this stage. The baby is now sensitive to light, sound, taste and smell; the eyes move in the sockets, the pupils dilate in response to light and the brain is getting much faster and more powerful. The overall growth of the baby begins to slow and it starts to put on weight. Many babies turn with their head down at this stage and you may feel strong kicks under the ribs.

Weeks 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36

In this stage the baby puts on weight faster than any other time in pregnancy. You may feel bloated or have swollen feet because of fluid retention and your breasts will become heavier. As the body prepares for birth and the baby gets into birth position you may feel discomfit in the pelvic area. Meanwhile, the baby's organs are maturing, the immune system is developing, and the uterus gets very tight for space: you may even see an elbow or heel under the skin.

Weeks 37 - 38 - 39 - 40

Having followed your pregnancy week by week you will be relieved and stressed by the upcoming birth. Some women experience depression in late pregnancy; speak to your partner and doctor should this occur. The baby is now considered full term and you may experience Braxton Hicks (practice) contractions when the lining of the uterus hardens for a few minutes. This should not be painful. Only five percent of births occur at week 40 of the pregnancy, most are with a two week period on either side of your estimated delivery date.

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