d74-8  1. Pregnancy and changes in the mother’s uterus
Usually, a woman’s pregnancy will last for about 40 weeks (280 days) counted from the first day of the last menstrual period. 280 days are divided into 3 trimesters, each trimester lasts 12-13 weeks (about 3 months).

During pregnancy, the mother’s uterus will undergo many changes. Typically, it must be mentioned that the uterine wall thickens, the blood vessels in the uterine wall expand more to nourish the growing fetus, the uterus also has to dilate more so that the fetus has space to develop. . Especially, when the mother begins to give birth, the uterus will be many times larger than normal.

2. The development of the fetus through each week of age
 Week 1 – Wednesday

Since conception begins on the first day of the last menstrual period, it is also possible that the first 3 weeks, the woman will not be pregnant. Once this process has taken place and forms a tiny ball, the collection of cells will constantly divide and cling firmly to the womb. By the third week, many women will notice that their period is late. At that time, the fertilized egg forms a zygote and gradually moves into the uterus to find the best place to live during pregnancy. At week 4, the embryo’s cells begin to work to create the initial structure for the fetal body.

 Week 5
Compared to the time of conception, the size of the fetus at 5 weeks has increased 10,000 times. At this point, the cells will grow rapidly to form an embryo. The signs of pregnancy will appear gradually, the mother can use a pregnancy test to determine exactly that she is pregnant.

6th week
Entering the 6th week, the development of the fetus has turned to a new milestone because then the embryo has actually become a fetus with the size of a small pea. The fetus has formed a primitive nervous system and backbone, has a blood system of its own, and the blood type may be different from the mother.

At 6 weeks old, your baby’s bones are starting to form, so a wonderful thing happens is that your baby can fold his tiny hands. The blood vessels also become the umbilical cord and tiny buds begin to “sprout” on the embryo – this is the precursor to later limbs.

Week 7
Because this week, the fetal heart has begun to shape, so through ultrasound, the heartbeat can be clearly heard. Your baby’s liver is also responsible for producing red blood cells to form bone marrow. Starting from here, pregnant women urinate more, appear symptoms of morning sickness, sensitivity, irritability or anxiety, restlessness.

Week 8
The 8th week fetus is about 1.6cm (the size of a blueberry) and weighs about 1g. The baby’s heart is now starting to work fast, the nervous system, especially the brain, is rapidly developing, the head is growing, and the eyes are forming. The young shoots at 6 weeks have developed into small hands and feet. The baby’s internal organs have also become much more complex than before. Through this week’s ultrasound, the doctor can see if the baby is in the right position in the uterus.
 9th week
The 9th week fetus size is about 5cm (equivalent to a grape). A fold appears to separate the baby’s head and chest, the genital system begins to form.
10th week
The fetus is about the size of a cherry. Although it is so small, the baby has started non-stop activities such as twisting, fidgeting, swinging limbs, … in the womb already. Because the brain is growing rapidly in size, at this time, if you go to ultrasound, you can see that the baby’s forehead is protruding quite high forward.

11th week
By this time, the umbilical cord of the fetus has been able to fulfill its role of providing nutrients and eliminating waste from the fetus. Although this is the time when the larynx has begun to form, it still needs more time to perfect. The fetus enters the stage of taking the form of a human. At 11 weeks, the fetus is about the size of a strawberry with clenched fists, the nervous system has developed dramatically.

12th week
The length of the fetus at this week is about 8cm, the size of a small plum, weighing 60g. Although the placenta is quite complete, it is not until week 14 that it can fully function. The basic functions of the heart, central nervous system, liver and excretory system have basically been completed.

13th week
What perhaps few mothers know in the development of the fetus is that at 13 weeks, the baby has fingerprints. Your baby is now about the size of a lemon. In particular, the baby easily looks up, frowns, frowns.

 14th week
From now on, your baby will increase rapidly in weight and size, about 2g per week on average. The cells of the central nervous system have multiplied by several million, and the baby’s genitals are also forming more clearly. So, if a mother shines a flashlight on her belly, many babies can move towards the light. At any given time, the risk of Down syndrome will be detected through a blood test.