Foetal Development in Early Pregnancy

Early pregnancy

As a mother to be, it is important for you to take adequate nutrients, including folic acid and iodine, to give your growing baby a head start.

4-8 weeks of pregnancy

At around week 4-5, you probably just found out you are pregnant. After implantation, the embryo grows and develops within the lining of the womb. Your baby's brain, spinal cord and heart have begun to form.

The heartbeat can be detected on ultrasound at around 6-7 weeks of pregnancy. By the end of the eighth week, all major organs and body systems have begun to develop.

Muscles of eyes, nose, and mouth are forming, with webbed fingers and toes developing from the hands and feet.

9-13 weeks of pregnancy

You may start to have nausea and vomiting, especially in the morning. Small frequent meal may help your symptoms. During this time your breasts will become bigger, so consider wearing a supportive bra.

At 9 weeks of pregnancy, the baby is about 22 mm long from head to bottom.

Face is slowly forming at this stage. Eyelids have formed but remained closed. Mouth and tongue, with tiny taste buds, and intestines begin to form. Fingernails have formed.

At 10 weeks, the heart is now fully-formed. It beats 180 times a minute which is much faster than your own heart.

You may feel frequency of urine because the bladder being compressed by the uterus. Please refer to the “Tips for frequency of urine”. Should you have pain or find blood when passing urine, please consult your doctor as soon as possible.