Your Baby
For the first 8 weeks, your developing baby is called an "embryo".  Tiny limb buds, which will grow into arms and legs, appear.  The embryo looks like a tadpole.  The heart and lungs are beginning to form.  By the 25th day, the heart starts to beat.  The neural tube, which becomes the brain and spinal cord, begins to form.  At the end of the first month, the embryo is about 1/2 an inch long and weighs less than 1 ounce.

Your Body
You become pregnant and miss your period.  Your body is making hormones needed to "grow" a baby.  Your breasts are slightly bigger and sore.  If you have morning sickness, try eating crackers.  You may have cravings or hate foods you usually like.  You will urinate more often because your growing uterus is pressing on your bladder.

Prenatal Care Guide
Before you get pregnant, supplement your diet with vitamin B folic acid (found in most multivitamins) to reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spine.  Visit the gynaecologist for your first prenatal care check-up as soon as you think you are pregnant.  During the first 8 weeks of pregnancy, all your baby's organs are forming and can be damaged if you smoke, drink alcohol or take drugs.  Ask your health care provider before taking any prescription drugs or over-the-counter products.  Stop smoking and drinking alcohol.  Stop doing street drugs.

Your Baby
All the major body organs and systems are now formed, but are not completely developed. The early stages of the placenta, which exchanges nutrients from your body for waste products produced by the foetus, are visible and working. The ears, ankles and wrists are formed. The eyelids form and grow, but are sealed shut. Fingers and toes are developed. By end of the second month, the embryo looks more like a person than a tadpole, is about one inch long and still weighs less than one ounce.

Your Body
Your breasts are still sore. Your nipples and the area around them begin to darken. Morning sickness may continue. You may feel tired and need to rest some more as your body adjusts to being pregnant. The total amount of blood in your body increases.

Prenatal Care Guide
Visit your health care provider for one prenatal care checkup. Eat a variety of healthy foods from the five major food groups: cereals and grains; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meats and beans. Continue to supplement your diet with folic acid during your second and third months of pregnancy to reduce the risk of birth defects. Drink at least six to eight glasses of water, juice and/or milk every day. Don't cut down on salt, unless your doctor says so.

Your Baby
After 8 weeks as an embryo, the baby is called a "fetus". The baby's fingers and toes have soft nails. The mouth has 20 buds that will become "baby teeth". You can hear your baby's heartbeat for the first time (10 to 12 weeks), using a special instrument called a "doptone". For the rest of your pregnancy, all body organs will mature and the foetus will gain weight. By the end of this month, the fetus is 4 inches long and weighs a little over one ounce.

Your Body
You may still feel tired and have morning sickness. You may have headaches. You may get light-headed or dizzy. Your clothes may begin to feel tight around your waist and breasts. Try pullover tops and skirts/pants with elastic waists.

Prenatal Care Guide
Visit your doctor for one prenatal care checkup. You have a slightly increased need for vitamins and minerals to nourish your baby. A healthy diet meets most of these needs. You may have gained 3 or 4 pounds by now. A woman who starts pregnancy at a normal weight should gain about 25 to 35 pounds. Ask your health care provider how much weight you should gain. Exercise can be fun and good for both of you. Walking is a good choice. If your health care provider recommends prenatal testing using chorionic villus sampling (CVS), it will be done now. By the end of the 3rd month, the fetus is 4 inches long and weighs a little over 1 ounce.

Your Baby
The fetus moves, kicks, swallows and can hear your voice. The skin is pink and transparent. Umbilical cord continues to grow and thicken to carry enough nourishment from the mother to the fetus - but it also can pass along hazards like tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. The placenta is now fully formed. By the end of the fourth month, the fetus is 6 to 7 inches long and weighs about 5 ounces.

Your Body
Appetite increases as morning sickness goes away and you should begin to feel more energetic. Towards the end of the fourth month (16-20 weeks), you might feel the faint movement of your baby for the first time. Now it is time to tell your doctor. Your belly begins to show - you probably will need maternity clothes and bigger bras this month.

Prenatal Care Guide
Visit your health care provider for one prenatal care checkup. Pregnant women need extra iron - more than even a good diet can supply. Your doctor may recommend iron supplements. You'll probably gain about one pound a week, or 12 to 14 pounds, during the second trimester (months 4 to 6). If your health care provider recommends prenatal testing using amniocentesis, or alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) testing for neural tube defects, they will be done between the 16th to 18th weeks. By the end of the 4th month, the fetus is 6 to 7 inches long and weighs about 5 ounces.

Your Baby
The fetus becomes more active, turning from side to side and sometimes even moving head over heels. Finger nails have grown into fingertips. The fetus sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. This is a month of rapid growth. At the end of the 5th month, the fetus is 8 to 12 inches long and weighs 1/2 to 1 pound.

Your Body
If you haven't already, you will now begin to feel your baby moving inside you. Be sure to tell your doctor. Your uterus will now have grown to the height of your belly button. Your heart beats faster. You may need 8 hours of sleep each night. During the day, take rest breaks if you are tired. Don't push yourself. You may get leg cramps, especially at night, if you're not getting enough calcium.

Prenatal Care Guide
Visit your doctor or health care provider for one prenatal checkup. Your baby's growth and weight gain are most likely to be affected if you're still smoking, drinking or taking drugs. It's never too late to quit or cut down as much as you can. Continue eating a healthy, nutritious diet and drink lots of juice, water and milk every day. By the end of the 5th month, the fetus is 8 to 12 inches long and weighs 1/2 to 1 pound.

Your Baby
The baby's skin is red and wrinkled and covered with fine, soft hair. The fetus at this stage is usually very small and its lungs are not ready for life outside its mother. If born now, the fetus might survive with intensive care. It is at this time that the eyelids begin to part and the eyes open. The finger and toe prints can be seen. The fetus continues its rapid growth. At the end of the 6th month, the fetus is 11 to 14 inches long and weighs 1 to one and a half pounds.

Your Body
You may feel the fetus kicking strongly now. The skin on your growing belly may start to itch. Your back may hurt. Wear low-heel shoes or flats. Exercise can help prevent backaches. Don't stand for long periods of time. You may feel pain down the side of your belly as your uterus stretches.

Prenatal Care Guide
Visit your doctor for one prenatal care checkup. You may be constipated. Drink more water or fruit juice, eat more foods with fiber (like fruits and vegetables) and get some exercise. To help with heartburn, try eating four or five smaller meals during the day. Do not take laxatives or antacids without asking your doctor. By the end of the 6th month, the fetus is 11 to 14 inches long and weighs 1 to one and a half pounds.

Your Baby
The fetus can open and close its eyes, suck its thumb and cry and exercise by kicking and stretching. The fetus responds to light and sound. If born now, the fetus has a good chance for survival. The fetus is now about 15 inches long and weighs about 3 pounds.

Your Body
If your ankles and feet swell from standing, lie down with your feet raised. If the swelling lasts longer than 24 hours, or if the hands and face swell suddenly, call your health care provider. Stretch marks may appear on the abdomen and breasts as they get bigger. You may feel false labour contractions, also called Braxton Hicks. This is normal, but call your doctor if you have more than five contractions in one hour. As your belly gets bigger, you may lose your sense of balance. This makes it easier to fall. Be careful!

Prenatal Care Guide
Visit your doctor or health care provider for one prenatal care checkup. Continue to eat a variety of foods that are good for you. You should gain one pound a week this month. Get plenty of rest - your body is working hard. Start childbirth education classes soon. Most health care providers do a blood test for maternal diabetes at 28 to 30 weeks. By the end of the 7th month, the fetus is about 15 inches long and weighs about 3 pounds.

Your Baby
Rapid brain growth continues. The fetus is too big to move around much, but can kick strongly and roll around. You may notice the shape of an elbow or heel through your abdomen. The bones of the head are soft and flexible, making it easier for the baby to fit through the birth canal. The lungs may still be immature. If born around 37 weeks, the fetus is premature, but has an excellent chance of survival. The fetus is now about 18 inches long and weighs about 5 pounds.

Your Body
Stronger contractions may be felt this month. You may have some leakage of colostrum (the fluid that will feed your baby until your milk comes in) from your breasts as they begin to produce milk. You may also have trouble sleeping because it is hard to get comfortable. Try putting several pillows under your head. Remember that you may develop shortness of breath as the baby crowds your lungs and your stomach. Try eating 5 or 6 smaller meals during the day.

Prenatal Care Guide
After the 32nd week, visit your doctor every two weeks for prenatal care check-ups. You should gain one pound a week this month. Call your health care provider right away if you have bleeding or a gush of fluid from your vagina.

Your Baby
At 38-40 weeks, your baby is "full term". The baby's lungs are now mature and ready to function on their own. During this month, the baby gains about half a pound a week. During this period the baby usually "drops" into a head-down position and rests lower in the mother's abdomen. By the end of ninth month, the baby weighs about 6 to 9 pounds and is 19-21 inches long.

Your Body
Your bellybutton may stick out. Your breathing should be easier once the baby "drops", but you'll have to urinate more often because the baby is pressing on to your bladder. The swelling around your ankles and feet may increase. Your cervix will open up (dilate) and thin out (efface) as it prepares for the birth of your baby. You may be very uncomfortable because of the pressure and weight of the fetus. Be sure to rest often.

Prenatal Care Guide
After the 36th week, visit your health care provider once a week for prenatal care check-ups. You may not gain any weight at all this month, or even lose 1 to 2 pounds. You may have gained 8 to 10 pounds during the last 3 months. Decide whether you are going to breast feed or bottle-feed your baby. Time your contractions. You are in labour if your contractions:
• Are regular or evenly spaced apart (every 10 minutes, for example).
• Happen more than 5 times an hour.
• Last for 30 to 70 seconds.
• Get worse as you move around.

Call your health care provider if you think you are in labour. By the end of the 9th month, the baby weighs 6 to 9 pounds and is 19 to 21 inches long.