Pregnancy: What Unbelievable Things Are Going to Happen in the First Trimester?
1. First Four Weeks – The Moments of Nerves and joy
Your pregnancy test shows positive. Those two parallel lines literally ‘SCREAMS’ the word: ‘PREGNANT’. But that was just the start. Envisioned or not, but you both have created that small embryo. Or more than one… Probably, there are two, three, or even four tiny handsome embryo–dudes and tiny gorgeous embryo–ladies having a party… Those two glowing miracles curling up one near another. Maybe, triplets? Those three curled embryos hugging each other and cuddling up to each other are have just fallen asleep. Any thoughts about that? Whenever you are wondering or not, something unbelievable is constantly happening to you. This is the sparkling mystery of life and it will be ‘unfolded’ through a timeline.
What is happening during the first four weeks of pregnancy?
Starting from the fourth week your tiny someone is officially called an ‘EMBRYO.’ Now, your tiny bundle [or tiny bundles] is the size of a poppy seed. One more week and one more miracle will happen – a tiny embryonic heart would start to beat. A poppy seed with the tiny heart inside! Have you ever envisioned that? Neither do I.
2. Week 5: What miracles will take place during this time?
Being just 5 weeks old, your tiny embryo designs his or her circulatory system. Do you remember that your gorgeous 5–week old bundle is the sesame seed size? The circulatory system is beginning to form, and the tiny embryonic heart will start to beat this week. Could you envision in your mind this mystery of the tiny embryonic heart? No? Neither do I.
And two more miracles will happen this week. The tiny neural tube (the future brain, spinal cord, nerves, and backbone of your tiny embryo–dude or embryo–lady) is starting to ‘DESIGN’ in the top layer, called the ectoderm.
Synchronized with all these miracles, the third mystery takes place. The tiny primitive placenta and tiny umbilical cord, which provides the oxygen, nutrients and fluids necessary for fetus’s life in a womb, are also developing.
3. Week 6: Is there something more amusing?
Metaphorically saying, this week is the ‘SHAPING’ week. The tiny nose, the tiny month, the lips, and the tiny ears are beginning to take shape. Wondering what about the tiny eyes? Oh, during this week instead of the gorgeous eyes there are two dark spots. And tiny arms and legs are starting to ‘DESIGN’ themselves. Wondering about your embryo–dude’s or embryo–lady’s size? Your tiny bundle is a lentil–size.
Is there at least one more miracle? Yes, the tiny embryonic heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute and blood is beginning to circulate through the tiny vessels. Amused? So, am I.
4. Week 7: What miracles will happen during this time?
Your tiny embryo is about the size of a blueberry, half an inch long. This week there would be more miracle! Wrists and ankles, hands and feet will appear. Soon there are will be tiny fingers, tiny fingertips, tiny toes and tiny toe tips. But still your tiny bundle has a tail, which will soon disappear.
5. Week 8: The tiny bundle starts moving inside?!
Starting around week eight, your tiny embryo–dude or tiny embryo–lady officially becomes a ‘FETUS’. Or, if you have more than one tiny bundle, then you are having the ‘FETUSES’. You are still wondering on what that means, exactly, but you don’t look pregnant at all. You are holding the tiny miracle, and no one knows about that. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?
Surely, you know that you are still inside the so–called ‘miscarriage danger timeline’, but there is a reason for a secret celebration. To celebrate the embryo–to–fetus timeline, make something special this week. Want the photo session? Want the wonderful dress? Want just to stroll down the streets and visit several boutiques? Want to spend some time with your beloved? Do all those things you want! You and your raspberry–sized fetus should have the special unforgettable moments. Make these moments sparkling with the vivid memories.
Miracle One: Tiny Fingers, Tiny Toes… Your tiny boy or girl hands and feet are developing fingers and toes. These tiny Fingertips and Toe–tips will touch everything around!
Miracle Two: Eyelids. The tiny eyelids almost cover the tiny eyes, so the tiny bundle cannot glance what is going on around.
Miracle Four: Breathing Tubes. Breathing tubes now extend from the tiny embryonic throat to the tiny developing lungs.
Miracle Five: Nervous System. Nerve cells are branching out to connect with each another, forming primitive neural pathways.
And the main miracle for this week is tiny movements.
Your baby has started moving around. The classic ballet movements are so accurate and so wonderful! The tiny dude or lady…or several dudes and ladies are cuddling up, curling up, twisting, turning, stretching, kicking, [if there are several fetuses, they may hug each other or hold each other’s wrists] but you won’t feel them yet as is too early for you to feel it. You can’t feel till 16th–18th or till 20th week delicate ballet baby movements (curling up, cuddling up, twisting, turning, stretching, kicking) in the water, but soon this miracle will happen to you. And this moment will be so brilliant!
6. Week 9: The grape–sized bundle with the heart.
Your tiny grape or grapes [embryo] weighs just a fraction of an ounce!
Miracle One: The tiny heart is completely formed.
Miracle Two: Tiny teeth are developing.
Miracle Three: The gorgeous eyes are fully formed, but they won’t open until 27 weeks.
7. Week 10: Translucent baby’s ‘ENVELOPE’.
Wondering what is the ‘translucent baby’s envelope’? This miracle will be revealed in this paragraph, but first, there are some other miracles that will curl your lips into an amused smile. Let’s start!
Your handsome fetus–dude or gorgeous fetus–lady is the size of a kumquat – a little over an inch or so long and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce. Your tiny fetus has now completed the most critical timeline of the development. This is the beginning of the so–called ‘fetal period’.
Miracle One: Tiny Nails. The tiny translucent nails are forming on the tiny fingers and toes.
Miracle Two: Translucent baby’s ‘ENVELOPE’. Your tiny fetus’s skin is translucent and the tiny vessels, the tiny heart, the tiny gorgeous eyes are visible. Could you imagine the translucent baby? No? Neither do I.
Miracle Three: Spinal Cord. The outline of the fetal spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord
8. Week 11: The classic choreography season is officially open!
Your little cute bundle of joy, or two, or maybe three bundles are curled up fetuses and may be hugging each other and sleeping. In a glimpse, your tiny boy or girl, or if there are more than one fetus, two of them are awaken, and the water–ballet class starts. The classic choreography movements become more technically accurate and more beautiful.
Being just the size of a fig, starting from the 11th gestational week, your baby is almost fully formed, and this is the time when the fetal movements become more advanced and more beautiful. Your baby’s hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear, and some of his/her bones are beginning to harden.
Although you can’t feel any fetal activity yet, your baby is constantly practicing the delicate movements. Your tiny dude or your tiny lady is cuddling up, twisting, stretching, kicking inside your womb, and even hiccuping as his/her diaphragm develops. These movements are so weak, that it might not even be noticeable.
9. Week 12: Your tiny fetus may hold his/her wrists or the wrists of the other fetus/fetuses!
Just in one week [12th week of gestation], being the size of a lime and weighing half an ounce, your baby has the reflexes. His/her fingers will soon begin to open and close, his/her toes will curl, and his/her eye muscles will clench. If you gently fondle or poke your tummy, your baby will feel it inside, though you won’t feel his/her movements yet.
Having more than one fetus curled and cuddled up inside means that your fetuses would practice all the footloose, gravity–free ballet movements. They would love to balance their bodies ‘En Pointe’, show you the ‘Allongé’, perform a footloose ‘Attitude’, cuddling against each other, curl themselves up, twist, turn, stretch, kick, and perform the other choreography. So, your belly was the place of ‘fetal party’. You won’t feel these movements during this week as your fetuses are still tiny. But soon this ‘fetal party’ will be loud as your bundles will perform not only ‘En Pointe’, ‘Allongé’, or a footloose ‘Attitude’!
10. Week 13: Unique Fingerprints.
Finally! The last week in your first trimester. You have made it to the point at which it’s socially acceptable to announce your pregnancy because the chances of miscarrying are much lower now. Your belly, which is home to a fetus roughly the size of a pea pod, is probably protruding a bit. Still, you don’t appear pregnant to anyone outside your inner circle.
Uniqueness starts with the special ‘seal’ your fetus is having! Wondering what is it? It is the fingerprints! 13th gestational week can be considered as bringing vivid alterations, because on your baby’s tiny fingertips there are forming fingerprints, your baby’s veins and organs are clearly visible through the still–translucent skin, and your baby’s body is starting to catch up with his/her head – which makes up just a third of his/her body size.
CONCLUSIVE REMARKS:
First trimester is the most vulnerable and the most mysterious timeline for your tiny bundle or bundles. The embryo may disappear, the embryo may die, and the embryo may be turned into a fetus. This is the time of the vital dilemma: ‘to be’ or ‘not to be’. And if you have made it to the point at which it’s socially acceptable to announce your pregnancy, prior to the announcement, memorize and depict these special moments. Make something wonderful for yourself!