Because the actual fertilisation only takes place after the first two weeks, you will actually have been been pregnant for just six weeks at eight weeks of pregnancy. The baby’s cells divide rapidly in the first few weeks, while the fertilized egg settles comfortably in the uterine wall. The baby’s heart begins to beat around the sixth week. Your uterus starts to grow. You might have a slight cramping sensation in your lower abdomen because of this.

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During the second month of your pregnancy you might experience the first symptoms of the changes in your body. Nausea, painful breasts, and tiredness are the most common pregnancy symptoms, although some women don’t have any symptoms at all. Your baby’s heart now beats very fast, often at a rate of more than 160 beats per minute. During the pregnancy this will drop to a rate of between 110 and 160 beats per minute.

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The first trimester is over. The baby’s extremities and internal organs are now formed: from now on, your baby only has to grow and mature. The placenta has completely taken over the function of the yolk sac; the nutrients for the baby’s growth are transported to the baby through the umbilical cord.

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During the fourth month you will usually start to feel better: you will have more energy and fewer ailments. Some women can already feel the baby move. On average, women start to feel their babies move at 20 weeks of pregnancy. The movements are experienced differently by everyone. Descriptions we often hear are ‘pops’, ‘stroking from within’, or ‘bubbly intestines’.

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You are halfway through your pregnancy! Your baby has by now almost reached half his or her birth height, and still has a long way to go in terms of weight. In this stage of the pregnancy a baby gains about 50-100 grams per week. And is constantly in motion! At this point a baby moves about 200 times a day, but you will not feel all of it.

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During the sixth month your baby along with your belly often undergo a growth spurt. The baby is now viable. Hearing is completely developed, so you might notice that the baby reacts to sounds. And your breasts are preparing for breastfeeding. They can grow several sizes during the pregnancy. Sometimes they can even leak some fluid, which is quite normal.

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In the seventh month there is often a lot of activity in your belly. Because the muscles are more developed, you feel the movements getting stronger. There is now enough space and relatively speaking also a lot of amniotic fluid in this period, which allows the baby to move freely. The baby can often have hiccups from swallowing amniotic fluid. At around this moment in the pregnancy you might start having some ailments again: heartburn, sleeping badly, and hip pain is what we hear about the most.

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In this period the pregnancy (and your belly!) often becomes quite cumbersome. Your baby now gains about 200-250 grams a week on average. Your belly starts getting in the way and the baby’s movements can often be painful or leave bruises on your belly. Most babies’ heads enter the pelvis at this stage. This can be accompanied by shooting pain around the pubic bone or erratic cramping pain in your lower abdomen.

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De laatste loodjes… De baby bereidt zich voor op het leven buiten de baarmoeder. De bewegingen van de baby kunnen veranderen in kleine schuif- of draaibewegingen, belangrijk is dat de frequentie van de bewegingen onveranderd blijft. Je lichaam bereidt zich ook voor: je hebt sneller harde buiken en je kunt ook voorweeën krijgen. En goed om te weten: slechts 4% van de baby’s wordt op de uitgerekende datum geboren!

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