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Baby's Development: A look at the first nine months of a baby's development.
Follow baby's development month by month throughout pregnancy with this foetal development section! Jump straight to the month you want to read about:
First Trimester
FIRST MONTH
For the first 8 weeks, baby is called an embryo and looks like a tadpole. By the end of the first month the embryo is about 1,27cm long and has a recognisable head, nervous system, body and tiny limb buds, which will grow into arms and legs. Towards the end of the fourth week the heart, which is no larger than a poppy seed, begins to beat although this will not be heard for a further few weeks.
SECOND MONTH
Although not fully developed, vital organs have formed and the digestive, respiratory and urinary systems have taken shape. Early stages of the placenta, is visible and working. The fingers, toes, ankles, wrists, and ears are distinguishable. Eyelids form and grow but are sealed shut. Veins are clearly visible. The heart has divided into right and left chambers. By end of second month, baby looks more like a person than a tadpole and measures about 3,8cm.
THIRD MONTH
Towards the end of the third month, the embryo graduates to the status of foetus. The kidneys begin to secrete urine. Soft nails forms on the fingers and toes and twenty buds, that will become baby teeth, appear in the gums. Reproductive organs (too early to tell the gender) develop. With the help of a Doppler, a handheld soundwave stethoscope, baby's heartbeat can be heard for the first time (10 to 12 weeks). By the end of this month, baby is about 12cm long and can turn it's head, make a grimace, kick it's feet, open it's mouth and make a fist.
Second Trimester
FOURTH MONTH
This month baby moves, kicks, swallows, sucks it's thumb and can hear mum's voice. The skin is translucent, with no fat under it, and covered with a layer of thick, downy hair called lanugo. The placenta is fully formed and the umbilical cord continues to grow and thicken to carry enough nourishment from mother to foetus. By end of this month, baby is about 20cm long and weighs about 198g.
FIFTH MONTH
This month eyebrows and eyelashes form, baby can move it's lips, flex it's fingers and fingernails have grown to tips of fingers. A protective coating called vernix caseosa begins to form on baby's skin. Baby becomes more active, turning from side to side and sometimes head over heels, also sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. This is a month of rapid growth for baby and by the end of the month, little one measures about 27,5cm and weighs about 425g.
SIXTH MONTH
Baby now has well-defined facial features, has developed fingerprints and footprints and the skin is red and wrinkled and covered with fine, soft hair. Loud noises startle baby and jarring movements will rouse it. Eyelids begin to part and the eyes open. During this last month of the second trimester, the nature of baby's growth becomes more refined. Previously, it grew in broad, bold strokes - with baby forming entire organs and systems, but now those organs are being fine-tuned. Some, like the heart and brain, already are functioning. Others, like the lungs, are maturing so they'll be ready on the big day. Baby at this stage, usually is too small and it's lungs not ready for life outside it's mother. If born now, baby might survive with intensive care. By the end of the sixth month, baby measures over 30cm and weighs about 678g.
Third Trimester:
SEVENTH MONTH
This month baby can open and close it's eyes, suck it's thumb, hiccup and cry. Baby is very active and exercises by kicking and stretching - mum feeling the movements nearly every hour throughout the day, every day. Baby responds to pain, light and sound. If born now, baby has a good chance for survival. At the end of this month, little one may weigh 1,6kg and measure about 40,5cm.
EIGHTH MONTH
Rapid brain growth continues. Baby is too big to move around much but can kick strongly and roll around. Bones of the head are soft and flexible to make it easier for baby to fit through the birth canal. Lungs may still be immature and heart and liver is completing development. By the end of the eighth month, baby weighs about 2,5kg and is about 46cm long.
NINTH MONTH
Nature is fine-tuning all of baby's organs to help it flourish when it enters the world. At 38 - 40 weeks, baby is full term. Baby's lungs are mature and ready to function on their own. During this month, baby gains about 1kg. Baby usually moves into a head-down position and rests lower in the mother's abdomen. At the end of the 9th month, baby weighs about 3,4kg and is 51cm long.
A baby's first 12 months of life is marked by incredible changes as baby transforms from a helpless newborn to an inquisitive toddler. See what to expect from baby each month throughout the first year with this development section.
Newborn
For the first few weeks of life newborn babies spend most of their time asleep. Gradually their senses start taking in the many sights and sounds of their brand new world. Early movements are large and jerky and often caused by reflexes. A "startle reflex," make their arms and legs shoot out to a sudden loud noise. A "rooting reflex," causes the mouth to open when lips are touched. A "protective reflex" causes their tongues push out any object in their mouths to protect them against choking. A "grasping reflex" makes them tighten their hands around anything placed in their palms. Newborns yawn and sneeze and get hiccups, can taste and smell and have shown preferences for their own mother's milk and dislikes for strong, offensive odours. At this age babies can only focus on objects 15-20cm from their faces. They find faces particularly interesting, followed by the contrast of black-and-white patterns, diagonal stripes or checkerboards.
1-Month-Old
By four weeks, babies can turn their heads and eyes to hear or see something of interest and as their neck muscles get stronger, they can hold their heads up for short periods. One-month-old babies may gurgle, coo, grunt and hum to express their feelings. At this age, babies can recognise and quieten at the sound of their parents' voices and some babies smile when they see their parents. Babies like listening to soothing music or "white noise" like fans or vacuum cleaners.
2-Month-Old
The highlight of this month is the first beaming, toothless smile accompanied by coos and gurgles. At two months of age babies begin to prefer objects with more detailed and complicated designs, colours and shapes. The jerky movements of their newborn days give way to smoother, more circular motions and babies are now able to grab objects voluntarily.
3-Month-Old
By three months, movements become smoother and more continuous, they kick vigorously when free of bedclothes, often in a cycling motion. During this month babies can hold their heads in the middle when lying on their backs and hold heads up firmly when sitting. When on their stomachs they might lift their heads and chests off the floor. Hands are held loosely open and they will grasp objects placed in their hands. Now, they start to bring hands together in the middle, hold their own hands and watch them closely and begin to take hold of their own clothes and hair. At this age, smiles become more spontaneous and babies may respond to their faces in a mirror by smiling. Some babies start sleeping through the night, at this age.
4-Month-Old
As babies reach four months, they begin to explore with their mouths, reaching for toys with both hands (at about four and a half months) and bringing it to the mouth. When placed on their tummies, they will rest on their forearms with head upright and will tend to roll off from this position, rolling from tummy to back, or vice versa. At this age, babies can play with their hands and feet for a few minutes at a time. Babies can start feeding on solids at about 4 or 5 months and teething may start as early as 4 months but the first tooth usually doesn't surface until 5 to 6 months.
5-Month-Old
By five months babies can extend their arms and legs and arch their backs when on their tummies. At around five and a half months babies begin to lift their heads and shoulders off the floor when lying on their backs, they may even be able to sit momentarily without assistance. They will bounce up and down when held in a standing position. Five-month-olds realise where sounds come from and will quickly turn towards a new one, they can also recognise their own names. At this age babies display a strong attachment towards their parents, will raise their arms when they want to be picked up and cry when a parent leaves the room.
6-Month-Old
By 6 months babies hold, pick up or grab objects, hold toy in one hand, transfer it to other hand and raise toy to mouth. When on their backs they will raise and grasp their feet and try to get a foot in their mouths. At around six and a half months, they will begin to spin around on their tummies and start to get onto their hands and knees. By six months babies see and hear almost as well as an adult. Their communication skills are growing fast and at this age, almost half of all babies repeat one syllable sounds such as "ba" or "ma" over and over.
7-Month-Old
Babies can now sit unsupported and bear some of their weight on their legs and love to bounce, when held in standing position. They may even be able to get to a sitting position from lying on their tummies, by pushing up on their arms. At this age, babies can drink from a cup held to their lips and hold a feeding bottle, also feed with their fingers and begin to chew. They take a lot of pleasure in banging objects together. Babies are now able to recognise different tones and inflections in a voice and may burst into tears when spoken to harshly.
8-Month-Old
By 8 months babies can sit alone on the floor for up to 15 minutes, they are able to sit up from lying and can reach to the side without falling over. Babies crawl or attempt to crawl by getting on all fours and rocking. Some babies slide around on their bums using a hand behind and foot in front to propel themselves. They pull to standing position in the cot or while holding onto furniture. At this age babies can clap their hands, play peek-a-boo, may start looking for dropped toys and use index finger to point at them. Babies will begin to pick up small items, using index finger and thumb in "pincer grasp" movement.
9-Month-Old
Nine-month-olds can stand unsupported and are getting closer to full-fledged walking, moving around upright, holding onto furniture. By nine months babies understand the meaning of "no" and will respond to their names. Now, their babbling starts to sound like real words including "mama" or "dada".
10-Month-Old
By the time they are 10 months old, babies can walk with somebody holding both their hands and are usually able to crawl well on their hands and knees with their limbs straight and their bodies parallel with the floor. Babies begin to understand many simple words and phrases and will have conversations by rattling off sentences of nonsense words.
11-Month-Old
By eleven months babies may walk, holding onto somebody's hand and will hold out an arm or leg to help when getting dressed. At mealtime, they may be able to hold a cup and drink from it by themselves. They also intentionally drop objects for someone to pick up. At this age, they understand simple instructions and can probably imitate word sounds and inflections as well as actions.
12-Month-Old
At about this time, babies start feeding themselves with a spoon, repeatedly missing their mouths. Twelve months sometimes mark their first steps alone, often on tiptoe with their feet turned outward. At this age their vocabulary consists of only a few words other than "mama" and "dada".