Your Prenatal Journey
Welcome to your comprehensive guide through pregnancy and preparing for parenthood. This is your safe space for evidence-based information, emotional support, and practical guidance. Every pregnancy is unique, and you are the expert on your own body and experience. Trust your instincts—you've got this.
Baby Development
Week-by-week growth
Conversations with Care
Scripts & strategies
Medical Care
Appointments & screenings
Support & Wellness
Mental health & community
Your Baby's Development Journey
Watch your baby grow from a tiny cluster of cells to a fully formed little person. Each week brings amazing changes and developments. Remember, these are general guidelines—every baby develops at their own pace.
Size Comparison
Lime
5.4cm
Toy Comparison
Large Dice
14g
Animal Comparison
Mouse
Similar size
Development
All organs formed
What's Happening This Week:
Congratulations! You've reached the end of the first trimester. All of your baby's major organs and body systems have formed. Fingers and toes are distinct, and your baby can even make a fist!
Tips for You:
Morning sickness often improves now. You might feel more energetic. It's usually safe to share your pregnancy news!
Foundation building and major organ development
Key Highlights:
- •Neural tube formation
- •Heart begins beating
- •Limb buds appear
- •Facial features form
Rapid growth and movement begins
Key Highlights:
- •Gender can be determined
- •First movements felt
- •Hearing develops
- •Fingerprints form
Final preparations for birth
Key Highlights:
- •Brain development accelerates
- •Lungs mature
- •Weight gain increases
- •Positioning for birth
Trust Your Parental Instincts
From the moment of conception, you are your baby's first line of defense and greatest advocate. That intuitive feeling you have about what's right for your child and your family? That's your parental instinct, and it's incredibly powerful and valuable.
Your Instincts Are Valid When:
- •Something feels "off" about your pregnancy or baby's movements
- •A medical recommendation doesn't feel right for your situation
- •You feel pressured to make decisions that don't align with your values
- •Well-meaning advice conflicts with what feels right for your family
- •You need to advocate for yourself in medical settings
Building Confidence in Your Instincts:
- •Practice saying "Let me think about that" when given advice
- •Ask questions until you understand and feel comfortable
- •Seek second opinions when something doesn't feel right
- •Remember that you know your body and circumstances best
- •Surround yourself with supportive people who respect your choices
You are already a wonderful parent. Trust yourself, seek support when you need it, and remember that there's no such thing as a perfect parent—only loving ones who are doing their best.
- • American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
- • March of Dimes
- • What to Expect
- • The Bump
- • BabyCenter
- • Local new parent groups
- • Online pregnancy communities
- • Breastfeeding support groups
- • Pregnancy loss support
- • Fertility support groups
- • Your OB/GYN office
- • Hospital labor & delivery
- • Postpartum Support International: 1-800-944-4773
- • Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988