What Morning Sickness is Like for Your Baby

Posted on Apr 23, 2012 | About Morning Sickness, Articles Category | | Print This Article

Chances are that you already know what the first trimester is like for yourself. You’re already experiencing all of the excitement and trepidation of realizing you are going to have a baby coupled with some of the less pleasant side effects like morning sickness.

But have you ever wondered what this wonderful time is like for the baby who is growing inside of you? Here’s the run down:

• Right from the first day, when your egg and his sperm make contact, much of your baby’s makeup is being determined. When your chromosomes and his chromosomes get together, they will determine such things as your baby’s gender, your baby’s hair and eye colors, skin tone, and more. Most experts even believe that much of your baby’s emotional makeup is determined by this blending of your chromosomes.
• Within about a week, the fertilized egg has made its way through the fallopian tube and into your uterus, dividing and getting bigger and bigger the whole time. Your baby starts taking nourishment from the lining of your uterine wall from the time it attaches itself.
• By the third week, your baby has developed a brain, nervous system, spinal cord, and a heart beat. Of course, they’re all in very primitive stages, but what more would you expect from something that’s smaller than a pumpkin seed?
• By the fourth week, your baby is starting to develop hands, feet, ears, and is generally beginning to look like a really small baby. He or she will even have some hair.
• By the fifth week, your baby is a little smaller than a grape. He now has five tiny little fingers, and is beginning to form his eyes.
• By week six, your baby’s brain is beginning to work and send signals down the spinal cord to control her own movement. She has detectable brain activity by this time.
• During week seven, your baby will start moving around a lot. You won’t be able to feel it yet, but trust us, she’s really scooting around in there. Her eyelids will be shut tight, so she won’t be able to see much (which is better for her because her eyes would be very sensitive to light at this point). She’ll also develop what will later become her teeth, though you won’t see those until about 6 months after she’s born.
• By week eight, your baby has all of the parts he or she will ever have, including all of her organs. Pretty impressive since she’s only as big as a peanut.
• During the next few weeks, baby will go through many developments. She’ll  pee for the first time, have definite asleep and awake cycles, and even start to make facial expressions. By the time the trimester ends, you may even be able to tell if it’s a boy or girl (though hospitals are hesitant to tell you at this point).

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