7-10 weeks gestational age
His baby form takes shape with the loss of his embryonic “tail”. His eyes are facing forward. He has little arms, legs, hands and feet. His taste buds are beginning to develop. His sex-differentiating hormones are released. He is developing neurons he will use his entire life. He will start to stir in the womb around week 9. He will move his arms and legs and begin to bring his hand to his mouth. He will grow to about 2 inches long.
In the first 16-18 weeks of your pregnancy, a cell-dividing process called neurogenesis creates some 100 billion neurons that your baby will use to reach life's important milestones. By week 7, sex-differentiating hormones are released. Support your your baby's normal development with proper prenatal nutrition that includes adequate amounts of Vitamin D, folic acid and DHA (an Omega-3 fat).
While you may not look or even feel pregnant yet, your baby is developing into a full-blown fetus, losing his embryonic “tail” and gaining tiny arms, legs, hands and feet. Movement begins with a slight “startle”, or involuntary whole-body movement, and will develop into individual limb movements. Next month, movement will include gestures required for later actions such as eating, drinking and sucking.
Even at this early stage, your baby is developing a centre for his intellectual and sensory growth. The neural tube is a groove that will later transform itself into your baby's brain, spinal cord, nervous system and backbone. By the end of the second month, the right and left hemispheres of his brain will separate and begin to form distinct regions. At the same time, your baby is developing his heart and circulatory system. During this stage, his heart will beat two times faster than your own.