Pregnancy stages

Follow your pregnancy week-by-week to find out how your baby is growing and what is happening to your body.

If you have a regular menstrual cycle, the most reliable sign of pregnancy is a missed period. Find out some other early signs that you are pregnant.

Easy to follow infographic on the stages of pregnancy in weeks, months and trimesters.

Are you pregnant and curious about the size of your baby? Comparing your baby’s size to various foods can be a fun way to grasp their size each week.

The first trimester (3 months) of your pregnancy can be a very exciting time. Find out changes to your body and how to stay healthy.

During the second trimester, your baby's organs and hearing will develop. They will grow much bigger. Morning sickness should ease around this time.

The third trimester is the last 3 months of your pregnancy – an exciting time, but with some discomforts too. Learn more about what to expect before the birth.

When you conceive, your body’s hormone levels change, but you may not notice any signs that you’re pregnant yet.

You may still wonder, at week 5, if you are pregnant, but you can do a pregnancy test the day after you miss a period.

By week 6, your baby is growing quickly and you may notice the early signs of your pregnancy, such as feeling nauseous.

Your baby is now about 1cm long and if you haven’t seen your doctor yet, now is a good time to start your antenatal care.

By week 8, you might be experiencing morning sickness, need frequent trips to the toilet, and feel tired or moody.

Your baby is now the size of a peanut. You won't be showing just yet, but you may have put on a little weight.

Think about the prenatal screening tests you might have, and whether you want a dating scan to confirm your due date.

During week 11, you might have your first ultrasound and see your baby for the first time.

By week 12, your baby is the size of a plum but fully formed, with their organs, muscles, limbs and bones in place.

At week 13 of pregnancy, you officially enter your second trimester and hopefully any morning sickness has eased off.

By week 14, your baby’s organs have formed, their face is becoming more recognisable, and you may be feeling more energetic.

By week 15, your baby may be able to respond to sound and light, while you are gaining weight and your skin and hair are changing.

At week 16, you might begin to feel your baby moving, while hormonal changes may be affecting your libido.

By week 17, you may want to start thinking about antenatal classes to help you and your partner prepare for the birth and beyond.

By week 18, you may start to feel light-headed and dizzy, but you may also be able to find out whether you’re having a boy or a girl.

By week 19, you will likely look very obviously pregnant, while your baby can now hear sounds from outside your body.

By week 20, your baby is very active although you might feel breathless now and then and your back and hips may ache.

At week 21, you should consider whether to do any travel since you may not be able to for much longer in your pregnancy.

By week 22, some parts of your baby’s body are fully formed, while some women experience Braxton Hicks contractions about now.

By week 23, your baby is practising to breathe in the womb and you might be experiencing some incontinence.

Your baby is continuing to grow rapidly and might respond to light and sound. You might also find their movements are getting stronger.

As you are approaching the end of the second trimester, you might be starting to feel a bit uncomfortable as your baby continues to grow.

Your baby is starting to put on fat and muscle and as your baby grows, your centre of gravity will shift, so you might find that you are starting to walk differently and maybe even a little clumsy.

Your baby is growing fast and probably quite active now. You'll also be gaining more weight and might even be getting some stretch marks.

You are now in the third trimester and you'll probably be feeling many of the common discomforts of pregnancy, like a sore back, swelling, heartburn or cramps.

Your baby should weigh about 1kg by now and as your uterus pushes against your diaphragm and lungs, you might be feeling quite breathless.

Your baby's reflexes are developing, and they may even be sucking their thumb or fingers. You might be tired and sore, but try to exercise and get enough sleep.

Feeling tired and emotional during the third trimester is very common, but it's important to discuss these feelings with your doctor or midwife.

Your baby doesn't have a lot of room, but they will still be moving. The extra weight might cause you some back and pelvic pain which can make it difficult for you to move around.

Your baby's brain and nervous system are now fully developed, and the baby is continuing to gain weight. You'll probably also be feeling sore and tired.

As at the start of your pregnancy, you’re probably feeling tired and emotional. The baby doesn't have much room to move, but you might feel them kick and roll.

You'll probably be having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions by now. It's your body's way of preparing for the birth. They should stop if you move position.

Your baby will by now be curled up and cramped inside your uterus and weigh about 2.5kg. Your bump may have moved down, putting pressure on your lower abdomen.

By the end of week 37, your baby is considered full-term. You'll probably be very tired because of the extra weight so try and get as much rest as you can.

Your baby is now ready to be born and you could go into labour at any time. Make sure you have you plan for getting to the hospital and you have everything packed ready to go.

Your baby's weight gain should slow down since they are now ready to be born. You might soon start to notice the early signs of labour.

Your baby will arrive very soon – if it hasn't already. Babies are rarely born on their due date and many go past 40 weeks.