The head is about 1/3 the size of the entire embryo. The brain and face are developing rapidly, and nostrils and lenses of the eyes begin to form. Arm buds become paddle-shaped; hands begin to form. Length: about 1/3 inch.
Your Growing Belly:
The mucus on your cervix is thickening, forming a plug that will keep your uterus sealed until you give birth. You may not notice any difference in your body, or you may notice that you're beginning to lose your waistline.
Every pregnant woman's body changes at a slightly different pace. If you've had a child before, you may start to look pregnant sooner than you did with your first child. You might be feeling tired, achy, and cranky--or not. You might be feeling queasy, or you may never feel queasy. A lack of symptoms doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with you or the baby. If you are already feeling sick, it may comfort you to know that lots of symptoms mean that are working hard to support your pregnancy.
Tip's And To-Do's:
Expecting Improvement:
Sure, pregnancy can be a nine-month gripefest—about aching backs, swollen ankles and barf-athons—but as I experienced, it can also be a time of unexpected and , both physical and emotional. "Some medical conditions improve during pregnancy, and for a lot of women, it's a time of remarkable health and ," says Stuart Fischbein, M.D., an OB-GYN in Camarillo, Calif.
Expecting Improvement
From healthier eating to thicker hair to better sex, how pregnancy may boost your health and happiness.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I have psoriasis, and for 20 years my scalp has been so crusty and flaky that a shake of my head can create a snow-globe effect. But when I was pregnant, an amazing thing happened: My flakes vanished. I stopped getting treatments at the dermatologist's office and started wearing black sweaters, just because I could.
Sure, pregnancy can be a nine-month gripefest—about aching backs, swollen ankles and barf-athons—but as I experienced, it can also be a time of unexpected and , both physical and emotional. "Some medical conditions improve during pregnancy, and for a lot of women, it's a time of remarkable health and ," says Stuart Fischbein, M.D., an OB-GYN in Camarillo, Calif.
Here's how your eating habits, body image, relationship and more might improve during pregnancy. Just one caveat: The glory may be short-lived. About 48 hours after I delivered my twin boys, my scalp started to get crusty again. But hey, not being flaky was great while it lasted.
