You formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, because I am wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works!
My very self you know.
– Psalm 139: 13-14
Though the mother is just now realizing that a new life is growing within her, the baby continues to grow at an incredibly miraculous rate during these weeks after conception. Though smaller than a grain of rice, the baby is at the most rapid growth time of the pregnancy. The baby has grown 10,000 times larger since the moment of conception.
Fourth Week
Incredibly important development has taken place as the baby’s cells rapidly divide. By 4th week of pregnancy or 2 weeks after conception, the baby is about the size of the hole of a baby bottle nipple or a poppy seed. The baby is currently a ball of 200 incredible cells all with very specific purposes carefully designed by the Creator.
The baby is made of different layers of cell that will develop into the vital organs.
“The outer layer, called the ectoderm, will become the baby’s nervous system and brain. The middle layer, or mesoderm, will become the heart, blood vessels, muscles, and bones, and the inner layer, or endoderm will become the breathing and digestive systems. The outside of the blastocyst has small tentacles called chorionic villi, which will develop into the placenta.” (Pregnancy)
The placenta connects the baby to the mother for the duration of the pregnancy. This connection provides the necessary oxygen and nutrients from the mother to nurture the baby within her until it is time for birth. The amniotic sac is filling with fluid around the baby to cushion and protect the baby.
Fifth Week
Now the baby is the size of a strawberry seed. Major organs are beginning to develop, specifically the brain and heart. The neural tube is developing which will become the brain, spinal cord, and spine. Due to the rapid development at this stage of the brain and face, the baby’s head is considerably larger than the rest of the baby’s body.
One of the most amazing accomplishments occurs in 5 ½ to 6 weeks of pregnancy as the heart and blood vessels continue to develop. The heart, no larger than a poppy seed, has been beating since Day 18 and pumping blood through a closed circulatory system since Day 21, blood whose type may be different from the mothers. (Body Tour) Though the heartbeat cannot be heard yet, it is possible to detect the movement of the heartbeat on an ultrasound by the middle of the 6th week.
Sixth Week
By this time, the baby is the size of a snap on a onesie. As the first month of pregnancy wraps up, the baby’s eyes, ears, nose, and jaw are developing. Arm and leg buds are present. The baby is developing the structures that will form the face, neck, and spine. Digestive, reproductive, respiratory, and urinary systems are in very early developmental stages.
To think that from one cell, all these complex systems are being created with such precision and perfection as God is creating the miracle of a new life.
If you don’t believe in miracles, perhaps you’ve forgotten you are one. ~ Anonymous
References:
Pregnancy quote retrieved from https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/pregnancy-at-week-1-4
Body Tour quote retrieved from https://standupgirl.com/inside-view/body-tour/
Other referenced resources include https://www.webmd.com/baby/ss/slideshow-fetal-development, https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/first-trimester and https://www.verywellfamily.com/,
Anonymous quote retrieved from https://dailyinspirationalquotes.in
Author: Laura Stephens
