We want our babies to be sweet and healthy, so maybe that’s why we like to compare their fetal development to fruit (and the occasional veggie). Get to know your baby bump better with this weekly guide to baby’s size and monthly check-in on baby’s amazing physical growth while in the womb. And keep in mind, healthy babies come in all shapes and sizes, so guides like this are just for fun.
photo: Public Domain Pictures via Pixabay
First Trimester
Whether your bump is bumping or nonexistent, your baby is experiencing a lot of growth during this first trimester. The brain, nerves and spinal cord start forming, as do those cute baby fingers and toes, and baby’s heart begins to beat (you’ll hear it at your prenatal check-ups!).
Let’s see how big baby is, starting at week 4. Why week 4? Because conception is usually tracked from the first day of your last period, so you’re generally not pregnant until week 3, when fertilization occurs.
photo: Skitterphotos via Pixabay
4 weeks—poppy seed
At this stage, baby is a blastocyst, a rapidly dividing ball of cells that will become the embryo and placenta.
5 weeks—sesame seed
6 weeks—pomegranate seed
7 weeks—blueberry
photo: couleur via Pixabay
8 weeks—raspberry
Your baby’s nose, upper lip and taste buds are forming, and the tail is nearly gone.
9 weeks—cherry
10 weeks—kumquat
11 weeks—fig
photo: Tesa Photography via Pixabay
12 weeks—lime
This is the week when fingernails generally form and baby’s face begins to look more human, with eyes and ears moving into their typical spots and a clear profile you’ll soon see during your ultrasounds.
13 weeks—small lemon
Second Trimester
In this trimester, your baby will likely begin to move and hear, along with other exciting developments.
14 weeks—peach
15 weeks—apple
photo: Ponce Photography via Pixabay
16 weeks—avocado
By the four-month mark of pregnancy, babies can usually make a fist and suck their thumb. They can move their eyes and have begun to develop toenails.
17 weeks—pear
18 weeks—bell pepper
19 weeks—mango
photo: StockSnap via Pixabay
20 weeks—banana (in length)
You’ve hit the halfway point on your pregnancy, and you may be able to feel baby’s fluttery movements! Your baby is now regularly sleeping and waking and is drinking several ounces of amniotic fluid a day.
21 weeks—carrot (in length)
22 weeks—papaya
23 weeks—eggplant
photo: Couleur via Pixabay
24 weeks—ear of corn (in length)
Babies are skinny and wrinkly at this stage but will start to plump up soon. Their skin is now starting to become more opaque (it had been translucent).
25 weeks—rutabaga
26 weeks—zucchini
27 weeks—cauliflower
photo: Hans via Pixabay
28 weeks—kabocha squash
Baby can now bat their eyes at you through partially open eyelids, covered in eyelashes. Babies start to develop more fat at this stage and are practicing breathing, both in preparation for life outside the womb.
Third Trimester
In the final trimester in the womb, your baby should increase their weight significantly, so you’re likely to feel and see more of their movements.
29 weeks—butternut squash
30 weeks—cabbage
31 weeks—coconut
photo: Dezalb via Pixabay
32 weeks—Napa cabbage
Baby is starting to sprout hair on their head and losing the soft hair that has covered their body (known as lanugo). Their formerly wrinkly skin is smoothing out.
33 weeks—pineapple
34 weeks—cantaloupe
35 weeks—honeydew melon
photo: BlackRiv via Pixabay
36 weeks—romaine lettuce
Baby’s liver and kidneys should now be working, and baby has grown so much, they take up most of the amniotic sac. You will likely feel lots of stretches and rolling movements.
37 weeks—Swiss chard (in length)
38 weeks—rhubarb stalk (in length)
39 weeks—small pumpkin
photo: FruitnMore via Pixabay
40-42 weeks—watermelon
It’s go time! At this point, baby’s lungs are continuing to develop so they can give you that big, healthy cry at birth.
—Eva Ingvarson Cerise
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