Six Weeks Pregnant

The cells that will make up all of my body parts and systems are dividing furiously as my body begins to take shape. Right now I'm about the size of a small lentil bean (4 to 5 millimeters across). If you could see through Mummy's tummy, you'd find an overlarge head and dark spots where my eyes and nostrils are beginning to take shape. Shallow pits on the sides of my head mark my developing ears, and my arms and legs appear as protruding buds. My hands and feet look like paddles, with thick webbing between the developing digits, but my fingers and toes will soon become more distinct. Below the opening that will later be my mouth, there are small folds where my neck and lower jaw will eventually develop. (Inside, my tongue and vocal cords are just beginning to form.) My heart (which is starting to divide into the right and left chambers) is beating about 100 to 130 beats per minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to circulate through my body. My intestines are developing and tiny breathing passages are beginning to appear where my lungs will be. I'm also starting to build muscle fibers and, halfway through this week, I'll probably start moving my tiny limbs. Unfortunately, Mummy will have to wait quite a while before she gets to enjoy feeling my calisthenics.