My Baby Stages← to the homepage
Pregnancy: counting down week by week
Enter your due date on the homepage and you get a private link with a countdown dashboard: weeks to go, roughly how big your baby is, and per period what you can arrange — checkable, based on CDC and AAP guidance. After the birth you tap 🎉 Born! and the same dashboard switches to sleep, feeding, diaper size and newborn help. Free, no account — just share the link with your partner.
Start with your due date →What you see per period
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up to 12 weeks
🌱 Your baby grows from a pea to a plum: around 12 weeks it's about 2½ inches and half an ounce.
- Book your first prenatal visit — usually around 8–10 weeks
- Take a prenatal vitamin with folic acid daily — available over the counter
- Tiredness and nausea are very common in these weeks and usually ease after week 12–16
- Fun fact: around 6 weeks the heart is already beating, and by 12 weeks all the little organs are formed — after that it's mostly growing
- When you share the news is entirely up to you — the '12-week rule' is a custom, not a rule
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12–20 weeks
🌱 Around 20 weeks your baby is about 10 inches and 10 ounces — the size of a banana.
- The anatomy (20-week) ultrasound is usually done between 18–22 weeks — your provider schedules it
- Look into childbirth classes near you — many book up early
- Need childcare later? Waiting lists can be long — you can get on them now
- You'll often feel the first kicks around 18–22 weeks
- Your baby can hear from around 18–20 weeks — so talking and singing already count
- Staying active (walking, swimming, prenatal yoga) is good and safe — listen to your body
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20–28 weeks
🌱 Around 28 weeks about 14½ inches and 2¼ lb — the size of a cauliflower.
- The Tdap (whooping cough) vaccine protects your baby in the first months — recommended between 27–36 weeks, so plan it with your provider now
- Choose and order the stroller: around 20–24 weeks is a good moment — delivery times can run to months. Second-hand is just as good
- Start on the nursery: paint and furniture first, then the rest — no rush, and everything can air out before your baby sleeps there
- Check your maternity/parental leave and tell your employer
- Prenatal visits become more frequent from around 28 weeks
- Fun fact: your baby recognizes your voices more and more, and develops a sleep-wake rhythm — you'll notice it in the kicks
- One more trip together? Flying is generally fine until ±36 weeks — do check your airline and insurance
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28–34 weeks
🌱 Around 34 weeks about 17¾ inches and 4½ lb — a good-sized melon.
- The maternal RSV vaccine (Abrysvo, 32–36 weeks, typically September–January) protects your newborn against RSV — ask your provider what applies
- Choose a pediatrician — the first well-child visit is just days after birth, so it's nice to have this settled
- Get the rear-facing infant car seat installed and checked (NHTSA has free inspection stations) — you'll need it to leave the hospital
- Set up a safe sleep space: firm flat mattress, no pillows, blankets or bumpers (AAP safe sleep)
- Plan the sleep spot: for the first 6 months your baby sleeps safest in your bedroom, in their own crib (room-sharing, not bed-sharing)
- Practice contractions (Braxton Hicks) are normal at this stage — if they become painful or regular, call your provider
- Hiccups in your belly? Your baby is practicing breathing — completely normal and a good sign
ⓘ CDC pregnancy & AAP
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34–40 weeks
🌱 At birth babies average about 20 inches and 7½ lb — a small watermelon.
- Pack the hospital bag: documents/insurance card, clothes for you both, and the car seat ready to go
- Discuss your birth plan and consider a hospital tour; agree who to call when things start
- From 37 weeks your baby is full term — if labor starts earlier, just call your provider
- Handy for later: this dashboard switches to sleep, feeding and newborn help by itself once your baby arrives
- Filling the freezer with meals might be the best newborn-weeks preparation there is
- Sort out in advance: the route and parking at the hospital, and who's on standby for any older children or pets
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40+ weeks · due
🌱 Averaging about 20 inches and 7½ lb — fully ready to meet you.
- The due date is an estimate: most babies arrive between 37 and 42 weeks — going a little 'overdue' is completely normal
- Your provider keeps a closer eye now and will discuss options like induction around 41–42 weeks
- Worried about anything (less movement, waters breaking)? Always call your provider