Your baby has grown significantly this week, and is now about the size of a sesame seed, and resembles a tadpole. The circulatory system is starting to become prepared, and is starting to flicker inside your tiny baby. The heart is beginning to have tiny channels that will begin to pump blood.

Those three layers of the embryo are now more distinct, and can be identified. The outer most layer, the ectoderm, forms the baby’s hair, skin, eyes and nervous system. This layer will also produce tooth enamel and sweat glands. The baby’s brain, spinal cord and backbone will form from what is known as the neural tube, and this is found in this layer of the embryo. The middle layer, mesoderm, contains the heart and circulatory system. The heart will begin to beat and pump blood during this phase, and will help produce the muscles, bones, cartilage and tissues. The innermost layer will have the baby’s digestive track and lungs, and includes the intestines, liver and pancreas. This is the time where the placenta and umbilical cord are now firmly in place and working to provide the nutrition and sustenance your baby needs.

You may not notice any outward differences, but you will likely begin to need to urinate frequently and feel a bit nauseous. Your breasts may feel very sore and tender, and hurt to the touch. It’s important that you’ve contacted your physician to schedule your first prenatal exam, although you may not be seen until approximately 8 weeks. It’s also important that you avoid alcohol and eat healthy. Whatever you consume is also being consumed by your baby, so make sure its something you would want your baby to have too.