How a Baby Develops Before Birth

The fertilized egg becomes an embryo, then a fetus after eight weeks.
Cells specialize rapidly — forming skin, bones, organs, and a nervous system.
The heart is one of the first organs to function.
By week 12, tiny fingers, toes, and facial features are visible.
The fetus moves and even hiccups by mid-pregnancy.
The brain grows billions of neurons before birth.
The baby practices breathing motions inside the womb.
Sound, light, and even the mother’s emotions can affect development.
The baby’s lungs mature last, preparing for that first breath.
Birth marks not a beginning, but the next chapter in development.