Week 6 Development

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY

Your baby's length is now about 3 to 5 millimeters -- about the size of a peppercorn! The brain is forming three separate parts: the forebrain (memory and reasoning), the midbrain (translates messages from the brain to organs and limbs) and the hindbrain (regulates breathing and muscle movement). At this point the embryo is now three-dimensional and completely enclosed in the amniotic sac. Your baby's heart is now beating and blood circulation is evident. The kidneys and liver are growing fast, and the neural tube, which connects the brain with the spinal cord, closes. The placenta is rapidly developing, however, it will not take over hormone production until about week 12.