Your baby

Your rapidly growing baby is now about five centimetres or two inches long and weighs about eight grams. Your baby's skin is transparent and covered with a fine down.

All the major body organs have formed and the most critical stage of development has passed. The immature lungs are beginning to function on their own, as are the liver, intestines and brain. It’s not yet possible to tell the gender of your baby from a scan, as the sex organs aren't visible externally.

Now that most of the major organs are complete, your baby is starting to develop hair, irises, fingernails and toenails. Although your baby's head is still nearly the same size as its body, head growth begins to slow during this time.

Your baby’s movements are now getting more sophisticated – he can kick, punch and arch his body, flex his fingers, form a fist and wrinkle his forehead. He can also suck and swallow and is able to move freely in the surrounding liquid. The intestines are already able to process the liquid that the baby is swallowing.

Your progress

If you were flat-chested before you became pregnant, it may feel great to finally have cleavage, even though your tummy will soon be vying for most of the attention. But, if you were amply endowed to begin with, your ever-expanding bustline may not have you jumping for joy.

Your breasts will continue to slowly enlarge over the months of your pregnancy, and your ribcage will also grow wider to make room for your growing baby and to help your lungs breathe for two.

In the first trimester of your pregnancy, your breasts may tingle and feel full. This is because hormones are making your breasts change to prepare them for nursing. You may discover it's no longer comfortable to sleep on your stomach. Sleeping in a sports bra may help.

The nipples and the areola (which is the coloured ring of skin around them) will expand and darken in colour as your pregnancy progresses. If your nipples were pink to begin with, they may become purple, and if they were beige they'll darken to a deep coffee brown.

In time, your nipples will enlarge and become more erect when touched or chilled. As early as 12-14 weeks of pregnancy your nipples may leak a creamy fluid when you squeeze them. It can be white or slightly yellowish-orange. It's called colostrum and is a protein-rich form of pre-milk that will give your baby valuable nourishment after birth.

What to think about

Sadly, sagging breasts occur to most women sooner or later, even if they've never been pregnant. If you're medium to large-sized, your breasts will probably travel further south as your pregnancy progresses.

There's no good solution for making them perky again, but a well-designed (and comfortable) bra can help to protect supportive ligaments inside your chest from getting over-stretched.

You'll probably find that you need to graduate to roomier bras more than once during pregnancy. The qualities to look for in a good bra are: stretchy, absorbent fabric; comfortable straps that don't dig into your shoulders; and a panel in the back that can be let out so the bra can grow with you. If possible, avoid underwiring that puts pressure on tender breast tissue, or, for that matter, any bra that causes discomfort.

Fortunately, most maternity stores and on-line bra companies now offer bras in special sizes to cater for wider back measurements and larger cup sizes. So do some shopping around to find the style that really works for you.