Your baby

Your baby is already 10,000 times bigger than the size of the fertilised egg, yet still only 13 - 16mm long. Due to the rapid growth of the brain, your baby's head is huge compared with the rest of the body, but it is starting to look more human.

Your baby's face is beginning to form with nostrils, external ears and eyes visible under a thin membrane of skin. The mouth has lips and a tongue and tooth buds have already formed.

All the organs have started to form and are now in the right position. The brain has formed with two distinct hemispheres and your baby now develops either testes or ovaries.

The spinal column is visible and bones are beginning to form, with obvious knee and elbow joints. The upper limbs resemble paddles and, although fingers are well defined, they are still webbed. In the next few days, the foot plates develop ridges that will become the toes.

Your progress

Many women feel overwhelmingly tired at this stage of pregnancy, so if you’re nodding off even before the watershed, don’t be surprised. Although you may be feeling lethargic, remember that your body is actually working hard to cope with a rapid and crucial stage in your baby's development. So try to rest and go easy on yourself.

Hormonal changes may make you feel very emotional too – and your partner is probably as confused and worried as you are! But whether you’re feeling weepy, bad-tempered or depressed (or everything all at once) take comfort that things will soon get better.

If you’ve been longing for a baby, you may feel guilty that you’re not as happy as you’d imagined. And if your baby is unplanned, the hormonal disruption can make being pregnant even more of an upheaval. Whatever your situation, it may help to confide in someone you trust – however bad you’re feeling, it’s good to talk.

What to think about

Alcohol

By now, you're probably already aware that drinking alcohol during pregnancy is not good for your baby. Giving up alcohol entirely, or drinking just one or two drinks a week, is thought to be best for the first few weeks of pregnancy.

According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, miscarriage is slightly more common in women who continue to drink more than three drinks per week. Drinking more than 15 units of alcohol a week can lower the birthweight of your baby, while consuming more than 20 units each week has been associated with intellectual impairment.

Caffeine

Caffeine is found in tea, coffee and many soft drinks. However it interferes with your body's absorption of iron and other nutrients. Current recommendations suggest that pregnant women should have no more than 300mg of caffeine per day - about four cups of coffee or six cups of tea.

Healthy Drinks

Try getting creative with new ideas for quenching your thirst while adding extra vitamins, minerals and fibre to your diet.

Two pints of milk or soymilk will help to meet your body's fluid needs, while providing calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and protein

Pure black cherry juice is high in nutrients rather than calories. It contains lots of iron as well as vitamin C, and is a good mixer to add to mineral water

When you need a hot drink, try herbal teas: rosehips, spearmint, lemongrass, ginger and fennel infusions are thought to be particularly helpful for pregnancy

There are thousands of varieties of green, white, red and black teas that have little or no caffeine. These contain powerful antioxidants, which your body can use to fight infection

You can also fight pregnancy-related nausea by making your own iced or hot ginger tea. Peel and grate 1-2 tablespoons of fresh ginger. Cover with boiled water, allow it to steep for a few minutes, then add honey

For cooling down after exercise, water is always the best choice. Sports drinks have minerals, but they also have a lot of sugar

Meat and vegetable broths are great for keeping you hydrated and satisfied without making you feel nauseous