The 9-Month Journey

Follow the fascinating growth of your baby before birth.

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Beginning of Life

Redheaded Mother Feeding Bottle to Infant

We all know how life begins: One sperm out of millions wins the race to meet the egg and burrows inside to fertilize it, uniting the mother's and father's genes.

But what happens next to create the precious and unique human being you meet on delivery day 40 weeks later? As you're suffering through morning sickness, heartburn, and growing pains, and preparing baby's nursery, your body is making a home for your child before birth -- and supporting it through the miraculous changes that take it from a ball of cells to a fully formed newborn. Here's a peek at how your baby develops during your pregnancy.

See what a zygote looks like at conception using our Fetal Development Timeline >>

Next: Conception to 2 Months

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