Average fetal length and weight:

Can you guess what is my present weight at the moment?
NO? I knew it!
My mom also wonders every time when she stares at her bump how much weight she is carrying in er tummy..this is a very interesting and evident question that comes to the mind of any mother who is carrying a baby..

But one more important thing to note here at this stage is that all pregnancies are different and all babies are also different as far as the growth pattern and weight gain and development is concerned. Hence do not panic a lot if you see that your babies weight is more or less than the average it should be at that point of gestational age.

I will tell you why we grow differently..
The thing is at some times we feel very hungry and energetic and tend to have more nutritions than some other times. Hence it may happen quite naturally that we are gaining more weight and maturing more at some gestational age than some other point of time.Hence the bottom line is do not worry if you notice little discrepancies in the fetal weight gain according to gestational age..rather consult your doctor if you are too much concerned :)

Average fetal length and weight:

From early in pregnancy, babies grow at different rates, so these numbers are merely averages. Your baby's actual length and weight may vary substantially. Don't worry too much if an ultrasound indicates that your baby is much smaller or larger. (Your practitioner will let you know if it's time to worry about how big your baby is.) By full-term, your baby may end up weighing less than 5 pounds or more than 9.

Note that babies are measured from the crown (or top) of the head to the rump (or bottom) until about 20 weeks. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against his torso during the first half of pregnancy and very hard to measure.

After that, babies are measured from head to toe.

See our help section if you have questions about how we count the weeks of pregnancy and gestational age.

Gestational age	Length (US)	Weight (US)	Length (cm)	Mass (g)
	(crown to rump)		(crown to rump)
8 weeks	0.63 inch	0.04 ounce	1.6 cm	1 gram
9 weeks	0.90 inch	0.07 ounce	2.3 cm	2 grams
10 weeks	1.22 inch	0.14 ounce	3.1 cm	4 grams
11 weeks	1.61 inch	0.25 ounce	4.1 cm	7 grams
12 weeks	2.13 inches	0.49 ounce	5.4 cm	14 grams
13 weeks	2.91 inches	0.81 ounce	7.4 cm	23 grams
14 weeks	3.42 inches	1.52 ounce	8.7 cm	43 grams
15 weeks	3.98 inches	2.47 ounces	10.1 cm	70 grams
16 weeks	4.57 inches	3.53 ounces	11.6 cm	100 grams
17 weeks	5.12 inches	4.94 ounces	13 cm	140 grams
18 weeks	5.59 inches	6.70 ounces	14.2 cm	190 grams
19 weeks	6.02 inches	8.47 ounces	15.3 cm	240 grams
20 weeks	6.46 inches	10.58 ounces	16.4 cm	300 grams
	(crown to heel)		(crown to heel)
20 weeks	10.08 inches	10.58 ounces	25.6 cm	300 grams
21 weeks	10.51 inches	12.70 ounces	26.7 cm	360 grams
22 weeks	10.94 inches	15.17 ounces	27.8 cm	430 grams
23 weeks	11.38 inches	1.10 pound	28.9 cm	501 grams
24 weeks	11.81 inches	1.32 pound	30 cm	600 grams
25 weeks	13.62 inches	1.46 pound	34.6 cm	660 grams
26 weeks	14.02 inches	1.68 pound	35.6 cm	760 grams
27 weeks	14.41 inches	1.93 pound	36.6 cm	875 grams
28 weeks	14.80 inches	2.22 pounds	37.6 cm	1005 grams
29 weeks	15.2 inches	2.54 pounds	38.6 cm	1153 grams
30 weeks	15.71 inches	2.91 pounds	39.9 cm	1319 grams
31 weeks	16.18 inches	3.31 pounds	41.1 cm	1502 grams
32 weeks	16.69 inches	3.75 pounds	42.4 cm	1702 grams
33 weeks	17.20 inches	4.23 pounds	43.7 cm	1918 grams
34 weeks	17.72 inches	4.73 pounds	45 cm	2146 grams
35 weeks	18.19 inches	5.25 pounds	46.2 cm	2383 grams
36 weeks	18.66 inches	5.78 pounds	47.4 cm	2622 grams
37 weeks	19.13 inches	6.30 pounds	48.6 cm	2859 grams
38 weeks	19.61 inches	6.80 pounds	49.8 cm	3083 grams
39 weeks	19.96 inches	7.25 pounds	50.7 cm	3288 grams
40 weeks	20.16 inches	7.63 pounds	51.2 cm	3462 grams
41 weeks	20.35 inches	7.93 pounds	51.7 cm	3597 grams
42 weeks	20.28 inches	8.12 pounds	51.5 cm	3685 grams

taken from :http://www.babycenter.com/


Fetal Development at different gestational age:

9 weeks of gestation:start of fetal stage to 25 weeks:
The fetal stage commences at the beginning of the 9th week. At the start of the fetal stage, the fetus is typically about 30 mm (1.2 inches) in length from crown to rump, and weighs about 8 grams.The head makes up nearly half of the fetus' size.Breathing-like movement of the fetus is necessary for stimulation of lung development, rather than for obtaining oxygen.The heart, hands, feet, brain and other organs are present, but are only at the beginning of development and have minimal operation.

Fetuses are not capable of feeling pain at the beginning of the fetal stage, and will not be able to feel pain until the third trimester.At this point in development, uncontrolled movements and twitches occur as muscles, the brain and pathways begin to develop.

16 to 25 weeks after fertilization:
A woman pregnant for the first time (i.e. a primiparous woman) typically feels fetal movements at about 21 weeks, whereas a woman who has already given birth at least two times (i.e. a multiparous woman) will typically feel movements by 20 weeks. By the end of the fifth month, the fetus is about 20 cm (8 inches).

26 to 40 weeks of gestation:
The amount of body fat rapidly increases. Lungs are not fully mature. Thalamic brain connections, which mediate sensory input, form. Bones are fully developed, but are still soft and pliable. Iron, calcium, and phosphorus become more abundant. Fingernails reach the end of the fingertips. The lanugo begins to disappear, until it is gone except on the upper arms and shoulders. Small breast buds are present on both sexes. Head hair becomes coarse and thicker. Birth is imminent and occurs around the 40th week. The fetus is considered full-term between weeks 35 and 40, which means that the fetus is considered sufficiently developed for life outside the uterus.It may be 48 to 53 cm (19 to 21 inches) in length, when born. Control of movement is limited at birth, and purposeful voluntary movements develop all the way until puberty.

taken from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetus