The embryo stage of pregnancy marks the exciting beginning of your time as a surrogate.
Knowing what the stages of pregnancy may look like can give you an idea of the timeline for the remainder of your pregnancy, allowing you to fully prepare to welcome a child into the world for the intended parents you have matched with.
We’ll walk you through how the embryos continue to develop once implantation is successful and a pregnancy has been confirmed.
We can help you navigate around the stages of pregnancy with the embryos development, whether that’s the embryo transfer or help finding medical professionals for prenatal care and appointments until the baby is born.
What is the Embryo Stage of Pregnancy?
After implantation occurs, the embryo pregnancy stage begins. This is one of three stages of fetal development.
This stage lasts from roughly the third week of pregnancy to the end of the eighth as the blastocyst begins to develop human characteristics.
A pregnancy is typically a nine-month journey with a full-term pregnancy usually spanning 40 weeks.
In terms of your journey as a surrogate, in vitro fertilization (IVF) means that the fourth week is roughly when the embryo develops in utero after the embryo transfer. Here’s what you can expect from the first trimester:
Month 1: The Embryo Stage of Pregnancy Begins
The first two weeks of this embryo pregnancy stage consist of ovulation as your body releases more hormones. By the third week, fertilization occurs in a lab and a zygote is formed.
In the fourth week, this zygote develops into a blastocyst and implants onto your uterine wall, where it will grow into the placenta.
Month 2: The Embryo Stage of Pregnancy Continues
This embryo stage of pregnancy for you is considered the second week of your two-week wait after the end of your fertility treatments before you can test for pregnancy.
Hormones and symptoms could be quite prevalent as the level of development is major considering the embryo is referred to as a fetus at the end of this stage.
The neural tube forms. This consists of neural tissue of the central nervous system like the brain, spinal cord and more. Buds that grow into arms and legs begin to develop, as do the eyes, ears and mouth. Pulses in a cluster of cells that become the heart may be able to be detected by your doctor. Soft cartilage begins to be replaced by bones as genitals begin to form too. The embryo’s head is disproportionately larger than the rest of the body. By this point, all of the body systems and major organs are growing and developing. Hands and feet are still web-like and eyes and ears are more prevalent. The umbilical cord, which transfers blood and oxygen to the embryo, is fully developed.
At this point in your pregnancy, the embryo size is that of a black bean, about .5-1 inch long.
Month 3: The Embryo Stage of Pregnancy Ends
The last month of the first trimester is a period of rapid growth and development.
This embryo stage of your pregnancy sees more of a human appearance begin to take shape in week nine. This stage of development is where the embryo becomes considered a fetus. As teeth and taste buds start to form, so do muscles and body shape.
Previously webbed appendages like arms and hands are no more as they are now fully formed by week 10. Fingernails and toenails are even beginning to develop and the ears take shape too.
Week 11 sees the fetus begin to move, opening and closing its mouth as the bones harden. Facial features are now more prominent as the skin is see-through.
The last week of the first trimester should see all organs, limbs, bones and muscles present. Vital systems like digestive, circulatory and urinary are now online as the fetus is drinking and peeing amniotic fluid.
This stage of pregnancy for the embryo is where the most crucial development takes place. The fetus has grown to the size of a plum, about 2.5-3 inches long.
Whether you have specific questions about the embryo stage of pregnancy or the other stages of fetal development, we can connect you with reputable fertility clinics near you. They’ll be your point of contact for all things on the medical side of this journey.
The embryonic phase of pregnancy can be considered the first trimester of pregnancy as it lasts from the third week until the eighth week. During this time, the blastocyst develops into an embryo where most of the embryos organs and systems form. Using “embryo” means you are between three and eight weeks pregnant. An embryo develops into a fetus at the end of the first trimester. After eight weeks of growth and development, the embryo is referred to as a fetus, which it will continue to be referred to until birth. The embryo stage of pregnancy refers to the first trimester that lasts from the third week until the end of the eighth week. The fetal stage comes directly after the embryo stage and lasts from the ninth week until birth. The fetus is assigned sex in the fetal stage.Embryo Pregnancy FAQs