And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
Luke 1:42 KJV
Ok, so you are expecting. You may be curious to know just how large the child growing within you has become at any given stage of pregnancy. Wouldn't it be handy if there was a scale based on familiar objects? Wouldn't it be fun if the sizes used could cover the entire gestation from the fertilized egg, also known as a zygote, all the way to his or her birth? I found just such a scale using seeds, fruits and vegetables of different sizes to illustrate the size of a developing fetus. For quick reference I will list the week of gestation followed by the "fruit" that approximates the size of your unborn child. A link will be supplied to the source for professional details beyond the scope of this "at a glance" version.
- Week 4
- Size of a poppy seed
- Week 5
- Size of a peppercorn
- Week 6
- Size of a pomegranate seed
- Week 7
- Size of a small blueberry
- Week 8
- Size of a raspberry
- Note: From week 8 through week 20, measurements are taken from crown to rump.
- Week 9
- Size of a cherry
- Embryo becomes fetus
- Foregut, midgut and hindgut (digestive system) developed
- Reproductive organs developed but too early to verify gender by direct observation
- Week 10
- Size of a kumquat
- Week 11
- Size of a fig
- Week 12
- Size of a plum
- Week 13
- Size of a Meyer lemon
- Week 14
- Size of a peach
- Week 15
- Size of an apple
- Week 16
- Size of an avocado
- Week 17
- Size of a pear
- Week 18
- Size of a sweet potato
- Week 19
- Size of a mango
- Week 20
- Size of a banana
- Week 21
- Size of a carrot
- Week 22
- Size of a papaya
- Week 23
- Size of an eggplant
- Week 24
- Length of an ear of corn
- Week 25
- Size of an acorn squash
- Week 26
- Length of a zucchini squash
- Week 27
- Size of a cauliflower
- Week 28
- Size of a kabocha squash
- Week 29
- Size of a large butternut squash
- Week 30
- Size of a large cabbage
- Week 31
- Size of a bunch of leeks
- Week 32
- Size of a napa cabbage
- Week 33
- Size of a pineapple
- Week 34
- Size of a cantaloupe
- Week 35
- Size of a honeydew melon
- Week 36
- Size of a head of romaine lettuce
- Week 37
- Long as a stalk of swiss chard
- Week 38
- Long as a stalk of rhubarb
- Week 39
- Weighs as much as a small pumpkin
- Week 40 to 42
- Size of a watermelon
How big is your baby this week?-Farmer's market style
What.
Why.