When you are within the 7 to 8 weeks of your pregnancy, you can feel the baby’s movements inside your belly. It will start with those basic uncoordinated flutters and then will progress into something more like jabs, flips, and kicks, when you are in your 2nd and 3rd trimester. All this happens with progress in the fetal development of baby arms and legs.
Most of the time, you will feel those movements when you are in your 16 to 22 weeks of pregnancy. Some women feel strong fetal movement around 24 weeks of pregnancy. Let’s learn about the time when your baby’s legs, arms, toes, and fingernails start to take shape.
In This Article
- Early Stages of Fetal Development of Baby’s Arms and Legs
- What Stages of Fetus Are Fingers, Fingernails, Toes and Toenails Developed?
- When Can You Experience Your First Fetal Movement?
- What Are the Key Stages in Fetal Limb Development?
- What Can You do During Pregnancy to Help Your Baby’s Growth?
- FAQ’s
Early Stages of Fetal Development of Baby’s Arms and Legs
So, when will the arms and legs of a baby start to form and develop? As a would-be parent, you are sure to be curious about the various stages of development. We give you a week-by-week breakup.
- It is around the time of 5 to 6 weeks when the baby sprouts two flipper-like buds, which will later grow and form arms.
- At around 7 weeks’ time, another two buds form and stretch out into the legs. At this stage, the arms and legs will look like paddles, forming at the end of the buds.
- During the 9-week mark, the spaces for knee joints and elbow will appear as the buds lengthen out.
- The fetal limbs will start to look less like flippers at 11 weeks when the baby can bend the legs and arms. At this time, the buds will start to grow even more, and the hands will close closer and meet over the heart. During this time, the fetal limbs will start growing muscles, bones, and nerves as well.
- You can see nerves’ presence at around 7 weeks, and the nerves will control the developing muscles by 10 weeks’ time.
- At the 10-week mark, the bone-producing cells start to develop to form the leg and arm bones. These bones will continue to grow, even after giving birth.
What Stages of Fetus Are Fingers, Fingernails, Toes and Toenails Developed?
Like every other organ in the body, your little one will also follow specific development patterns when it comes to fingers and toes.
- Your baby starts to grow webbing between toes and fingers at 8 weeks of your pregnancy. For the next couple of weeks, the webbings start to disappear, and the toes and fingers will grow longer.
- During the 11th week, the baby will grow 10 distinct digits.
- The toes and fingernails will start to show some signs by 14 weeks and will be completed during the last trimester.
- It takes 34 weeks to grow fingernails and 38 weeks for the toenails.
- The fingernails will further start to grow long when the baby is in your uterus.
[Read: First Ultrasound During Pregnancy]
When Can You Experience Your First Fetal Movement?
Experiencing baby movements is one of the most precious and memorable parts of your pregnancy. As a would-be mother, you will surely be curious to know where you can experience your baby moving. Here is a breakup of the timeline.
- At first, twitching and stretching will happen spontaneously, and it will start around 7 to 8 weeks. You can see those movements when you are out for the ultrasound. But most women won’t be able to feel these movements during this stage.
- The baby will become livelier at 12 weeks of pregnancy. During this stage, babies can close and unfold their hands, as well as curl their toes. They will also start to move their legs and arms during this stage.
- When you reach 16 weeks of pregnancy, the baby will start to move and flex fetal limbs in a coordinated manner because the nervous system starts to develop at this stage. During this time, you can feel your baby’s movements. Some women might have to wait for a few weeks extra to feel the movements.
- Women with an anterior placenta or plus-size women might take some longer time to feel the kicks. So, there is nothing to worry about!
- Some women can place their hands on the stomach and can feel the baby’s movements. But for that, you have to wait till you can feel the baby moving inside your stomach!
- When you reach 30 weeks of your pregnancy, the babies will spend their time mostly sleeping. So, you will feel fewer movements during this time. However, the babies will sleep for a shorter span of time, like 20 to 40 minutes. So, there shouldn’t be a significant slowdown!
Once you become accustomed to your baby’s movements, you will be able to spot some of the major patterns. Some babies are highly active during the afternoons and evenings. So, you can feel their presence more during such instances. Then you have other babies who are hyperactive during morning hours. For parents, it is exciting to observe if the babies are following the same pattern once they are born. Some might follow the same routines, but most of them don’t.
[Read: Fetal Development – Know Everything About Your Baby’s Brain and Nervous System]
What Are the Key Stages in Fetal Limb Development?
Depending on the progressive weeks, there are some major changes in the fetal limb development department. Getting a thorough understanding of the weeks and the development rate will help mothers to keep track of their baby’s healthy growth. Some of those key stages are listed below for your reference.
| Pregnancy Week | Key Milestone |
| 5 to 6 Weeks | It is during this time that the arm buds start to pop up. |
| 7 Weeks | This stage will often focus on the leg buds and the first-ever fluttering movements inside your belly. |
| 8 Weeks | During this time, the baby will start growing webbed legs and hands. |
| 11 Weeks | In this time, the baby will have separate toes and fingers. He or she can even bend the knee and elbow region. |
| 12 Weeks | During this time, the baby will start to open and close their hands, and you can see their toes curling up. |
| 16 Weeks | At this stage, the baby’s limbs will start to move in the most coordinated manner. |
| 16 to 22 weeks | During this time, mothers can feel the movement of the baby. |
| 20 to 24 Weeks | At this point, others are going to feel the baby’s movement by placing their feet on your stomach. |
| 34 Weeks | It is the perfect time for your baby to form his or her fingernails. |
| 38 Weeks | Toenails will start to form and take up shapes. |
What Can You do During Pregnancy to Help Your Baby’s Growth?
Pregnancy can be really hard for women as the body is going through so many hormonal changes. So, keeping up with those changes is a bit time-consuming, which is why pregnant women are always tired. To be on the safe side and to know if your baby is going through proper growth, you have to tune into your little one’s pattern of movement. In case you notice less activity than usual, you may have to visit your doctor right away! The mother’s instinct works great during such instances. So, if you feel something is off, always get in touch with your gynecologist to ensure there are no major problems.
The entire process of changing into a baby and getting in shape is a really amazing experience. It’s pleasant to watch and wonder at the same time. A lot happens inside the mother’s stomach, and many people are unaware of it. But, focusing on the time and checking out the fetals’ limb growth is important to know if the baby is developing properly with time. So, keeping a watch on the key table mentioned above for the weeks and developments is important.
Nowadays, you have a 3D ultrasound exam where you can see the baby’s growth fully with every week passing by. So, make sure to get your appointments accordingly and have a direct chat with the doctors to see if everything is alright.
FAQ’s
1. In Which Trimester Can You See The Toes And Fingers Develop?
During the first trimester, you can see the baby forming toes and fingers alongside eyes, ears, nose and mouth.
2. When Does The Fetus Start to Develop Limbs?
The fetus will start to grow limbs eight weeks into pregnancy or six weeks after you have conceived.
3. When Can You See Toes And Fingers in Ultrasound?
You can see the baby’s toes and fingers in the 16-week ultrasound. You can see a fully formed baby during this stage but very small.
Read Also: Fetal Devepment – Know Everything About Your Baby’s Skull, Skeleton, and Bones Development
