Interactive Calendar

Being pregnant is the start of a new stage in life.

Expected Due Date (EDD)

0-5 weeks

The descriptions below give you a broad indication of your child’s development. Contact your midwife for more detailed information.

Physical Development

  • At this stage, the embryo is formed and embeds itself on to the wall of the uterus
  • The heart will be the first organ to form, followed by the brain and other vital organs
  • Identical twins will separate at this stage

Language Development

  • You will need to begin to make some important decisions with regard to your baby’s health and development at this time
  • It’s also an opportunity for you to consider your aspirations for your child in terms of the Welsh language
  • It’s not too early to start thinking about which language you will speak with the baby. Setting positive language relationships from the start is so important

6-12 weeks

The descriptions below give you a broad indication of your child’s development. Contact your midwife for more detailed information.

Physical Development

  • At this stage, the brain begins to form, being one of the first organs to develop
  • When the foetus is 9 weeks old and around 2.5 cm (1”) long, it will begin to respond to noise and light
  • At 10 weeks the ears and hearing have developed

Language Development

  • It’s not too early for you to start talking to your baby. Hearing the sound of your voice is important to the little one
  • How familiar are you with lullabies? This is a good time to search for a few useful Welsh language books and CDs – Download Twf’s free CD here

13-20 weeks

The descriptions below give you a broad indication of your child’s development. Contact your midwife for more detailed information.

Physical Development

  • By week 14 the mouth, tongue and throat will have developed. The foetus has all the basic equipment needed for speech
  • This is the stage at which a scan is taken – your first opportunity to see the baby!
  • The baby is more active now, so you might begin to feel a few kicks and prods during this stage

Language Development

  • This is a good time to discuss language issues with your partner. How can you help each other to introduce Welsh from the start?
  • If you need information on introducing Welsh from birth, go to 8 Good Reasons
  • If you would like more information regarding Welsh names for children look at our list of names

21-28 weeks

The descriptions below give you a broad indication of your child’s development. Contact your midwife for more detailed information.

Physical Development

  • The bump is becoming increasingly obvious at this stage, so a chance for Mum to buy maternity clothes!
  • The small bones inside the baby’s ear develop at this stage and baby’s hearing develops fully
  • The sucking reflex develops and some begin to suck their thumb

Language Development

  • Talking to your child is important. It will recognise your voice and the voices of other family members
  • You could start reading or singing to your child now. The baby will increasingly hear sounds from the wider world. You might feel shy at first but nobody needs to know! Download Twf’s free CD here

29-40 weeks

The descriptions below give you a broad indication of your child’s development. Contact your midwife for more detailed information.

Physical Development

  • The nerves in the brain develop at this stage. By the time the baby is full-term the brain will hold over 6 million synapses. The child’s potential brain power will be enormous
  • The baby’s senses will also be fully developed by this stage
  • You will feel the baby moving around as it increasingly fills the womb

Language Development

  • If you don’t speak Welsh yourself why not ask relatives, friends or neighbours to speak Welsh with your child when it is born?
  • You may have the opportunity to meet one of our ­Twf Field Officers in a clinic or ante-natal group at this stage. The officer is there to help and will give you useful advice on how to introduce Welsh from birth

0-3 months

Every baby develops at its own pace. The following descriptions are general statements. Don’t be alarmed if your child doesn’t exactly follow the points below.

Language Development

  • At 1 month your child will respond to noises and faces
  • At 2 months your child will smile, laugh and create interesting little noises
  • At 3 months your child will recognise your voice, your face and your body scent

Suggestions

  • Remember, how ever little Welsh you may have, speaking some Welsh to your baby from birth is important since it gives your baby the best start in life. Get into the habit of using Welsh from day 1
  • Talk to your baby constantly. Use ‘baby talk’ and say the baby’s name often. Babies respond to a quiet, soft and high pitched voice
  • Look at your baby’s face when you speak to him. Hold your baby about 8’ or 10’ from your face
  • Remember to sing Welsh language lullabies and play the CD. Download Twf’s free CD here

4-6 months

Every baby develops at its own pace. The following descriptions are general statements. Don’t be alarmed if your child doesn’t exactly follow the points below.

Language Development

  • At 4 months your child will start to respond when spoken to
  • At 5 months your child will recognise its name and recognise a few words e.g. mama or dada
  • At 6 months your child will start to mimic sounds and link words with objects, e.g. teddy and toy

Suggestions

  • How about playing “Where’s the toy?” with your baby? This will help the baby to recognise objects. Later on the baby will be able to name the objects
  • It’s not too soon to start teaching body parts to your baby
  • Mimic any sounds your baby makes. This will encourage your baby to experiment more
  • You may get the opportunity to meet the local Twf Officer. Ask the officer where to find your local Twf support group

6 months +

Every baby develops at its own pace. The following descriptions are general statements. Don’t be alarmed if your child doesn’t exactly follow the points below.

Language Development

  • At around 6 months old the synapse network in your child’s brain is at its peak. The more experiences your child gets at this stage the better
  • Between 6 and 12 months you will see a huge difference in your child’s language development. Your child will:
    • begin to join syllables together to make words
    • learn to say Mum and Dad
    • begin to understand simple instructions

Suggestions

  • Encourage your baby to create new sounds e.g. buzzes, humming, clicking your tongue, popping your cheek etc.
  • Playing ‘Peek-a-boo!’ is fun at this stage
  • Sing lullabies and other fun songs e.g. Gee Ceffyl Bach and Mynd Drot Drot. Download Twf’s free CD here
  • Start reading simple stories and turning the pages of picture books with your baby. Ask your local library for appropriate Welsh or bilingual books
  • Ask your local Twf Officer if there are any Ti a Fi (parent and toddler) groups in the area, as well as any welsh medium schools
  • Remember to use Welsh with your child as much as possible and encourage friends, family and neighbours to do so as well.
  • Two languages from Day 1– a gift for life!