Pregnancy and newborn answers, in one place.
Expecting: your baby, week by week
About how big your baby is each week. Sizes are approximate and every baby is different. Ask your doctor about yours.
Week 20
Banana
Second trimester
Your body this week
See more
Is my baby's weight okay?
Enter the estimated weight from your scan report to see where it sits.
Based on the INTERGROWTH-21st fetal growth standards (Stirnemann et al., 2016). The 30th, 70th and 99th values are worked out from that published table. A scan's weight is an estimate and can be off by 10% or more. This does not replace your doctor. After birth, your paediatrician tracks weight on different charts.
- Week 4: Poppy seed
- Week 5: Sesame seed
- Week 6: Lentil
- Week 7: Blueberry
- Week 8: Kidney bean
- Week 9: Grape
- Week 10: Strawberry
- Week 11: Fig
- Week 12: Lime
- Week 13: Peach
- Week 14: Lemon
- Week 15: Apple
- Week 16: Avocado
- Week 17: Pear
- Week 18: Capsicum
- Week 19: Mango
- Week 20: Banana
- Week 21: Carrot
- Week 22: Papaya
- Week 23: Grapefruit
- Week 24: Corn on the cob
- Week 25: Turnip
- Week 26: Lettuce
- Week 27: Cauliflower
- Week 28: Brinjal
- Week 29: Butternut squash
- Week 30: Cabbage
- Week 31: Coconut
- Week 32: Bottle gourd
- Week 33: Pineapple
- Week 34: Cantaloupe
- Week 35: Honeydew melon
- Week 36: Romaine lettuce
- Week 37: Swiss chard
- Week 38: Leek
- Week 39: Mini watermelon
- Week 40: Small watermelon
What else would you like in Expecting?
See what other parents are asking for, and add your own.
New parents
Three things that make the first months easier. General information only, not medical advice.
Is my baby's weight okay?
For babies from birth to 12 months. Enter the weight from your clinic or a reliable scale.
Based on the WHO Child Growth Standards for weight by age, the standard used for children under 5. Breastfed and formula-fed babies grow a little differently, and one weight only shows where your baby is today. This does not replace your paediatrician.
Find a nanny or japa
Answer what you can. We turn it into a brief you can copy or send on WhatsApp to agencies and parent groups. Nothing is sent from this page.
Ask them
- How many newborns have you cared for, and can I speak to a family you worked for?
- What would you do if the baby is choking, has a fever, or won't feed?
- Are you trained in newborn care or first aid?
- How do you wash your hands and sterilise bottles?
- Will you follow our paediatrician's advice, and not give honey, drops or home remedies unless the doctor says so?
- How do you feel about our feeding and sleep routine?
- Are you comfortable with night shifts, and what is your notice period and leave plan?
Check and agree
- ID proof, a recent photo, and keep copies safe
- Police verification through your local station, or an agency's verified process
- Calls to at least two previous employers
- A recent health check, and vaccinations up to date (ask your doctor what is advisable around a newborn)
- A written agreement: pay, hours, days off, leave, notice period
- A trial period of one to two weeks, with you at home to watch
- With an agency: fees, what they verify, and the replacement policy
- House rules: phone use, visitors, hygiene. Tell them upfront about any cameras in common areas
- Emergency numbers on the fridge: doctor, hospital, family
General suggestions, not legal or medical advice. No checklist can guarantee a caregiver's background, so do your own checks.
Postpartum: what to know
This is not medical advice. It is general information and cannot tell you if you have a condition. If you are worried about how you feel, talk to a doctor or a psychologist.
Baby blues
Very common. Mood swings, tearfulness and worry in the first few days after birth. It usually settles within about two weeks.
Postpartum depression
Lower mood that is stronger or lasts longer than two weeks. It can begin any time in the first year, and it can affect partners too.
Postpartum anxiety
Constant worry, racing thoughts, a pounding heart, or being unable to sleep even when the baby sleeps.
Get help right away
If you feel confused, see or hear things that aren't there, feel extremely agitated, or think about harming yourself or your baby, call 112 or go to the nearest hospital.
Signs to watch for
- Feeling low, empty or hopeless most of the day
- Losing interest in things you enjoyed
- Guilt, or feeling you are not a good parent
- Trouble bonding with your baby
- Not sleeping or eating well, beyond what a newborn causes
- Anger, irritability, or panic
- Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
It is common, it is treatable, and it is not your fault or a weakness. Your doctor can advise on support that fits with breastfeeding.
Would talking to someone help?
If you have felt low, anxious or overwhelmed for more than two weeks, or you are finding it hard to cope, a psychologist or psychiatrist can help. You don't need to wait until it feels bad enough.
- Ask your gynaecologist or paediatrician for a referral.
- Tele-MANAS: 14416, free and open 24 hours
- KIRAN mental health helpline: 1800-599-0019, free and open 24 hours
- Emergency: 112
Self-check
In the past 7 days, choose the answer that comes closest to how you have felt, not just how you feel today. This is a screening tool and not a diagnosis or medical advice. Your answers stay on your device.
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Cox, Holden and Sagovsky, British Journal of Psychiatry 1987; 150:782-786. Helpline numbers are for India; please check them before relying on them.
What else would you like in the first year?
See what other parents are asking for, and add your own.
Next up
Articles
Everything we have so far, written up in one place.
Baby size week by week: fruit comparisons from week 4 to 40
See how big your baby is each week of pregnancy, from a poppy seed at week 4 to a small watermelon at week 40, with what each trimester means.
PregnancyIs my baby's weight okay? How to read the weight on your scan report
What the estimated fetal weight and percentile on your ultrasound report mean, what is typical at each week, and when to speak to your doctor.
New parentsHiring a nanny or japa in India: what to ask and check before you decide
A practical checklist for finding a nanny or japa for your newborn: what to write in your brief, what to verify, and why to start with a trial.
New parentsBaby blues or postpartum depression? A self-check and where to find help in India
Understand the difference between baby blues and postpartum depression, take a private 10-question self-check, and find free helplines in India.
New parentsNewborn hygiene at home: handwashing, visitors and a safe first month
Simple rules for the first weeks: how to wash hands properly, what to ask of visitors, and how to handle pets, smoke and crowds.
New parentsSterilising bottles and keeping feeds safe: a newborn hygiene guide
How to wash and sterilise bottles, make formula safely, and store breast milk, in simple steps that work in an Indian kitchen.
New parentsUmbilical cord care and the first baths: what to do and what to leave alone
Keep the cord stump clean and dry, bathe your newborn gently, and learn which traditional practices doctors usually advise against.
New parentsNappy changing and rash care: keeping your baby's skin healthy
How often to change, how to clean gently, how to prevent rashes, and the signs that mean a rash needs a doctor.
Led by parents
Share
A guide, a tip or a trusted link.Review
Parents vote and fix what's out of date.Pass it on
The best answers rise for the next parent.What parents are asking for
Tell us what you would like to see. The words that come up most grow biggest.
Please don't include names, phone numbers or links.