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Pregnancy week by week for Black families
This is a pregnancy-by-week guide written specifically for Black families. The fetal-development information at every week comes from ACOG and AAP — the clinical baseline doesn't change by demographic. What changes is which complications are most likely, which symptoms are most often dismissed, and which decisions matter most. Black women die from pregnancy-related causes at 3 to 4 times the rate of white women in the U.S., and the gap has widened in recent CDC Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System data. Every week below names the demographic-specific risk for that window, the symptoms to act on, and a script for talking to your OB.
First trimester
Weeks 1 to 13. The riskiest window for early pregnancy loss; the foundation visit window for prenatal care.
Second trimester
Weeks 14 to 27. Anatomy scan, viability threshold, glucose challenge.
Week 14
size of a lemon
Week 15
size of an apple
Week 16
size of an avocado
Week 17
size of a pomegranate
Week 18
size of a bell pepper
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 a grapefruit
Week 24
size of a cantaloupe
Week 25
size of a head of cauliflower
Week 26
size of a head of lettuce
Week 27
size of a head of cabbage
Third trimester
Weeks 28 to 40. Preeclampsia onset window; the period of highest Black-maternal-mortality risk.
Week 28
size of an eggplant
Week 29
size of a butternut squash
Week 30
size of a small cabbage
Week 31
size of a coconut
Week 32
size of a large jicama
Week 33
size of a pineapple
Week 34
size of a butternut squash
Week 35
size of a honeydew melon
Week 36
size of a head of romaine
Week 37
size of swiss chard
Week 38
size of a leek
Week 39
size of a small watermelon
Week 40
size of a small pumpkin
How this guide is sourced
Each week's fetal-development summary is derived from the ACOG Patient Education library and the AAP Bright Futures developmental guidelines. Maternal physical changes are sourced from ACOG Practice Bulletin 222 (gestational hypertension and preeclampsia), Practice Bulletin 183 (postpartum hemorrhage), and the AAFP pregnancy trimester reference. Black-maternal-specific context is grounded in the CDC Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System, the Bryant 2010 Obstetrics & Gynecology disparities review (PMID 20567176), and the Building U.S. Capacity to Review and Prevent Maternal Deaths report. Every guide is reviewed by a clinician on our medical advisory team before publication and re-reviewed annually.