How your baby is growing this week
Blueberry size — about 0.5 inches. Arm and leg buds are stretching into paddle-shaped hands and feet, and the kidneys are beginning to form. The brain is developing fast, generating on the order of 250,000 neurons a minute, and the heart is beating near 150 bpm — almost twice your resting rate.
What your partner is going through
Frequent urination in overdrive — uterus pressing directly on bladder. Mood swings from progesterone surges. Morning sickness peaks between now and Week 9. She may vomit 3-6 times daily.
What to focus on this week, dad
- 01Bathroom Ops: deep-clean it and keep it stocked. Between nausea and constant urination she's living in there — fresh towels, a night light, hair ties within reach, and a clear path from the bed.
- 02Confirm the first prenatal appointment is locked for around week 8 and block the whole morning on both calendars. This is often the visit where you'll see the heartbeat on screen.
Connect with your partner
Do not joke about the mood swings. Not even once. She knows they are irrational and that makes it worse. Just ride the wave and be a stable presence.
Source: ACOG
Related Resources
Fertility has a timeline, readiness is a myth, and passive decision-making is still a decision. A practical framework for men weighing the biggest choice of their lives.
Nobody prepares you for the part where you're just standing there. Here's what to actually do when morning sickness hits.
Start researching early so you have time to interview candidates.
Key contacts and info to have ready before baby arrives.
Get your weekly briefing matched to your due date
Start free with the briefings within four weeks of your signup week and a rolling 30 days of tasks, plus partner sync, budget tracking, and the “from the trenches” field notes from real dads. Premium opens all 40 weeks.
Start FreeGet the occasional dad briefing by email
Practical notes for expecting and new dads, only when there's something worth sending. No spam.