Embryo vs fetus: What's the difference?
Written by Cara Sumner
Cara Sumner
Cara Sumner is an accomplished writer with more than ten years of experience writing on subjects including skincare, sustainability, health, and wellness. Now, she’s dedicating her days to bringing more awareness and education to female reproductive health in her role at Natural Cycles. Cara holds a Master's Degree in Social Anthropology from Stockholm University and Minored in Female Studies/English Literature while getting her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Radford University in the States. On the weekends, you'll find her forest bathing in the woods around Stockholm.
Fact checked by Dr. Kerry Krauss, Medical Director at Natural Cycles
Dr. Kerry Krauss
Dr. Kerry Krauss, a board-certified OB-GYN, obtained her MD from Thomas Jefferson University and completed her residency at Pennsylvania Hospital. Currently serving as Medical Director at Natural Cycles, she advocates for women's health empowerment. Motivated by her own infertility struggles and PCOS, she sees Natural Cycles as a solution for women seeking non-invasive, non-hormonal birth control options.
Key Takeaways:
- At eight weeks of pregnancy, the embryo becomes a fetus and remains a fetus until birth
- When a baby-to-be becomes a baby can be a sensitive topic, but the scientific terms we use are important for understanding your body and the phases of pregnancy
- How you refer to your unborn child is your choice
Before your baby-to-be is ready for the outside world, it will go through several developmental phases. In this article, we’ll take a look at gestation and learn when a fertilized egg cell develops from an embryo to a fetus to a baby. We’ll also explore the difference between an embryo vs. fetus — and discuss why the words we use matter.
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