Nine Months: Before a Baby Is Born

Nine Months: Before a Baby Is Born is a children's book by the award-winning team of author Miranda Paul and illustrator Jason Chin. Published by Neal Porter Books in 2019, Nine Months follows an unnamed mother, father, and their young daughter as they prepare for the arrival of another child. Meanwhile, the story of the fetus's development mirrors the story of the family as each of the nine months passes. As the months wind down and the due date nears, both stories slowly converge until Mom delivers. Blending a heartwarming family tale with accessible, age-appropriate facts about science, biology, and reproduction, this book is appropriate for readers ages four and older.

The first portion of Nine Months covers weeks one through four of the first trimester of fetal development. On Day 17, the fetus is still a fertilized egg. By Day 18, it is a two-celled zygote. Just twelve to eighteen hours later, it transforms into a four-celled zygote. At this point, the zygote is small—very small, no bigger than "the point of a pin." In the outside world, Mom, Dad, and Daughter make plans for Baby's arrival. Mom and Dad give Daughter a book to read, all about the birth of a baby—much like the book readers now hold in their hands.

Next, Paul and Chin address the second month of pregnancy. This is the time when the fetus begins to grow body parts: arms and legs and hands and feet…and a tail? The zygote is now an embryo, growing to an impressive six millimeters. The heart starts to flutter at this stage. In the life of the family, every day brings new changes and discoveries, especially for the daughter, who has never experienced a new life coming into the house. Her parents give her a "Big Sister" shirt to show her how important her new role is.



In the third month of pregnancy, more features take shape. The embryo reaches the gestational age where it is no longer an embryo but a fetus. The fetus weighs in at about the same size as a grape, which is around twenty-four millimeters. More features form at this point as well, and the family goes to the doctor for an ultrasound, a special test that allows the family to see their baby's developments on a screen.

The fourth month of pregnancy finds the fetus swimming in a womb filled with amniotic fluid, which it actually gulps up by the mouthfuls. It tastes like the same things Mom eats during pregnancy.

Then, in the fifth month, the fetus has fully-formed eyelids, eyebrows, a nose, and a mouth. Mom feels the fetus moving around. At home, the family watches Mom's growing belly with wonder, anticipating the new arrival.



By the end of the sixth month, the ears are completely formed. Not only that, but the fetus can recognize the mother's voice and other sounds in its environment. The rest of the body's complex systems finish developing into the sixth and seventh months. The brain starts to receive signals, and the stomach prepares for the process of digesting food. Hiccups are also common during the seventh month, and the rest of the family can put their hands on Mom's belly to feel the fetus's hiccupping, stretching, and kicking.

In Month 8, Mom's belly is big, and the fetus runs out of room. It often shifts into a head-down position to make the birth process easier. In the meantime, the family puts the finishes touches on their home as they prepare to welcome Baby.

The ninth month is the final month of pregnancy. Development nears completion, and the lungs ready themselves for the action of taking in and expelling air. Mom delivers…a brand-new baby girl!



In a substantial amount of backmatter, Paul discusses the subject of pregnancy in more detail. She breaks the months down into even smaller stages of development. She then shares a variety of amazing things that babies can do before they are even born, such as stick out their tongues, suck their thumbs, do somersaults, and have dreams. Paul also compares the human birth cycle to that of other animals; opossums and mice only carry their babies for one month, while elephants carry theirs for nearly two years. Finally, she addresses a number of what-if scenarios, delicately broaching sensitive topics such as premature births, chromosomal anomalies, and miscarriages, as well as the multiplication of babies that can happen with multiple embryos. The backmatter concludes with a list of further suggested reading resources for children to learn more about birth, pregnancy, and the science behind them.

In the end, Nine Months is both a child-friendly biology lesson and an account of all the exciting changes a new baby brings to a family. Moreover, this excitement will only continue as the older sibling guides her new little sister through life. Birth is just the beginning. As Paul writes in Month 2, "Every day, something new."