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The tender skin is now covered by a waxy substance called “vernix” and the baby continues to practice breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid in preparation for the big day when she takes her first breath of air.
Her eyes begin to part and open occasionally for short periods of time. Hiccups are not uncommon. The baby learns constantly.
After birth it prefers the mother’s voice because she has been listening to mom filtered through the amniotic fluid. From 26 weeks, babies exhibit a whole range of typical baby behavior and moods, including scratching, smiling, crying, hiccuping, and sucking.
Did ya know?
The baby in the fetal stage constantly learns. After birth the baby prefers the mother’s voice because she has been listening to mom filtered through the amniotic fluid — well okay…she sounded a bit like a fuzzy guitar 🙂
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By month’s end, your baby is 14 to 16 inches long and can weigh 2.5 to 3.5 pounds. The organs continue to mature. If you expose your belly to a bright light you may get a quick reaction. The fetal baby can now inhale, exhale and even cry.
Eyes have completely formed, and the tongue has developed taste buds. His body fat is beginning to form in preparation for life outside the womb. If born at this time, he will be considered a premature baby and require special care.
Did ya know?
When you see the fetal baby on ultrasound and the mother starts to laugh, you can see the baby, floating upside down in the womb, bounce up and down on its head, bum-bum-bum, like its bouncing on a trampoline. When mothers watch this on the screen, they laugh harder, and the fetus goes up and down even faster. You gotta wonder if this is why we grow up liking roller coasters so much!
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Overall growth is rapid this month and your baby may gain as much as a half a pound per week.
At eight months of pregnancy, your baby may weigh from 4 to 6 pounds and is gaining about half a pound per week. Layers of fat are piling on under her skin. Soon she will turn head down in preparation for her coming birth.
Most body organs are now developed with the exception of the lungs and if the baby kicks you’ll not only feel it but also be able to see it on the outside. Tremendous brain growth occurs at this time and the finger nails begin to extend past the fingertips.
Did ya know?
The roots of human behavior begin to develop early — just weeks after conception in fact. Well before a girl typically knows she is pregnant, her baby’s brain has already begun to bulge. By five weeks, the organ that looks like a lumpy inchworm has already embarked on the most spectacular feat of human development: the creation of the cerebral cortex, the part that allows all of us to move, dance, run, speak and sing in a real human way. Well… most of us sing in a real human way.
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By nine months, most of your baby’s bones have hardened, although her skull is still pliable.
She’s shedding most of the downy covering of hair as well as the creamy vernix caseosa that covered her body. She’ll spend the next few weeks just putting on weight.
Soon your baby settles down lower in the abdomen in preparation for birth and may seem less active. Skin is pink and smooth and the child measures 19 to 20 inches in length. Lungs are mature and at approximately 8 pounds the baby is ready for life outside your womb. Soon you’ll see her face to face!
Did ya Know?
There are some really cool photos of the baby in utero, using the latest embryoscopy and 3-D ultrasound. Have a look for yourself… there is nothing gory about these, girls!
View Embroyoscopy Videos
