22 weeks - did you know?

• Baby Boy has pretty much taken on the form of a newborn baby, but is incredibly small.  He weighs approximately 1 lb and is probably almost a foot in length (head to toe).
• Much development will continue to occur over the next 18 weeks. The baby's skin appears wrinkly, but this is because he has not yet gained enough weight to fill the skin out. The baby chub is soon to come!
• Baby Boy's lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath his gum line.
• His eyes are completely formed, but the iris (the colored portion of the eye) still lacks pigment.
• His inner ear is developed and he has his own sense of balance. Balance also promotes physical dexterity, which has him actively feeling out his surroundings where skin, body parts and the resident umbilical cord are the big sensory experiences.
• Baby boy's senses are developing daily. His brain now has a full complement of neurons and the baby is learning about his body and surroundings through touch.  Touch is one of the first senses to mature and the baby may stroke his face or feel his arms and legs.

21 weeks - did you know?

• Baby Boy is very busy moving.
• Baby probably weighs around 12-15 ounces and is around 10 1/2 inches long from head to toe.
• Within the next 5 weeks, baby boy will have another rapid growth spurt and be more than a little lean mean growing maching.  The beginnings of what is commonly called "brown fat" is just starting to fill into help baby retain some body heat, which is crucial as he is not yet capable of regulating his own body temperature.
• His eyebrows and eyelids have finished forming this week.
• The addition of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) has been added to the baby's sleep schedule.  He sleeps approximately 12-14 hours a day.
• Taste buds are being formed on his tongue.

20 weeks - did you know?

Baby boy continues to grow...

• His bones are continuing to ossify and toughen.
• His finger and toe pads are finishing up the creation of its unique finger/toe prints.
• His teeth buds are formed and hidden beneath the gum line.
• Baby boy's lips are pink and more defined.
• His eyelashes and eyebrows are visible.
• At this point he realy looks like a miniature baby - but weighs a mere eighth of what his estimated birth weight will be.