First Month Update: By this time, the developing baby, called an “embryo,” is 10,000 times larger than when his life began, and his heart is pumping increasing quantities of blood through his circulatory system. At 20 days, foundations of the brain, spinal cord and nervous system were already established. At 28 days, his backbone and muscles were forming and his arms, legs, eyes and ears began showing.
Second Month Update: At this point, the unborn child’s name is changed from “embryo” to “fetus.” The baby’s organs are intact and functioning, and the fetus responds to touch. Lines appear in the palms of the tiny hands. All future development of this new life is simply refinement and increase in size.
Third Month Update: Your unborn child now sleeps, awakens and exercises her muscles energetically! To help develop her respiratory system, your little miracle breathes amniotic fluid. She also turns her head, curls her toes and opens and closes her mouth.
Fourth Month Update: Your tiny little human person shows evidence of hearing his mother’s voice, as well as external noise. His umbilical cord has become an engineering marvel, transporting 300 quarts of fluid every day and completing a round trip every 30 seconds! He swims, kicks, turns somersaults and has grown to eight to 10 inches in length.
Fifth Month Update: Your unborn baby is now approximately 12 inches long and weighs eight to 16 ounces. Her mother has definitely begun to feel movement. If a sound is especially loud or startling, you baby may jump in reaction to it. Her internal organs are maturing at astonishing speed. Her eyelids are still completely fused, and some hair may be present on her head.
Sixth Month Update: Your baby’s oil and sweat glands now function. The delicate skin of your growing baby is protected from fetal waters by a special ointment called “vernix.” His eyelids are finally separated and eyelashes are formed. If your baby were born this month and given the proper care, he would survive.
Seventh Month Update: Your unborn baby now uses the senses of vision, hearing, touch and taste. She can recognize her mother’s voice! All organ systems have been present and functioning since three months; only growth and maturity take place after that point.
Eighth Month Update: The skin of your unborn child is beginning to thicken with a layer of fat stored underneath for nourishment and insulation. Increasingly, antibodies are building up. Your baby absorbs a gallon of amniotic fluid per day, and the fluid is entirely replaced every three hours.
