Pregnancy Trimester 2

Month 4
Now that your fetus has completed the task of forming all the critical body structures, the organs go to work. The liver and pancreas are working, and the kidneys form urine to carry waste away. The intestines have moved back into the abdomen from the umbilical cord. The muscles needed to work the digestive system are forming too.

The fetus is now about the size of a plum measuring from 2.6 to 4 inches and by the end of the month will be up to 4.75 inches long, or about the size of a grapefruit. The head takes up half of the total fetus size at this point, but in the next few months, the body will grow rapidly speed to catch up. When the baby is born, the head will be only a quarter of his total length.

During this month, the baby's scalp hair pattern will be established for life, and some hair might begin to sprout. The ultrafine body hair called lanugo is appearing. This hair protects the skin of the fetus from the amniotic fluid and usually disappears just before or after birth. Strengthening muscles now make it possible for the fetus to lift the head and neck from their curved position.

By now, the eyes have moved to their proper place at the top of the face, and the ears have moved from the neck area to the sides of the head. The fetus's mouth can open and close and is starting to make swallowing and sucking motions, smiling and frowning are possible too.

Your fetus is moving the arms and legs frequently now. Sometime between now and 20 weeks, you will feel movement for the first time. But the cushion of amniotic fluid can make it difficult to feel movement just yet.

Month 5
This month, the fetus goes through a bit of a growth spurt and will measure up to 8.5 inches by the end of the month. The fat that's acquired helps produce and retain body heat. Fat tissue is also a great source of energy. The fetus is also developing fingerprints, pads of fat accumulating on the fingertips and toes will turn into distinguishing swirling lines.

The developing digestive system has been working on the reflexes of sucking and swallowing over the past few weeks. The fetus is swallowing amniotic fluid, which then makes its way through the stomach and intestines, and often causes baby to get the hiccups.

You probably don't know the gender yet, but if you're carrying a girl, the reproductive system is already well established. If you're having a boy, things are also moving along. The male reproductive system is nearly fully developed.

The baby's scalp hair pattern was established last month, this month some hair may start to sprout. Elsewhere in your baby's head, the bones of the inner ear are now fully formed, and the nose is beginning to develop into its recognizable shape.

Around this time, the skin starts to produce a creamy coating, vernix caseosa, that protects your little one's skin from the effects of floating in amniotic fluid.

Month 6
By the end of the sixth month, the baby will weigh close to one pound and be 9 to 10 inches in length. The baby's heartbeat gets stronger and louder every day and all that's needed to hear it now is a stethoscope. Baby is already starting to sleep and wake in cycles. When awake, baby will be exercising it's now properly proportioned arms and legs. On the hands, fingernails are now fully formed and continue to grow. In fact, they may need to be trimmed right after birth. The baby will be moving more than ever now. Babies are most active between 24 and 28 weeks, after that, thay have grown to a size where there is not enough room to move around as freely.

The bones in baby's ears have hardened and the baby can hear the sound of your voice. And, the brain's cortex is developing into layers. The cerebral cortex gives humans the ability to think, plan, and feel in complex ways. Even though the baby's eyes are still fused shut, all the parts of his eyes are present, even eyebrows, and the baby can furrow his brow.

By the end of the second trimester the baby measures 12 to 13 inches and weighs about 1.5 pounds. The skin is still thin, wrinkled, and pale, but the baby gets a bit plumper every day, thanks to the fat and muscle continually being adding. Right now tiny blood vessels called capillaries are starting to develop below the skin, and these will give it a pink hue.

Trimester 3 »

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