2nd Trimester

Now 3½ inches long, the “young one” is coordinated enough to find his or her thumb and suck it. Fingernails and toenails are beginning to grow. The baby is also able to swallow and urinate. Although they have been kicking for about a month, mom can’t feel the movement...

The heart beats between 110 and 180 times per minute and pumps about 26 gallons of blood daily. The gender of the baby might be seen on ultrasound. If she is a girl, millions of eggs are now forming in her ovaries. At almost 5 inches in length and weighing nearly 4...

In just 2 weeks, the fetus has almost doubled its weight to 7 ounces. The skeleton is hardening and calcifying and is visible on ultrasound. Reflexes such as blinking and frowning are now developed. The baby has its own unique fingerprints and toeprints.

The fetus is now about 10 inches long from head to heel and weighs 11 ounces. The baby has unique waking and sleeping patterns and even has a favorite sleeping position. The pregnancy is about half over, and the mother is beginning to “show.” Studies indicate that...

The baby is about 11 inches long and weighs about 1 pound. If the baby is male, his testicles begin to descend from the abdomen to the scrotum. Hair is visible on his or her head and body. From now until about 32 weeks, the baby feels pain more intensely than at any...

The baby now weighs approximately 1½ pounds and inhales amniotic fluid in preparation for breathing. The ear has developed to the point where the baby recognizes his or her mother’s voice, breathing and heartbeat. About a week ago, rapid eye movements began, an...

Now, the baby weighs almost 2 pounds, and he or she can react to sounds outside the mother’s body. Eyes can now respond to light, and the permanent teeth buds are apparent in the gums. Eyelashes and eyebrows are well-formed, and the hair on the baby’s head is growing...