Twenty Weeks

Making sense
Your baby is truly starting to experience the world around him, limited though it may be. His brain has been working overtime developing the nerve centers dedicated to his senses, and they're coming alive. He's more responsive to the changes in the world around him: your activity, sounds in the environment, and even the taste of the amniotic fluid.

Pick up a hiccup
You've probably felt your baby rolling, diving, and kicking inside your belly. Now you might also feel a rhythmic jerking. No, he's not tapping out a tune; he's hiccupping. Most babies get the hiccups in utero, possibly due to an immature diaphragm having spasms. There's nothing you can do to stop the hiccups, but there's no need to—they won't harm your baby now or after he's born.

Sprouting a top
After establishing a scalp hair pattern several weeks ago, your baby is moving to the next step: growing hair. And this isn't lanugo; it's the real deal. But don't get visions of a lustrous mane just yet. Most of this hair will start to fall out two weeks after birth. Don't worry—your little one will gradually grow permanent hair, which will probably be lighter in color than the hair he has at birth.

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.

Measuring up
Your baby weighs about 7.5 to 9 ounces and measures approximately 8.5 inches. You could cup the little guy in the palm of your hand.

What’s Happening to Mom:

Hump week
Congratulations—you're halfway through your pregnancy! You've come a long way in four and a half months. Your uterus has grown to three times its original height. When your health care provider measures it, he or she probably will find that the top is now even with your belly button. From here on out, your uterus will grow approximately one centimeter each week until you deliver.

Dawn’s Notes:
I can’t believe we’re halfway there already! It doesn’t feel like I’ve been pregnant very long, and I can’t imagine our baby actually living with us. It’s all happening so fast!!