Thirty Seven Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

Measuring up
"Gaining a little weight every day helps me get ready for the big day." It's likely that your baby is more than 19 inches long and weighs between 6 and 6.5 pounds, nearing her final birth weight. These last few weeks are important, though; she's still gaining half an ounce of fat per day. This fat helps her body regulate her temperature and keep an even blood-sugar level. The brain, and the skull that houses it, continue to grow.

Ease on down
Is your baby sitting lower these days? You may feel as if she's dropped down into your pelvis—and perhaps she has. This dropping, called lightening or engagement, can occur a few weeks before your baby is born. The new, lower position may take some pressure off your squished lungs and diaphragm, making breathing easier for you.

What Mommy is Doing:

Bag it!
Have you packed a bag for the hospital yet? Only 5 percent of babies are born on their actual due date, so it's handy to have a packed bag waiting by the door in case your little one comes early.

Close scrutiny
Your health care provider may start performing pelvic exams at your weekly prenatal visits around now. She will check to see if your cervix is dilated (opening up) or effaced (thinning) and will look for any signs of labor. Many women start to dilate or efface weeks before actually going into labor, while some don't show any signs of labor until it's time to go to the hospital.

Thirty Six Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

How sweet the sound
Your baby loves hearing you read or sing. In fact, studies show that newborns prefer the sound of their mother's voice over other voices. Research has also found that newborns show a preference for a song that was played to them repeatedly while they were in the womb.

The incredible, shapable skull
Your baby's head is specially designed to travel through your cervix and pelvis. The bones in his skull aren't fused together yet; this loose construction makes his head very shapable so it can squeeze through the birth canal without harming him or you. These bones will gradually fuse over the first year of life.

Measuring up
Your little one weighs between 5.5 and 6 pounds this week and measures nearly 19 inches.

What Mommy is Doing:

Living large
Your uterus is now a thousand times its original volume. (Since it's up under your ribs, making breathing more and more difficult, this fact may not come as a surprise to you!) You've probably put on 25 to 30 pounds by now. Over the next four weeks, it's likely you'll gain only a few more pounds. Many women gain nothing at all in their last month of pregnancy.

What our Family is Doing:

Daddy is still anxiously awaiting the arrival of our little one.

Kayla and Erica are hoping to get the call while they are at school so they can tell all of their friends that we are in labor!

What our Friends are Doing:

Mommy’s co-workers had a surprise baby shower yesterday at work! Squirt received gift cards and cash that will be used to buy diapers for Squirt and maybe some pink or blue clothing!

Thirty Five Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

Got iron?
It's very important to eat lots of iron-rich food in the third trimester. Your baby absorbs this crucial mineral from your body to build up iron stores in her own body, mostly in the form of red blood cells. The majority of the absorption takes place in the final months before delivery.
Heads or tails.

"Should my head be up or down?"
The head-down, or vertex, position is the ideal position for birth. Labor goes more smoothly when the baby's head, the largest body part, comes through the birth canal first. About 3 to 4 percent of babies haven't flipped to this position by 35 weeks. If something other than the head appears first, the delivery is called a breech birth. Amazingly, despite the tight quarters in your uterus, your little acrobat may turn several more times before she's born.

Measuring up
Your baby's arms and legs are getting chubbier as she continues to gain weight. By the end of this week, she may weigh up to 5.5 pounds and measure around 16.8 to 18.5 inches long.

What Mommy is Doing:

What you should know about Cesareans
No matter how much thought and preparation you put into it, childbirth (like parenthood) can be unpredictable. There's always a chance your doctor will decide that there is some risk to you or your baby and, as a result, will deliver your baby by Cesarean section. A Cesarean birth is one in which the baby is delivered through a surgical incision in the mother's uterus.

Nearly one quarter of the births in the United States are Cesarean births. So even though the odds are that you won't have the procedure, learn about it now so you'll know what to expect if it's needed. Ask your doctor which circumstances he or she believes call for a Cesarean: Would he perform one if your baby were in a breech position, for example, or if your labor had stalled? Also ask your doctor to describe how he performs a Cesarean—the procedure can vary slightly from doctor to doctor.

The ABCs of GBS
Sometime between now and 37 weeks, your health care provider may test you for the Group B streptococcus (GBS) bacterium. About one third of pregnant women carry the bacterium, which is harmless to you but can cause an infection in your baby if he contracts it during delivery. The test is simple: Your doctor will take a swab from your vagina or rectum or will perform some tests on a urine sample. If you test positive for the GBS bacterium, you may receive antibiotics intravenously (through a vein in your arm) during labor and delivery.

While We Are Waiting:

Mommy and Daddy are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our baby.

When will it be?

What will the weather be like?

Will it be at night?

Will labor begin at work or at home?

Will it happen on the weekend?

Will the baby be early or late?

We hate waiting!

The Draining Hourglass

Today is Thursday, January 25, 2007.

We have exactly one month until our due date!

Get ready for Squirt!

Thirty Four Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

Making the drop
If your baby is a boy, his testicles are now descending from his abdomen into his scrotum. Occasionally, one or both testicles fail to move into position before birth. In this case, your baby's testicles will probably drop before his first birthday. If your infant's scrotum seems large right after birth, don't worry: The swelling is due to extra fluid and will go away in a week or so.

No vacancy
Your baby is moving around less frequently, mostly because of the cramped quarters. Of course, it may not seem as if he's settled down—now that he's so big (about 4.7 to 5 pounds and 15.5 to 16 inches long), you can feel even the slightest movement. In fact, since your baby is right up against the wall of the uterus, you're probably getting good at guessing which body part (foot? elbow? arm?) is protruding.

Baby blues
"Guess what color my eyes are now?" Regardless of the eye color your baby will end up with, right now his eyes are blue. The pigmentation process in his iris won't be complete until his eyes have been exposed to light for several weeks after birth. His final eye color may not be evident for years.

What Mommy is Doing:

Is it show time?
With only a few weeks to go, it's a good idea to know the signs of labor. Labor is different for every woman, but the most common symptoms are regular contractions that occur at increasingly short intervals, lower-back pain accompanied by menstrual-like cramps, a broken bag of waters (rupturing of the amniotic sac), or a blood-tinged mucous discharge, which may indicate that your cervix has started dilating.

Be aware that the presence of any of these symptoms doesn't necessarily mean that you're in labor. You may have signs of labor days or even weeks before you actually give birth. Let your health care provider be the judge; if you have any of these symptoms, call him or her immediately.

What Daddy is Doing:

Chris loves to antagonize the baby to see if he can feel Squirt kicking around in there. The other day, Daddy was blowing raspberries on my tummy and Squirt kicked him in the mouth!

I can’t wait until they meet each other face to face!

Thirty Three Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

Quick study
"All of my senses are working now!" Your baby's brain is still developing rapidly as her five senses get ready for the world outside the womb. At this point, she can see the liquid world around her; feel sensation when she grabs a toe or sucks on a finger; taste the amniotic fluid she's swallowing; and hear your heartbeat, your voice, and the grumble of your stomach. Of course, there's no air in the amniotic sac to carry scent, but if there were, she could also smell her environment.

Head most
Because of tremendous brain growth, your baby's head circumference has increased by nearly half an inch just this week.

What Mommy is Doing:

Scaling up
You should be gaining weight too—about a pound a week. You'll continue to put on pounds until just before delivery. Don't try to slow your weight gain even if you weigh more than you'd hoped. Your baby needs the extra pounds right now. There's plenty of time to lose weight after he's born.

Dawn’s Notes:

LEG CRAMPS!
I awoke to an excruciating leg cramp last night and was unsuccessful in hiding my pain from Chris. He was frantic at first and I can only imagine what his thoughts were when he realized that I was in pain. He massaged my leg and helped me limp to the toilet, so he is my hero.

Thirty Two Weeks

What Baby Is Doing:

Ups and downs
Your acrobat may be standing on his head now: Most babies settle in the head-down, or vertex, position by this week. Ideally, he'll stay put until you give birth. But remember, your little one has a mind of his own—he might decide to change positions several times before he's born. You might feel him jostling into place as he flips, especially if he does so late in your pregnancy.

As full as it gets
The amount of amniotic fluid in your uterus right now—about two pints—makes it fairly easy for your baby to switch from head up to head down. Over the next eight weeks, the amount of fluid will decrease as the amount of baby increases.

Measuring up
Your baby weighs between 3.5 and 4 pounds and measures about 17 to 18 inches stretched out.

What Mommy is Doing:

Let the ribbing begin
Ouch! As it gets more crowded in your belly, you may feel your baby's toes or elbows poking you in the ribs. It's not as fun to play "guess the body part" when said part is wedged up under your rib cage. Try lying on your side or changing positions to coax her into moving.

Double up the checkups
When you reach 32 weeks, most health care providers will want to start seeing you every two weeks instead of just once a month. Among other things, your provider will be on the lookout for signs of infection, preterm labor, or preeclampsia, a complication of pregnancy.

Our next appointment is today at 1:15pm!

Delivery drill
If you haven't already, sign up for a tour of the hospital where you'll be delivering. The tour will typically take you through the labor and postpartum rooms and acquaint you with registration and intake procedures and paperwork. Knowing where to go and what to do ahead of time will prevent a last-minute scramble when you're in labor.

Our tour is scheduled on Sunday, January 22. We should have this done already!

What Daddy is Doing:

Daddy and Squirt have been spending some quality time alone together at night. Squirt’s tumbling and bouncing don’t wake me up at night, but Daddy can feel the baby moving when I cuddle up to him in my sleep!

Thirty One Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

Counting to 10
Many health care providers recommend that their patients monitor their baby's movements once they're well into the third trimester. Here's the drill: At roughly the same time each day (if possible, the time when your baby is most active), lie down and keep track of how long it takes to feel 10 kicks, rolls, or flutters—any type of movement. Ideally, this should be less than an hour. Many women find it takes only a few minutes, depending on the time of day. If an hour passes without any movement, eat a light snack, lie back down, and try again. If you still don't feel anything, call your health care provider.

Slow down
"It's pretty crowded in here." Don't worry, however, if your baby seems less active as the weeks progress. In fact, less-frequent movement now means she's right on track (assuming you are counting 10 movements in an hour each day). Her movements are simply becoming less erratic and more organized; also, there's not as much room in your uterus as there was just a few weeks ago.

Measuring up
Your baby is about 11.2 inches long from crown to rump (17 inches stretched out) and weighs about 3.3 pounds. She's been in the fetal position, with her legs tucked, for a few weeks now. She still has lots of growing to do—she won't get much taller, but she'll put on another 2 pounds this month. In nine more weeks, she'll be ready to greet you!

What Mommy is Doing:

Out of breath
You may have begun to feel breathless a few months ago; now you're probably having a tougher time getting enough air. That's because your ever-expanding uterus is pushing your diaphragm into your lungs. If you're carrying low, consider yourself lucky—women who carry high have an even harder time breathing. If you find yourself huffing and puffing, slow down and take a few deep breaths (as deep as you can). Toward the end of your pregnancy (around week 37 or 38), you may get a break as your baby drops down into your pelvis, easing up on your diaphragm and lungs.

Dawn’s Notes:

There are plenty of opinions regarding whether I am carrying high or low, but no consensus. I tend to think that I am carrying low because I have not had much trouble breathing at all!

Overall, I’m still feeling great, but I’ve noticed a few small discomforts as Squirt continues to grow.

My back hurts when I sleep, which makes it difficult to roll over or get out of bed for a potty break. It’s also difficult to get undressed in the morning to take a shower. Once I’m up and about, the pain and stiffness melt away.

I still can’t complain!

Thirty Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

Making headway
Your baby's brain continues its amazing development. Up until now, its surface has been smooth. This week, the brain begins to take on its distinctly wrinkled appearance. These wrinkles are called convolutions, and they allow the brain to hold more brain cells.

As some things develop, others disappear, like lanugo, the ultrafine hair that covered your baby's body. He may still have patches of it on his back and shoulders, however.

A Shared Meal
Eating well is tremendously important in the third trimester because your baby is taking nutrients directly from you to build up his internal stores and to gain weight. The calcium from the milk you drink goes directly to building his bones, and the iron in your prenatal vitamins and iron-rich foods boosts his iron supply, which will last until he's 6 to 9 months old. Protein is also crucial in these last few months, because it supports healthy cell growth throughout your baby's body.

Measuring up
Your baby weighs about 3 pounds this week and is a little more than 10.8 inches from crown to rump. His total length, including his legs, is about 17 inches.

Dawn's Notes:

Squirt is such a good little baby! I'm incredibly comfortable, despite my size. I haven't suffered from many of the common complaints of pregnancy, for which I am truly grateful. I'm still sleeping well, I'm not any more tired than I would have been about this time a year ago, and I'm still running around like nothing has changed.

I am starting to become increasingly excited with every passing day. Sometimes, I can't imagine that our baby will be with us so soon, and other times, I don't think I can possibly wait any longer!

Twenty Nine Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

Temperature control
"How does it stay so warm in here?" This week marks an important milestone in your baby's brain development: The brain has matured to the point where it can help regulate body temperature. Of course, your little one isn't ready to do it all on her own yet; she still needs the warmth of your body to keep her toasty until birth. She also continues to develop nerve cells in her brain. By the time she's born, she'll have hundreds of billions of them. That seems like a lot, but she needs to stock up, since she won't produce any more after birth.

Puttin' on padding
Your baby is looking more like a full-term baby, too. She's plumping up nicely; the surface of her skin is smoother and paler because of the fat she's starting to gain. This fat will be an important factor in her ability to keep warm. Your baby also has eyelashes; she may be batting them at you right now!

Measuring up
Despite the increase in fat, your little one is still pretty thin—only about 2 to 3 percent of her 2.7 pounds is made up of fat. Crown to rump, she measures 10.4 inches, but if you stretched her out, she'd be more than 16 inches long.

Going for the Glow
The baby will move toward a soft light shown through the mom’s abdominal wall. He’ll startle when he hears loud sounds but turn toward soft ones.

What Mom is Doing:

Weighty matters
You're in the home stretch now—11 more weeks to go! Your baby will be putting on most of his weight over the next three months, and so will you. You can probably expect to add about 11 pounds in the last trimester, about a pound a week.

Third-trimester complaint
Are you waking up suddenly with cramps in your calves? Leg cramps are a common complaint during pregnancy, though not every woman gets them. Experts aren't sure exactly what causes them; some say it's the added weight on your legs, while others think the pain may signal a calcium or potassium shortage. They may also be the result of the pressure of your uterus on the nerves running to the legs.

Dawn’s Notes:

Time is flying by so fast!

Slow down, baby!

Twenty Eight Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

Loud and clear
Your little one's sight isn't the only sense that's working. His brain wave patterns indicate that he's responding to sounds in the environment. What's he able to pick up? The sound of your voice, the growl of your stomach when you're hungry, even noises outside your body. His brain waves are also starting to show differences during sleep. These sleep cycles will become clearer and more distinct as he gets closer to his due date.

Breathe easy
This is a vital stage in your baby's lung development. Blood vessels are forming throughout both lungs. When he takes his first breath of air, his lungs will absorb the oxygen, then send it into these vessels, which will circulate the oxygenated blood throughout his body. Your little one is also just starting to manufacture a substance, called a surfactant, which keeps the air sacs in his lungs from sticking together. The surfactant will allow him to breathe properly after birth. The bronchial tubes are also maturing, dividing into smaller and smaller branches.

Measuring up
Your baby is gaining weight rapidly now—he may weigh about 2.3 pounds. Crown to rump, he measures 10 inches, but if you were to stretch him out he might be around 15 inches long.

Mommy’s Commentary:

Pregnancy still isn’t as hard as I thought it would be, even after all these weeks! I hope caring for a newborn will also be easier than I expect. I’m terrified at the thought of being solely responsible for a little person, but I can’t wait to see Squirt. I feel confident knowing that Chris will be there to help and support both of us. I can’t wait to meet our baby!

A new pregnancy development that just started last night: My ribs ache. Chris says the cartilage in my ribs is expanding to make more room for Squirt.

Hey, Baby, don’t forget to leave some room for Mom! I was here first!

Twenty Seven Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

Just looking
"What are all those lights and shadows?"
After being fused shut for more than four months, your baby's eyelids can open again. This, combined with the facts that the visual part of her brain is active and most eye structures are complete, means your little one can see the world around her, limited though it may be. She can't make out objects yet, but she sees light and shadows.

Rock-a-bye baby
By paying attention to her movements inside you, you can get a good idea of how your baby spends her days...and nights. Just like babies in their mothers' arms, your little one gets lulled to sleep by rocking. Your daily activities may not feel like rocking to you, but the amniotic fluid provides such a cushion that all your baby feels is gentle swaying. So she's likely to sleep more during the day. It may be a different story at night, once you lie down to get some rest. Suddenly, she's awake and ready to party!

Measuring up
Your little one will gain about 1 pound over the next month. This week, she's up to 13 inches, crown to rump, and weighs about 2 pounds. Though she's growing quickly, her brain and lungs are still immature. Luckily, she's got 13 more weeks to get ready for the outside world.

Mommy’s Commentary:

Although sometimes I really wish Squirt would settle down and stop hurting me, the best part of being pregnant is feeling my baby move inside me. Those soft little tickles of early pregnancy have now become belly rattling kicks and punches! I’m amazed that Squirt is so strong and I love to watch my belly jump around.

Twenty Six Weeks

Practice breaths
This week, your baby's nostrils are starting to open up, which gives him the chance to practice breathing using his muscles and lungs. There's no air to take in, of course, so instead he "inhales" and "exhales" amniotic fluid. By the time he's born, he'll be a pro.

What a sucker!
Your baby is also flexing some of his feeding muscles— his lips and mouth. His sucking reflex is so strong that if his hand floats by his face, he'll suck on his thumb or fingers. Ultrasounds often show babies in utero sucking their thumbs. In fact, some babies are born with sucking blisters on their fingers, thumbs, lips, or hands. Sucking is just one of the 70-plus reflexes your baby will have when he's born.

Up for grabs
"Grasping something—like my umbilical cord—is my newest trick." Grasping is another of those many reflexes. If you hold out your finger to a newborn, you'll be amazed by the strength of his clutch. Your baby is practicing his killer grip right now. His favorite pull toy is his umbilical cord, which he likes to yank and tug. Don't worry; the cord is up to the challenge.

Measuring up
Your baby is about 13 inches long and weighs around 1.75 pounds.

Twenty Five Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

In the round
"My body fills out a little every day." Your baby measures 12 to 13 inches and weighs about 1.5 pounds. Her skin is still thin, wrinkled, and pale, but she gets a bit plumper every day, thanks to the fat and muscle she's continually adding. Right now tiny blood vessels called capillaries are starting to develop below your little one's skin, and these will give it a pink hue. And she's still swallowing amniotic fluid. Too bad it doesn't come in different flavors!

Brain gain
The brain's cortex is developing into layers. Most of the action is still controlled by other brain areas that developed much earlier. The human cerebral cortex is the most elaborate brain structure in all the animal kingdom, giving us the ability to think, plan, and feel in complex ways.

What Mom is Doing:

Soccer mom
Does it seem as if your organs are starting to get squished? No wonder—your uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball. It measures from your pubic bone upward to a point that's halfway between your belly button and your sternum (the bone where your ribs come together), about 25 centimeters in diameter.

Diabetes check
It's time for your glucose screening test, a procedure that's performed between 24 and 28 weeks. This test looks for signs of gestational diabetes, a high-blood-sugar condition that usually goes away after birth. It affects 2 to 5 percent of pregnant women. If earlier tests detected sugar in your urine, or if you have a history of this problem, you may have been checked for gestational diabetes already.

The glucose screen is a simple test. First, you drink a sugary solution. A short time later, your provider or a lab technician draws your blood and tests its sugar level. If your blood sugar is too high, a more lengthy blood glucose test is performed to determine whether you have gestational diabetes. Treatment involves a special diet and, in a few cases, medication.

You go, girl
The need to urinate constantly may be one of pregnancy's most annoying challenges. As soon as you come back from the bathroom and get settled, you have to go again! As inconvenient as it may be sometimes, be sure that you empty your bladder as soon as you feel the need. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common during pregnancy, and they may be caused or aggravated by not urinating promptly or completely.

Dawn's Notes:

Ditto. My belly is huge because I am hosting Squirt's own personal disco party in there.

I tinkle all the time. I wonder if my boss realizes how much she pays me every day to pee?

We get to take our glucose test sometime in the next two weeks. Yummy.

Twenty Four Weeks

Energizer baby
Jumping and diving, rolling and kicking—your little one is having a great time training for the Baby Olympics. Just as you settle in for a good night's sleep, he starts his workout. Does it seem as if he's moving more than ever? He is: Babies are most active between 24 and 28 weeks. After that, there won't be enough room for him to perform the acrobatics he's so adept at now.

Thin skinned
If your baby could look down at his chest, he'd get his first anatomy lesson. Because his skin is still thin and transparent, it's possible to see the blood vessels, bones, and organs beneath it. His skin will continue to thicken as the months pass, until it's opaque like yours.

Eye spy
Even though your baby's eyes are still fused shut, all the parts of his eyes are present, including the retina, which completes its development over the next month. The iris, the colored part of the eye, still doesn't have any pigmentation. Your little one's eye color will fill in over the next few months, though their final shade won't be settled until after he's born.

Measuring up
Your little gymnast weighs up to 1.3 pounds this week and measures 10 to 11 inches.

Dawn’s Notes:
We went to the hospital this week because I had a dizzy spell that lasted several hours. (Later learned that it was caused by insufficient salt in my diet)

The nurse connected us to a fetal monitor, and Squirt didn’t like it at all! Chris and I had fun listening to him kick the monitor all night long. He must not have liked it, because he was very persistent and his kicking was not random. Just one more good reason not to wear the monitor during labor!

Twenty Three Weeks

Story time
"My favorite sound is my mother's voice when she sings or talks to me." Now that bones in her ears have hardened, your baby can hear you and prefers your voice to any other sound. Give her a daily treat by reading, talking, or singing to her. If you feel silly reading to your belly, remember that the more your baby hears your voice, the more familiar it will be to her when she's born.

Super sac
The amniotic fluid that surrounds your baby is the perfect place for her to grow into a healthy newborn. The salty fluid keeps her warm, protects her from infections, and is buoyant enough for her to exercise her developing body. Right now the amniotic sac contains about a pint of fluid, which is refreshed every three to four hours.

Measuring up
Your baby looks like a tiny, thin newborn. She now weighs close to 1 pound and measures 9 to 10 inches, about the length of a Barbie doll.

Twenty Two Weeks

Mommy started a new job during Week 22, so this update is a little late.
This is what baby was doing while Mommy was busy working:

Brow know-how
As if concentrating on a tricky math problem, your clever baby can furrow his brow. And now he's actually getting eyebrows to do it with! These fine hairs, like the hair on his scalp, don't contain any pigment yet—they're pure white. His eyelids are completely developed too, though they're fused shut until about 28 weeks.

Womb workout
"Waving my arms and legs is fun!" Jumping jacks may be your baby's favorite activity these days. Now that his arms and legs have reached their final proportions (but not their final size), he's exercising them vigorously—kicking, flexing, and clasping his hands. Speaking of his hands, fingernails now completely cover his fingertips, just as yours do. And they keep growing. In fact, you may need to trim your baby's nails right after he's born so he doesn't scratch himself.

Prepare for padding
Even though your baby measures more than 9.5 inches now, he still doesn't weigh much—about 13 ounces. At this point, he has only 1 percent body fat. But from here on out, he'll be adding layers of fat, which will help him to produce and retain body heat. Your little one's fat is a lot like the kind you're putting on during pregnancy. It's called brown fat and is readily turned into energy to keep both of you on an even keel.

What Has Mom Been Doing?

Welcome respite
Despite the occasional aches and pains, this stage of pregnancy is fun! Your belly has grown enough for you to really "feel" pregnant, and the rest of the world knows it too. But you're not so big yet that you have trouble getting out of a chair or tying your shoes. Your morning sickness has probably ended, and your appetite's back, perhaps with a vengeance. Enjoy this time.

Dawn’s Notes:
We’ve only gained 13 pounds so far.
Hurray!

Twenty One Weeks

Heart throb
"What's that noise—the one that sounds like galloping horses?" Your baby's heartbeat gets stronger and louder every day. Up until a few weeks ago, your doctor needed a special device called a Doppler to hear it. Now all that's needed is a stethoscope.

If you want to hear your baby's heartbeat at home, buy a simple stethoscope at the drugstore. (Dad, siblings, and grandparents may enjoy the chance to listen, too.) Your little one's beat can be difficult to distinguish from your own. Listen for the faster rhythm—a baby's heartbeat is 120 to 160 beats per minute, about twice as fast as your own. Many women think it sounds like galloping horses.

Snooze news
Your baby is already starting to sleep and wake in subtle cycles. Ultrasounds show that unborn babies may even settle into a favorite sleeping position. Yours might tuck her chin into her chest, clasp her hands under her chin, or tilt her head back.

Measuring up
Your baby weighs between 10 and 13 ounces and is around 9 inches long, the length and weight of a banana.

Dawn's Notes:
Chris can feel the baby kick now, and I can't wait to let everyone try the stethoscope!

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!!

Nineteen Weeks

Second skin
"What's this creamy stuff all over my body?"
Around this time, the skin starts to produce a creamy substance called vernix caseosa, which is made of oils secreted by the skin, dead cells, and lanugo, the fine hair that covers the body. This waxy coating protects your little one's skin from the effects of floating in amniotic fluid. Most of the vernix will disappear before birth, unless your baby arrives early. Preterm babies are often born still covered with a lot of vernix. Even full-term infants will have a bit of vernix in the creases of their skin.

Measuring up
Your little one measures about 7 inches and weighs anywhere from 6.5 to 8 ounces. There's a definite upswing on the fetal growth chart now, so expect some big gains in the coming weeks.

Extra eggs
You probably don't know the gender yet, but if you're carrying a girl, the reproductive system is already well established. The vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes are in place, and the ovaries contain more than 6 million primitive egg cells. When your baby is born, that number will have shrunk to about 1 million, which is all the eggs she'll ever have. Isn't it fascinating to know that the egg that became your baby is as old as you are, that it was just waiting to be released while you were growing up?

You've got male
If you're having a boy, things are also moving along. The male reproductive system is nearly fully developed. Testicles have formed and have been secreting testosterone since about week 10 of your pregnancy. The external genitalia, which became male in the first trimester, are continuing to grow: A scrotal sac is usually evident by now.

Let's Mambo, Mama
Is this little one practicing some Latin dance moves? The fetus's activity now occurs in clusters, separate "dance numbers" alternating with twilight sleep periods.

Dawn’s Notes:
I’m feeling blessed that I’m not experiencing many of the pregnancy discomforts that are normal for this stage of pregnancy.

I do have occasional back pain when I try to get out of bed in the morning, especially if I was very active the day before.

I’m starting to notice new stretch marks as my belly continues to grow, but they are very light and white in color. No angry red stretch marks for me (YET).

I do feel like the baby is doing the Mambo in there! The baby is rolling around right this very moment. Instead of the popcorn popping feeling that I originally had, it is now a marbles rolling around in my stomach feeling. The baby is either becoming more active, or I am just feeling his movements more as he gets bigger.

The doctor says that the baby can hear now, so he can start getting to know our family and decide whether or not he wants to come out.