- GOING INTO WEEK 24 -

fetal development in pregnancy

(ending week 23 - starting week 24)

ahniér in sixth month

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at this point mama's pretty much adjusted to the fact she's got a moving little gymnast inside of her, but now ahniér's going to kick up the party a notch because she can hear & react to sounds from the outside world - sounds from an alarm clock, barking dogs, a wailing fire truck, a thunder roll, or that darned car honking across the intersection can actually jar her little ears enough to elicit a kick or violent bout of squirming - what's been playing on her stereo system these days? - of course this also means that her little ears are picking up the sounds of mama's voice & those near her, so when we sing her a lullaby if she start kicking, it’s likely she just wants you to stop… or maybe it was a kick of approval? - all kinds of sounds can be heard by your baby in your womb: from air exhaling from your lungs (deep breath now), those gastric gurgles produced by your stomach & intestines, our voice's (which your baby will be able to recognize at birth)

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her tiny taste buds are still growing & her bones are continuing to ossify (harden), her tiny veins are visible through her translucent yet wrinkly skin (think of it this way... she's been swimming in the equivalent of a long hot bath for the past 23 weeks, so you can’t blame her for being a little prune-like)

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she's sporting a crown-to-rump length of 8.4-11" (standard letter size) now & weighs more than 1# (about as much as a large mango) & could top 1.5# by the end of the week! - she may be able to feel mama's movements now, so we can put on some tunes & dance around the house - she looks red now due to blood vessels showing through her transparent skin - her true skin tone will develop over the course of her first year - blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare her for breathing, but complete lung development will take many more months - the lungs are the last organ to fully develop - wondering what she'll look like? - if we had a baby cam, we'd almost be able to tell by now - that beautiful face (though still tiny) is almost fully formed - what's missing from the picture is the fat that will be piled on under her skin - until those fat deposits are made, that very tender skin's still very transparent, which means a close look would let you see clear through to all the organs, bones & blood vessels - fortunately, that see-through look won't last much longer - babies at this stage of fetal development are gaining about 6oz. each week, with much of that gain coming from fat, in addition to growing organs, tissues, bones & muscle - this weight will mostly consist of muscle, bone mass

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she now has basic control of all of her senses: vision, smell, touch, hearing & taste - her head's still large compared to her body size & she can now swallow - blood vessels in the lungs are developing, she's almost fully developed eyelashes, she's starting to produce white blood cells, which fight disease & infection, her inner ear is now completely developed & her teeth are just below the gum line