At 16 weeks
- The baby is about 4.3 to 4.6 inches and weighs about 3 ounces
- Muscle tissue and bone continue to form, creating a more complete skeleton
- Skin begins to form. You can nearly see through it
- The baby's fingers and toes have fingerprints
- Meconium (first formed stool) develops in your baby's intestinal tract. This will be your baby's first bowel movement
- Your baby makes sucking motions with the mouth
At 20 weeks
- Your baby is more active. You might feel slight fluttering.
- Your baby is covered by fine, downy hair and a waxy coating. This protects the forming skin underneath
- Eyebrows, eyelashes, fingernails, and toenails have formed. Your baby can even scratch itself
- Your baby can hear and swallow
- You are now halfway through your pregnancy
At 24 weeks
- Bone marrow begins to make blood cells
- Taste buds form on your baby's tongue
- Footprints and fingerprints have formed
- Real hair begins to grow on your baby's head
- The lungs are formed, but do not work
- The hand and startle reflex develop
- Your baby sleeps and wakes regularly
- If your baby is a boy, his testicles begin to move from the abdomen into the scrotum. If your baby is a girl, her uterus and ovaries are in place, and a lifetime supply of eggs have formed in the ovaries.
- Your baby stores fat and has gained quite a bit of weight
At 28 weeks
- The baby weighs about 2 pounds, 6 ounces, and changes position often at this point in pregnancy.
- Now is the time to register for birthing classes. Birthing classes prepare you for many aspects of childbirth, including labor and delivery and taking care of your newborn.
