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Embryo Development
A Month by Month Look at How Baby Grows
By Katherine Bontrager
And by 24 weeks, Dr. Atlas says, the fetus is usually 1 pound to 1.5 pounds. Lengthwise, the baby is almost a full foot from head to toe.
"Calcium hardens the fetal bones at this stage," Dr. Greenfield says. "The three tiny bones of the ear, the hammer, anvil and stirrup, are now rigid enough to transmit sound. Your baby can hear your breathing, heartbeat and voice, as well as stomach gurgles. The eyelids, which were protectively fused for the past few months, can now open. The fetus may blink when startled by a noise."
In another two weeks the second trimester will come to an end, but now the baby weighs less than 2 pounds and is almost 13 inches long, Dr. Greenfield says.
"That's pretty much it for the second trimester," Dr. Patton says. "The fetus just keeps the placenta running, grows, practices flips, summersaults and kick-boxing, pees, swallows and naps. That's enough for a baby, anyway."
"In the first two trimesters, most fetuses are pretty much the same size at the same age," Dr. Greenfield says. "But in the third trimester, babies start to grow at different rates, so the age-expected weights you read about are just averages. But one thing remains the same – third trimester fetuses pretty much act like babies. They swallow amniotic fluid and breathe it into their lungs, readying their bodies' systems for life outside. They suck their thumbs; they grasp if something touches their palms; they have sleep and wake cycles."
"The third trimester is mostly about maturation," Dr. Patton says, agreeing. "Now it's time for the finishing touches. The baby is closing in on 12 inches long, weighs around 2.5 pounds and will finish up this whole deal, if he or she makes it to term, at around 17 inches and 7 pounds."
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