Wednesday, October 31, 2007

13 weeks, whats happening.....


The baby now weighs 14 to 20 grams. The crown-to-rump length of the growing baby is 2.6 to 3.1 inches.
The baby is now about the size of a peach.
There is a milky membrane that surrounds the baby. It is pierced by the umbilical cord and is made up of two layers, which are fused together. The placenta provides most of the nutrients and oxygen that the baby needs.
By this week, the placenta is well formed and ready to take over hormone manufacture from the ovaries. The placenta will produce progesterone and estriol. These hormones will be crucial in the maintenance of the pregnancy. Tissue that will form the baby's bones is being laid down, especially around the head and limbs. The nose and chin are becoming more prominent. The baby's eyelids meet and fuse together and they will not open again for nearly four months. The eyes started out on the side of the baby's head and they are now moving closer together on the face. The ears come to lie in their normal position on the sides of the head. If examined outside of the womb, you would be able to distinguish male from female at this time.

The sockets for all twenty teeth are formed in the gums, and vocal cords are beginning to form.

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