Weeks 26-29

The conclusion of last week also marked the end of the second trimester. While the first trimester brought about the exciting development of all the little baby parts, the second represented a period of continuous growth. He more than tripled his length, from 3 to now 14 1/2 inches, and his weight has gone from an ounce to over two pounds.

For the past six weeks or so, he has been listening to my voice. Apparently, speaking to the baby is not only a key part of prenatal bonding, but may also form the basis of language development. Babies who have been spoken to in utero recognize and turn to familiar voices immediately after birth. There may also be links between prenatal stimulation and the development of speech and IQ. Conversely, studies have shown that songbirds hatched from the nests of silent foster parents don't sing. Although with Franny I was constantly worried about being her in utero environment being too silent, with Zachary/Lucas I definitely don't have this concern--big sister Franny keeps this mama chattering away and reading books throughout the entire day.

Unbelievably, the Little Roo's movements will continue to increase from now until around week 32, when he'll start running out of room to roam. Things are already a bit cramped inside the uterus, so he now has to assume the fetal position, with his legs bent onto his chest. He can still move around, flex his limbs, and make grasping motions with his hands.

Of course, we are starting to wonder what he will look like and what his personality will be. There are 60,000 to 100,000 genes (made up of DNA) in a human being's 46 chromosomes. A baby gets 23 chromosomes from his mother and 23 from his father. With all the possible gene combinations, one pair of parents has the potential to produce 64 trillion different children! Absolutely amazing!

Vision is the last sense to develop. In utero, eyelids remain closed until about the 26-28th week in order for the retinas to fully develop. Around this time, the eyes open and even begin to blink. The pupils will grow larger or smaller in response to changes in brightness. By week 33, the pupils of the eye will be able to detect light and constrict and dilate, allowing the baby to see dim shapes. Studies shining a bright light on the belly of a woman at 37 weeks have shown a baby's heart rate speeding up in response, or the baby turning toward the light. On the eyelids, his lashes are starting to grow. His taste buds are well developed, and he could respond to sweet and sour tastes by changing the expression on his face. He has many more taste buds now than he'll need after delivery.

Dr. appointment summary:

• Fundus measurement 28--this should be 1 inch for each week of pregnancy, so this figure is right on target. With Franny, I was a little smaller.
• Fetal heartbeat: 150 bpm
• Glucose/gestational diabetes screening: normal
  

The big two (or three)

Well, it seems we have it narrowed down to two (plus one): Zachary and Lucas are our two primary candidates right now. I am having difficulty letting go of Owen, so I am keeping it as a tentative alternate. I really like the name, but am not getting an "Owen feeling" about the little guy. But we'll see what happens!

Little Roo

This one has become quite the kicker. His movement is much different from that of Franny in utero. She had a very rhythmic kicking pattern--almost like a metronome--in addition to being a big stretcher. Also, she went through long periods of inactivity during the day followed by short bursts of energy. With this little guy, I was initially rather late in being able to detect any consistent movement--around 24 weeks--and thought maybe I was just too busy to notice. But now he is constantly on the move--I notice him rolling and kicking steadily throughout the day. He also has long periods of very strong movement. Not the steady beat like Franny; rather, I will have an irregular, crazy thumping across my entire abdomen--almost like mini-earthquakes. He really gets moving around 9pm, and then from about 4-7am. It almost makes insomnia tolerable!

The name game continues

Lose a couple, but add some more...

Samuel
Owen
Paul
Mitchell
Zachary
Reed
Seth
Brett
Colin
Isaac
Cole
Casey
Lucas
Ty

Weeks 23-25

The end of week 23 was an important milestone: if born and given the appropriate care, he now has a good chance of survival--about 85 percent. About 50 percent of "early preemies" experience complications ranging from eye problems to intracranial hemorrhage (spontaneous bleeding in the brain); the rate drops steadily from the 24th week onward.

The baby is growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since a week. Currently, he is about a pound and a half. Since he now measures about 13 1/2 inches, that makes a pretty lean figure, but his body is filling out proportionally and he has begun to put on baby fat. As this continues, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. His skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled. Also, his brain is growing rapidly, and his taste buds are developing.

His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree", as well as cells that produce surfactant, a fatty substance that that covers the inner lining of the air sacs and allows the lungs to expand normally so breathing can occur. Although it will be approximately 10 more weeks before the lungs are fully operational, the production of surfactant is an essential step in making the fetus viable outside the womb.

A critical component of the fetal support system is the umbilical cord, which forms a vital link between the fetus and the placenta. The cord contains two arteries and one large vein; by birth, it may measure up to four feet long. Every 30 seconds, nutrients and oxygen-rich blood are transported from the placenta to the fetus via the single vein, then back again to the placenta through the two arteries. This ingenious method ensures a constant supply of filtered air and nutrients, and keeps the mother's blood separate from the baby's.

Pregnant in Portland

22 weeks

He now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound. His skin will continue to appear wrinkled until he gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his head and body is now visible. His lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath his gum line. His eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and his pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.

Babies develops two kinds of hair in utero--the soft, downy body hair called lanugo, which generally falls off before or shortly after birth, and the hair on his head. Many parents are surprised (to say the least) to see their baby's hair at birth--blond couples often have black-haired offspring, dark ones are just as likely to deliver a little blond or redhead, and parents who have tight, wiry curls often produce babies with soft, loose ones. The bottom line seems to be that birth hair--or lack thereof--bears little resemblance to the child's "real" hair. The birth hair generally falls out by the time the baby is 6 months old, to be replaced by a more logical head of hair.

Near the end of this month, several changes take place in the baby's skin. It becomes covered with a fatty yellowish substance called vernix, which protects its skin from the constant exposure to amniotic fluid. Under the skin, particularly around the neck and back, a special tissue called brown fat is forming. Until it disappears a few weeks after birth, brown fat produces heat, which the baby needs after leaving the warmth of the womb.