Future mom.

Your heart works over by 40% only to support the placenta with the nutritional needs of the growing fetus. The growth in blood circulation raises places more work load on small blood vessels, including capillaries in gums and sinus of the nose. Therefore prepare for your nose and gums to bleed. Your uterus is already situated about 1.97 inches below the umbilical level.

The fetus grows rapidly and placenta does not lag behind it either. If on the first weeks it was a thin film with chorionic villis then by the end of period it is a solid mass with a thickness of approximately 0.98 inches and weight of 17 ounces. By the 17th week the placenta is fully generated, with a thick network of blood vessels through which nutrients pass to the fetus and waste is thrown out. A special type of a fatty tissue which is vital for heat exchange in the body also referred to as “the brown fat "gets deposited this week.

During this period the baby’s body gets entirely covered by lanugo – the gentle hair that characterizes the skin structure for each individual person. The baby’s skin is still thin, without any baby fat. But the baby fat is already starting to accumulate under the baby’s skin. It will help him to keep a normal body temperature after the birth. The child now weighs more than the placenta. No new structures and bodies have been generated. Loud noises coming from outside of the uterus surprise the child.

Length from crown to sacrum – 6.69 in.

Weight - around 5 ounces.