no longer an embryo! Though she's barely the size of a kumquat —
just an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a
quarter of an ounce, she now has completed the most critical
portion of her development. This is the beginning of the so-called
fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in her body rapidly
grow and mature. Her vital organs — the liver, kidney, intestines,
brain, and lungs — are now in place and starting to function
(although they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy).
Her liver continues to make blood cells, and the yolk sac, which
previously supplied these cells, is no longer needed and begins to
disappear.
During the next three weeks, your baby's length will more than
double to nearly 3 inches. Her head is proportionately smaller now
than it was a few weeks ago, but it's still almost half the length of
her entire body. Her forehead temporarily bulges with her
developing brain and sits high on her head; it will later recede to
give her a more human appearance. Each day, more minute details
— including tiny fingernails, toenails, and peach-fuzz hair — start to
appear on her body. Her fingers are now completely separated; her
arms bend at the elbow and curve slightly; her hands are flexed at
the wrist and meet over her heart; her legs are lengthening; and her
feet may be long enough to meet in front of her body. She is busily
swallowing amniotic fluid and kicking her legs.
If you could take a peek at your baby this week, you'd be able to
clearly see the outline of her spine through her parchment-thin
skin. Spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from her spinal
cord.
