Third Month
Week 9: Fingerprints are already evident in the skin. The fetus will curve its fingers around an object placed in the palm of its hand.
Week 10: The uterus has now doubled in size. The fetus can squint, swallow and wrinkle its forehead.
Week 11: At this time, the fetus is about two inches long. Urination occurs. The face has assumed a baby's profile, and muscle movements are becoming coordinated.
Week 12: The fetus now sleeps, awakens and exercises its muscles energetically--turning its head, curling its toes, and opening and closing its mouth. The palm, when stroked, will make a tight fist. The fetus breathes amniotic fluid to help develop its respiratory system.

Fourth Month
Week 13: Fine hair has begun to grow on the head, and sexual differentiation has become apparent.
*By the end of this month, the fetus is eight to ten inches in length and weighs a half pound or more. The mother will probably start to "show" now. The ears are functioning, and there is evidence that the fetus hears quite a bit: the mother's voice and heartbeat as well as external noises. The umbilical cord has become an engineering marvel, transporting 300 quarts of fluids per day and completing a round-trip of fluids every 30 seconds.


[Fetal Development Index] [Months One & Two] [Months One & Two] [Months Five through Nine]