Punkin is now .87 to .94 inch long-as wide as the face of an American quarter- and weighs about .033 oz - about as heavy as 1/5 tsp of water! That means Punkin is 4 times as long today as it was just 1 month ago! If we experienced a comparable growth rate, within a month from now we'd have to duck to stand in a room with a 20' ceiling!
The surface of Punkin's brain is now beginning to develop the rounds and fissures characteristic of humans. The head now looks rounded and is disproportionately large, making up almost half of Punkin's length. The tissue that will become the scalp has appeared as a band near the crown of Punkin's head.
Punkin's eyelids have begun to develop and the structure of his/her eyes is now well developed (it's not mature enough to actually see yet, though) and are located on the sides of Punkin's head, much like a rabbit. The retina of the eye is now fully and heavily pigmented.
Punkin's nose is now stubby.
The external ears are now completely developed and assume their final shape, and the ears are set low on Punkin's head. His/Her ears will not stay low-set. They will migrate forward as the head grows in size and shape.
The tongue and upper lip are both fully formed. The bones of the palate are beginning to form on the surface of Punkin's tongue.
The neck region is established.
The elbow region is clearly visible and the arms have a complete network of arteries and veins. Punkin's arms are now elongated and bend at the elbow. The fingers and thumb have lengthened and separated. Primary ossification centers are appearing in the long bones. The ossification process always starts with the upper arms, where the first true bone cells will replace cartilage. The muscles of Punkin's arms and body can already be "moved" by his/her brain.
Punkin's backbone has begun to develop the individual discs that act as cushions between each vertebra. In addition, the sacral vertebrae in back of the pelvis fuse.
Punkin's basic body proportions have begun to change: the trunk is elongated and straightened.
For the time being, most of the intestine is found in the umbilical cord since the abdominal cavity is still too small to accommodate this rapidly growing organ along with the large liver.
Punkin's heartbeat has been beating strongly. The stomach can produce some digestive juices, the liver can manufacture blood cells, and the kidneys can extract some waste products (uric acid) from Punkin's bloodstream.
If Punkin is a girl, the clitoris is beginning to form from the same tissue from which the male penis develops. If Punkin is a boy, over the next 2 days, the male scrotum will begin to form.
Punkin's tail is still visible, but stubby, and disappears by the end of this week.
The toes are no longer webbed and appear longer. For the first time, Punkin's limbs are capable of purposeful movement.
Between 1 and 2.5 tsp of amniotic fluid is now present in Amy's uterus and the amniotic sac is about the size of a chicken egg. Even though Punkin is surrounded by fluid, it doesn't drown because it doesn't depend on its lungs for air. Oxygen comes to Punkin through the umbilical cord blood.
Amy's been feeling pretty good. Still needing naps and heartburn/reflux has started to act up again. She's gained 2 lbs so far (but that's probably due to the cruise we just got home from!) She's starting to have a small baby bump and her jeans are all officially no longer fitting. Hello, maternity jeans (anyone have any cute ones that they want to borrow to me???) Nausea has started to subside, so let's hope that's the end of it! Appetite is good, but Amy gets full very fast... probably why she hasn't gained much weight yet.
Tomorrow is our first OB appointment as well as our next blood draw to check progesterone levels and crp levels. Please say some prayers that the appointment proves that everything is going perfectly, that the progesterone level is in the "high" range and that the crp level is below 2. Thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment