Baby is a whopping half a foot in length and about half a pound in weight! To put it more simply, your baby is about 6 inches in length and weighs 8 – 8.5 ounces.
Your baby’s skin is now covered in vernix. In case you missed it from a couple weeks ago, vernix is a white, greasy coating that protects their skin to the remainder of your pregnancy. You will notice it on baby’s skin at birth. It’s such a great moisturizer for their skin, so try rubbing it in instead of off!
The main airways in your baby’s lungs, the bronchioles, are starting to form this week. They won’t be visible to you for several months after birth but baby’s first set of teeth are already developing.
This just might be the week you get to check on your sweet baby for your anatomy scan! Typically, the anatomy scan is completed somewhere between weeks 18 – 22 weeks so it might be another week or two.
Also called a level 2 ultrasound, the anatomy scan is a super exciting, and sometimes a little scary, milestone! The sonographer will take a deep look into things like baby’s health, organ development, growth, and screen for some of the more common issues that can be spotted before birth.
A very exciting time because you get to check on baby and see lots of ultrasound pictures (maybe even learn baby’s sex!!) but also a bit scary because it’s the time when you might learn about possible defects, delays, or other abnormalities.
Just remember, early intervention, education, and knowledge are key to giving baby the best possible outcome.
For lots more information and details about what to expect at your anatomy scan, be sure to read this article!