Of the senses, touch is one of the first to mature. Constantly exploring its world and learning about its environment, your baby is now touching everything it can.
You may feel your baby moving as it grabs the umbilical cordA flexible structure that connects the fetus to the placenta during pregnancy. It carries blood, oxygen, nourishment and waste to the placenta. It is first formed during the fifth week of pregnancy and contains the yolk sac and body stalk.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. and touches different parts of its body, constantly learning about the home in which it lives.
With senses that are more perceptive, your baby is exploring the world inside your uterus. Your baby is making vigorous movements that not only serve to help it explore but also builds important muscle strength.
Internal organs, the slowest part of the body to develop are continuing to grow. Baby girls have now developed their reproductive organs, uterus and vagina. Your baby's tongue is now completely developed and taste buds are being formed.
The pregnancy hormonesA complex chemical substance created in a part or organ of the body. When released it initiates or regulates activity in an organ or group of cells in another part of the body.
Hormones secreted by endocrine glands are transported through the bloodstream to their target organ. The amount of hormone secreted is regulated either by other hormones, by neurotransmitters, or simply when an excess of the organ's activity indicates a need to reduce the amount of the hormone produced.
Other hormones are produced locally by the organs themselves and are common in the digestive tract.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. your body is creating is probably causing your gums to swell. You will notice your baby responding to noise and light as its senses become more acute.
Your baby is developing a sleeping pattern. Unfortunately it is probably most active while you are resting. The little jerking motions that you feel are your baby hiccupping as it swallows amniotic fluidThe liquid, which is produced by both the fetal membranes and the fetus that surrounds the baby during pregnancy. The liter of fluid at term serves to protect the fetus during pregnancy and also provide active chemical exchange.
The amniotic fluid consists of maternal and fetal plasma in varying concentrations. The pH of the fluid is almost neutral and clear, although lipids and desquamated fetal cells can make it cloudy.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions..
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