Week 20

The 20th week is an important time for Baby's sensory development, as nerve cells serving each of the senses (taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch) are now developing into their specialized area of Baby's brain. As these existing nerve cells get bigger and make more complex connections with each other, the brain's production of additional nerve cells will slow.

Believe it or not, you're halfway there on the journey toward holding your new baby! Your little one now weighs about nine to 12 ounces and has grown to about six to eight inches in length. She's come a long way since her first days as a microscopic collection of cells, but has a lot more growing to do—remember, the average newborn is 18 to 21 inches long and weighs six to nine pounds at birth.

Other baby developments this week include:
* Under the protective vernix coating, Baby's skin will continue to develop into three layers: the dermis, epidermis and subcutaneous layers.
* Baby's nails and hair will continue to grow.
* Baby's heartbeat will be stronger now, and will beat about twice as fast as your heart. You can hear it this week through a stethoscope.
* Baby will take up more and more space in the uterus, and her continued growth will put more pressure on your lungs, stomach, bladder, and kidneys. (verybestbaby.com)