Your Third Trimester
Fetal Development
At the end of 7 months:
- Fetus is 14 to 16 inches long
- Weight is about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds
- Taste buds have developed
- Fat layers are forming
- Organs are maturing
- Skin is still wrinkled and red
- If born at this time, he/she will be considered a premature baby and require special care
At the end of 8 months:
- Fetus is 16 1/2 to 18 inches long
- Weight is about 4 to 6 pounds
- Overall growth is rapid this month
- Tremendous brain growth occurs at this time
- Most body organs are now developed with the exception of the lungs
- Movements or "kicks" are strong enough to be visible from the outside
- Kidneys are mature
- Skin is less wrinkled
- Fingernails now extend beyond fingertips
At the end of 9 months:
- Fetus is 19 to 20 inches long
- Weight is about 7 to 7 1/2 pounds
- The lungs are mature
- Baby is now fully developed and can survive outside the mother's body
- Skin is pink and smooth
- He/she settles down lower in the abdomen in preparation for birth and may seem less active