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Week 36: Baby Fat!
For a child about to be born, baby fat is a very good thing. Your baby is working hard to accumulate all the fat he can at this point -- his body is growing rounder, and those adorable dimples are forming at elbows and knees. This build-up of fat -- about 15 percent of his total weight--will help him maintain his body temperature and give him a store of energy. Because the fat beneath his skin is white in color, it makes his skin appear lighter and less ruddy. -
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Week 37: Immune System
Your baby is still squirming in her crowded quarters. Up until now, she's been gaining about a half-pound a week, but now growth slows to an ounce or so a week. That's a good thing, because almost all the available space in the uterus is filled up. Through most of the pregnancy, the baby has relied on her mother for immunities against infections, but in the past few weeks, her own immune system has begun to develop. -
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Week 38: Placenta
The average full-term newborn weighs between 6 and 9 pounds and is 18 to 21 inches long. About two weeks before birth, the placenta starts to deteriorate just a bit. It becomes less efficient in transferring nutrition, and blood clots and calcified patches start to show. This vital but short-lived organ is reaching the end of its life span. -
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Week 39: Bones
These are the two soft spots on a baby's head where the skull bones don't yet join together. The fontanel allows the flexible skull bones to shift and bend as baby journeys through the birth canal, making for an easier trip without damaging the brain. At the time of birth, the baby has a total of 300 bones. Some of these bones will fuse together as the baby grows; adults have a total of 206 bones. -
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Week 40: Birth!
Don't expect to see tears right away when baby cries: babies are born with an underdeveloped tear duct system. Tears don't usually show up until 1 to 3 months of age. The umbilical cord may be up to 4 feet long at birth. After the cord is cut, a remnant will remains attached to the baby's abdomen. It will drop off sometime in the first month, leaving behind a tiny belly button, a permanent reminder of those precious nine-plus months when mother and child were bonded together as one.
