At 26 weeks your baby is approximately 14 inches from head to toe, and weighs approximately 1 2/3 pounds(about the length of a scallion or zucchini, or the size of an acorn squash).
The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. Response to sound grows more consistent toward the end of the seventh month, when the network of nerves to the ear is complete. Baby may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. It's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when baby's born and takes that first gulp of air. Your baby is continuing to put on baby fat. Since your baby is now growing so fast, brain development is very intense at this stage and nutrition is very important. This week, fetal brain scans show response to touch. Your baby's eyes begin to open around now. That means your baby is able to see what's going on now, though unfortunately the view in your uterus isn't all that exciting. Right now, the iris, which is the colored part of the eye, still doesn't have much pigmentation (that'll fill in over the next month or two), so it's too early to start guessing your little one's eye color. And even the color your baby is born with might not be the permanent shade. You may be kept guessing until he's a year old, with the most dramatic changes occurring between six and nine months.If you're having a boy, his testicles should soon begin to descend into his scrotum – a trip that will take about two to three months.
Teeny tiny fingernails have arrived! They can be jagged and sharp by the time you lay your eyes on them. Baby's getting its immune system ready for life on the outside by soaking up your antibodies.
Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. This information is to give you a general idea of your baby's size.
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