Second Trimester 1^stTrimester     3^rd Trimester

The lungs are not ready for the outside world but their function is rapidly improving.

The baby's rapid heart rate has slowed down a little. It is usually easy to detect the heart's beating during a scan.

At 24 weeks the average crown to heel length is 10.9 in (27.8 cm) and the average weight is 15.2 oz (430 g).

The skin is starting to develop a protective outer layer of keratinized cells.

Fine, soft lanugo hairs keep a layer of greasy vernix on the skin.

The eyelids are still closed. Beneath them, the eyes are protected by a thin membrane.

A baby getting prepared for independent life needs all the help you can give her. Keep up your good habits by nourishing the two of you with healthy food; and make sure your own body is in peak physical condition to support your pregnancy. Some minor discomforts, such as feeling too hot, leg cramps, and hemorrhoids may be plaguing you. These annoying problems are only temporary and will disappear once your baby is born.

Excerpted from Pregnancy Day by Day.
Copyright © 2009 Dorling Kindersley Limited.
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