4 Months (14-17 weeks)

Baby

Your baby is now covered with a layer of thick, downy hair called lanugo. His eyes are facing forward now and he begins to blink. By the end of the month, he will be 5 inches long crown to rump, weighing in at 5 ounces. His body is now growing faster than his head and his finger and toe prints have developed. He can now suck his thumb and is actively swallowing amniotic fluid and passing it as urine. He is beginning to make practice breathing movements. The placenta is fully functional and provides nourishment and oxygen to your baby. If you are having a girl, her uterus has formed and her ovaries are equipped with primitive egg cells. Your baby’s bones are harder and his arms and legs are moving. You may even feel that thrilling first kick this month.

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Mom

This month, some moms experience nasal congestion, nosebleeds and/or bleeding gums. This is a result of the increased blood supply in your body, along with hormone alterations. Sleeplessness and breathlessness are also common complaints in month four, due to those increased hormone levels. You may start to feel fat or frumpy, as you start to develop a bit of a belly. Because you don’t have the perfectly round pregnant belly yet, you may feel like others think you are just gaining weight. To cheer you up and make you look more pregnant, now would be a good time to go shopping for maternity clothes, if you haven’t already.

You may be experiencing second thoughts about being pregnant, which is very normal, as the experience can be a little overwhelming. Just remember that it will all be worth it in the end. Soon, you will be holding that beautiful new baby and you will form a bond that can never be replaced.

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PLEASE NOTE

This should be used as a general guideline and is for general information and educational purposes only. Please remember that all pregnancies develop at different rates. If you have questions about your baby's development, please contact your doctor or midwife.