week 19

i am now 19 weeks, but baby is only 17 weeks old. baby measures about 5-6 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 7 oucnes.

a thick, white greasy substance called vernix caseosa is being secreted by glands in baby's skin. this acts as a waterproof barrier, to prevent baby's skin for getting waterlogged in the amniotic fluid.
throughout baby's body, nerves are being coated with a fatty substance called myelin, which insulates the nerves, allowing the smooth, rapid exchange of information neccessary for coordinated, skillful movement. the poorly coordinated movements of newborns - and particularyly premature infants - are for the most part due to their comparative lack of myelin.
baby's gut has begun to produce gastric juices that help absorb amniotic fluid and pass it through the kidneys where it's filtered and excreted back into the amniotic sac.

theres your biology lesson for this week. lol. (there will be another tomorrow, or really soon for my 20 week mark.)

i'll post a picture tomorrow, the ultrasound went very well. baby measures at 20 weeks and my weeks start on tuesdays.