(upbeat music)
- Big changes are underway in your baby's
watery world this week.
At about three pounds and
still about 16 inches long,
your little chick is starting
to look more like a cherub
as she continues plumping up.
She'll be piling on weight at the rate
of about a half pound a
week from here on out.
Remember the lanugo, that
downy blanket of body hair
she's been wearing for warmth?
Now that your little one's got
more fat to keep her toasty,
she's able to start shedding her fuzz,
which means your bear will no longer
be fuzzy-wuzzy by the time she arrives.
Other cuter pursuits on the agenda,
growing thicker eyelashes,
eyebrows and hair on her head.
That is, unless she is destined
to be a beautiful baldy.
But perhaps, the biggest bulletin
comes from your baby's
brain, which is getting ready
to kick up its capacity.
Once smooth, it's now
forming channels and creases
creating more brain tissue
with greater surface area.
Without this new topography
that neo-natal noodle
would become enormous and, of course,
so would your baby's head.
The result, a top-heavy baby
unable to fit through the birth canal.
Ouch.
The creases and indentations also allow
for future expansion of brain tissue
that's crucial as your baby
goes from helpless newborn
to responsive infant, to verbal toddler,
to curious pre-schooler and beyond.
Another big change this week:
baby's bone marrow has
stepped up to the plate,
taking over the job of
producing red blood cells,
from the pinch-hitters, the
spleen and tissue groups.
These red blood cells are critical because
they transport oxygen and remove waste.
With their help, your baby
begins prepping for the future
by storing iron, calcium and phosphorus
in those tiny cells.
(upbeat music)
