(lively music)
- This week your tiny dancer trades in
the sudden, jerky, reflexive
movements of last trimester
for smoother, more fluid moves.
Think more ballet and less hip hop.
In just a month or two
you'll get to experience
those tiny dance steps for yourself
in the form of those very first flutters.
Baby's posture is improving
too. His neck is getting longer
and his head more upright.
He may still be the size of a fist,
but he's not shaped like one any more.
There's another important
development afoot
as your little Sasquatch sprouts
hair, not just on his head,
but all over his itty bitty body.
Called lanugo, this downy
coating covers the fetus,
primarily to keep him cozy and warm
until he packs on a few pounds.
Once he accumulates some insulating fat
and fills out over the next few months,
most of the lanugo will shed.
But don't be surprised if your honey's
still kinda hairy at birth,
especially if he arrives early.
The real locks that are
growing on top of his cute head
will stay put, though hair color
may change right up to birth.
Underneath that emerging head of hair
is your baby's rapidly growing brain.
As those amazing cells multiply
the brain develops into
two distinct halves: the
left and right hemisphere.
Each one controls the
opposite side of the body,
so if you see your little
one sucking his right thumb,
something he can do now,
it's the left side of his remarkable brain
telling him how to do it.
And, thanks to all that
new brain power, your baby
has started developing reflexes.
If you were to poke your
belly, for instance,
your little wiggle worm will wriggle away
from the intruding finger,
if a loud noise shakes
the cozy confines of his
restful roost, your little
chicken will actually startle.
Talk about reflexes at work!
(lively music)
