Fetal Development

Third Trimester

24 weeks - Seen here at six months, the unborn child is covered with a fine, downy hair called lanugo. Its tender skin is protected by a waxy substance called vernix. Some of this substance may still be on the child's skin at birth at which time it will be quickly absorbed. The child practices breathing by inhaling amnionic fluid into developing lungs.

30 weeks - For several months, the umbilical cord has been the baby's lifeline to the mother. Nourishment is transferred from the mother's blood, through the placenta, and into the umbilical cord to the fetus. If the mother ingests any toxic substances, such as drugs, alcohol, or nicotine, the baby receives these as well.

32 weeks - The fetus sleeps 90-95% of the day, and sometimes experiences REM sleep, an indication of dreaming.

Almost Ready - Seven & eight months old.

40 weeks - The baby is now approximately seven and a half pounds, is ready for life outside its mother's womb. At birth the placenta will detach from the side of the uterus and the umbilical cord will cease working as the child takes his first breaths of air. The child's breathing will trigger changes in the structure of the heart and bypass arteries which will force all blood to now travel through the lungs.

About the Photos

Many of the amazing pictures shown here were taken from the very excellent Nine Month Miracle CD ROM, by A.D.A.M. Software, Inc., the book A Child Is Born by the famous Swedish photographer Lennart Nilsson, and the handbook When You were Formed in Secret, by Gary Bergel. Complete references are listed on the right. More about how these photos were taken. Photos appearing on this web site are reproduced under "fair use" terms for the purpose of public education. For permission to use these photos for commercial purposes, please contact the sources indicated above. No pages on this web site may be reproduced in their entirety without permission, but your links are appreciated. All text is copyrighted by Ter-Web.

Go back to 2nd Trimester

Sources

• Nine Month Miracle (CD ROM software), A.D.A.M. Software, Inc., 1600 RiverEdge Parkway, Suite 800, Atlanta, GA, 30328.
• The First Nine Months of Life, (brochure) Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO, 1995.
• Introduction to Child Development, 6th ed., (text book) John Dworetzky, West Publishing Company, San Francisco, CA, 1996.
• Psychology Today, (magazine) "Fetal Psychology," Janet L. Hopson, October 1998.
• When You were Formed in Secret, (handbook) Gary Bergel, Intercessors for America, 1988.