22 Weeks

Anna’ crown-to-rump length is approximately 7.6 inches and she weighs about 12.25 ounces now! She is about the size of a spaghetti squash.

Her body continues to grow and develop every day. The organ systems in her body are becoming specialized for their particular functions. The fetal liver produces different enzymes than it will produce after delivery. The liver is responsible for breaking down billirubin, which is produced by the breaking down of blood cells. Because the life span of a fetal red blood cell is shorter than that of an adult, a fetus produces more billirubin than adults do. Billirubin passes from fetal blood to the placenta and then into your blood. Your liver helps get rid of fetal billirubin. A newborn baby that has high levels of billirubin may show signs of jaundice. Jaundiced babies have a yellowish tint to their eyes and skin and are often treated with phototherapy.

Anna’s senses are developing daily. She now has a full complement of neurons in the brain and is learning about her body and surroundings through touch. Touch is one of the first senses to mature and she may stroke her face or feel her arms and legs.

She now shows an extremely rapid brain growth (which lasts until five years after birth).