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If you are expecting, you might be thrilled to know about your baby’s development every step of the way. Keeping a track of every minute detail about your baby and how he/she is developing inside your womb is a whole different experience for every mom-to-be. You can always track your baby’s development once your doctor does the first ultrasound. But have you wondered with every passing month, what are the changes that take place in your baby? Have the nails started developing? Are there small wisps of hair on your baby’s head? If you are intrigued about all that is happening to your little one, and when their skin, hair, and nails are developing, continue reading our post till the end.
Baby Skin: How It’s Developing
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- During the second trimester, around the 13th week, your baby’s skin will look thin and transparent. As the week’s progress, the skin will begin to thicken (1).
- During the 19th week, a cheesy coating known as vernix caseosa appears to cover the body of the fetus. This coating works as a protective layer against chapping, abrasions and hardening as a result of being exposed to the amniotic fluid. This coating is shed right before birth (2).
- About 24 weeks into your pregnancy, your precious one’s skin looks pinkish-red in color. It gets that color because of the visible blood vessels below the skin. The skin also becomes translucent (3).
- During the end of the second trimester, at 27 weeks, your baby starts gaining fat giving the skin a smoother appearance. Now you know where they get their baby-soft skin!
How Baby’s Hair Develops When You Are In Your Second And Third Trimester
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- When you are in your second trimester, around week 15, hair pattern on the scalp starts to form and your little one is rapidly growing at this stage (4).
- By the time you hit your 21st week, your baby’s body will be entirely covered in fine hair known as lanugo. It helps hold the vernix caseosa over your baby’s body.
- During the 22nd week, the eyebrows and hair of your little one start to grow.
- When you enter 30 weeks of your pregnancy, your baby might have a full head of hair (5).
- Around 32 weeks, lanugo which covered your baby starts to shed. Your baby will be around 11 inches long at 32 weeks.
When Those Little Finger And Toenails Start To Appear
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- In the third trimester, at week 32, Your baby’s toenails start to become visible (6). This is also the time when your baby starts breathing.
- When you reach your 34th week, the nails on the baby’s fingers would have reached their fingertips. Your baby will be only around 12 inches in length around this time.
- After 4 weeks, i.e. 38th week, the toenails would have grown till the toes.
You may not know if your baby has got your wavy hair or your husband’s curly hair until you see the baby on your big day. So, you will have to wait until the big reveal to find out if he/she’s got your skin tone or your husband’s hair. There are many old wives’ tales that if you eat or drink a certain thing, your baby will have fair skin or a thick tuft of hair on the head. But the best thing that you can do is eat a healthy diet and get enough rest and sleep for a healthy baby. Knowing about all the changes that are taking place in your womb will make the experience all the more magical and real at the same time. Here’s wishing you a healthy and happy pregnancy!
