What Tater's up to

This past Monday marks week 17 of the pregnancy. Here's what Tater's been doing from week 14 until now.

Week 14
Tater is about 9cm long and weighs approx 60g/2oz

The chin, forehead and nose become more clearly defined on your Tater's face.

Eyes come closer together and are no longer wide apart on either side of the head.

Tater's body begins to grow fine body hair called lanugo. Lanugo is thought to have a protective function and is also used to hold the greasy skin covering secreted by the baby in the later months.

Tater can now respond to external stimulus by actually moving away when the midwife or doctor feels my abdomen.


Week 15
Tater is approx 12 cm long and weighs about 100g/3.5oz

The legs are now longer than the arms.

Eyelashes and eyebrows are present.

Hair on Tater's head is thicker.

Your baby has started to hear now although all sounds reach him through the amniotic fluid and appear to be muffled.


Week 16
Tater is now approx 16cm long and weighs about 135g/5oz


Tater is able to squint, open his mouth and even frown.


The skin is very transparent and blood vessels can be seen underneath it.


Sex organs have developed and can be seen on an ultrasound scan to determine the baby's sex.


If Tater is a baby girl, her ovaries have now descended from her abdomen into the pelvis.


Lanugo or the body hair is quite noticeable on your Tater's body now.


Week 17
Tater is approx 18cm long and weighs about 185g/6.5oz

All the limbs are fully formed now.

Tater's taste buds are now beginning to develop.

The placenta is well established with a dense network of blood vessels and is exchanging nutrients and waste.


Tater shows deposition of brown fat, which plays a role in heat generation after birth.