Fetal Development: Week By Week Guide: Month 7

Fetal development is a slow and progressive growth of the fetus inside the womb of the mother. There are different stages of this growth and are usually monitored by your doctor, in order to make sure of proper orderly and regular growth. If you are curious and want to know about the changes that take place with your baby, you can ask your doctor.

There are certain months of pregnancy in which these fetal changes are very prominent and distinguishable. These can be tracked on a weekly basis or monthly basis. Here is a look at the week by week developmental stages of your fetus in the 7th month:

Week 1, Month 7

The fetus almost weighs two pounds and is nearly 15 inches in length. The head is a little over 7 cm, in diameter. The baby’s hearing is in the process of development and eyes can open, blink and close. This being the beginning of the third trimester, is almost 2/3 rd way through the course of your pregnancy.

Your baby grows eyebrows, hair on the head, eyelashes, etc. their muscle tone improves and their body becomes plumper. The brain is growing and developing at a rapid rate and babies can recognize voices and languages. So make sure that you share with them some soulful music and fruitful literature.

Week 2, Month 7

The baby has its own schedule for sleeping and waking up, the baby now weighs 1.5 pounds and is about 37.5 cm in length. The hair on the head is clearly visible and milk teeth are starting to form under the gums. The eyes start to move in their sockets but mostly remained shut.

In a normal case, the mother should have gained about 17 to 24 pounds. The branches of lungs and arteries are quite developed and that is how babies survive if born prematurely. While this is happening, your uterus grows out about half an inch every week.

Week 3, Month 7

Your baby now weighs about 2 and a half pounds and is 15 inches in length. While their brain is busy producing millions of neurons, the muscles and lungs continue their development. The fetus can usually feel and respond to pain and has now completely developed milk teeth under their gums.

The eyes can move in their sockets and the baby can sense various intensities of light, some studies also show that babies have a good set of developed taste buds. In this stage, your baby moves around quite a lot and may cause some really intense episodes of pain.

Week 4, Month 7

At this stage, your baby almost weighs 3 pounds and is 16 inches long. The head is nearly 8 cm in diameter and the feet are about 7 cm in length. The wrinkled skin starts stretching and hence becomes smoother. The baby is able to control its body temperature. If it is a boy, the testicles have moved towards the groin.

The baby’s own blood marrow starts producing red blood cells rather than depending on the mother. Your baby begins to store important constituents like – calcium, phosphorus, and iron.