Ten Weeks Pregnant

I am no longer an embryo! Though I'm barely the size of a kumquat — just an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weigh less than a quarter of an ounce, I have now completed the most critical portion of my development. This is the beginning of the so-called fœtal period, a time when the tissues and organs in my body rapidly grow and mature. My vital organs — the liver, kidney, intestines, brain, and lungs — are now in place and starting to function (although they'll continue to develop throughout Mummy's pregnancy.) My liver continues to make blood cells, and the yolk sac, which previously supplied these cells, is no longer needed and begins to disappear. During the next three weeks, my length will more than double to nearly 3 inches. My head is proportionately smaller now than it was a few weeks ago, but it's still almost half the length of my entire body. My forehead temporarily bulges with my developing brain and sits high on my head; it will later recede to give me a more human appearance. Each day, more minute details — including tiny fingernails, toenails, and peach-fuzz hair — start to appear on my body. My fingers are now completely separated; my arms bend at the elbow and curve slightly; my hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over my heart; my legs are lengthening; and my feet may be long enough to meet in front of my body. I am busily swallowing amniotic fluid and kicking my legs.If you could take a peek at me this week, you'd be able to clearly see the outline of my spine through my parchment-thin skin. Spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from my spinal cord.