What your baby's up to
Over the last four weeks, your baby has grown an incredible amount, and has just about quadrupled his weight. He's big enough that you should be feeling "fluttering" or "quickening" quite regularly now. In fact, from his movements you may be able to tell if your baby is awake or asleep. Your baby is anywhere from 25 - 28 cm or 6.5 inches long and weighs 285-300 grams or 10-11 ounces.

Your baby has started to practice breathing motions, even though his lungs are not yet mature enough to breathe enough air to allow him to survive outside your body. Lanugo (the fine hair) covers your baby's whole body, and hair on the scalp is beginning to grow. Your baby's ears are fully functional now and he enjoys the sound of uterine noise. All the organs and structures of your baby are formed and your baby is now entering a period of simple growth. And you may be getting ready to be a grandma already: If your baby is a girl, her uterus is beginning to develop!

About you and your body
Congratulations -- you are halfway through your pregnancy!

As the baby and uterus grow, some moms report a little trouble breathing, or taking deep breaths, as their lungs become cramped with the internal organs. While not a serious complication, it can be uncomfortable. Once your baby "drops" or engages into the pelvis (which happens about four to six weeks before your due date) this will be relieved.

If you haven't yet, you might want to start coming up with some of your favorite baby names. It might help to look through family history for ideas or pay attention to names when you watch movies or read books. Don't forget: When thinking about a baby name, be sure to pay attention to the initials your baby will have. You wouldn't want to try to personalize something for your baby, only to realize that your baby's initials spell -- or sound like -- something you all won't be happy about down the road. (Think TOE, CRP, COW, HOR, GAG, BRF).