What your baby's up to
Your baby is almost completely formed. He is now between 1.25 and 1.5 pounds and is about a foot long.

He will continue to gain weight in muscles, developing organs and the deposit of brown fat. The purpose of the brown fat is to retain body heat. Newborns are notoriously bad at regulating body temperature at first. This is particularly a problem for a baby born early. Changes are occurring in lung development so that some babies are able to survive. Surviving babies may have disabilities and require long-term intensive care. If your baby was born now, he would probably stay in the NICU until his official due date.

Your baby is totally unaffected by the Braxton Hicks, or practice, contractions you may be having as well.

About you and your body
Your fundus (top of the uterus) will continue to grow and reaches approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches above your navel. You may be becoming more aware of your baby's movement patterns and can tell when he/she is sleeping or awake. In fact, it is not a bad idea to sleep or rest when you feel your baby resting.

You may start feeling a tightening of your uterus or abdomen from time to time. Don't worry. This is normal and is your body "practicing" for the real thing. These are called Braxton Hicks contractions. Truth is, the uterus actually contracts at all phases of a woman's life. However, we rarely notice this unless our uterus is full -- like it is now.

At your doctor's appointments you will continue to be measured for fundal height, weighed and asked how you are feeling. Between your 24th and 28th week, your doctor may order a glucose tolerance test to check your body for gestational diabetes, which occurs in some women. If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy, you have a higher chance of getting it again this pregnancy, than a women who was not diagnosed with it in a previous pregnancy.