Your baby is now just over 7¼ inches long from crown to rump (18cm); the size of a banana. Baby weighs just over 10½ oz (300g), still a featherweight. From this point onwards your baby will focus on gaining weight rather than growing in length. Baby will double in length but weight-wise there will be about a 12-fold increase. There is a slowdown in growth but different organ systems within the baby are maturing. By this time the fetal digestive system is able to swallow amniotic fluid; after swallowing, the fetus absorbs much of the water and the rest of the fluid is passed into the large bowel. Researchers believe swallowing amniotic fluid may help in growth and development of the digestive system; it also helps the digestive system to function after birth. Evidence indicates babies at full term may swallow large amounts of fluid as much as 17 oz or 500ml in a 24-hour period. Essential nutrients are passed to the baby from the amniotic fluid.
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