(lighthearted music)
At 25 weeks, your uterus is
about the size of a soccer ball,
a fact that's probably
pretty apparent if you're
still trying to zip your old jeans.
Bouncing around inside that ball
is your bouncing baby boy or girl,
now nine inches long and
topping a pound and a half.
Your little kicker will be
making his presence known
quite vigorously for the next three weeks,
his most active time
in the whole pregnancy.
If your womb had a view, you'd see that
your sweetie's skin has
taken on a pinkish hue,
a sign that the fetal
vascular system is maturing.
More and more capillaries
filled with blood
are forming under the skin
and in those developing
air sacs in your baby's fledgling lungs.
Surfactant, an anti-stick substance
that'll help the lungs expand with air
once they're outside the
womb, is starting to form too,
getting baby ready for his
first gulp of fresh air,
not to mention his first squall.
On a related front, and
located right on the front
of that adorable little face,
are your baby's tiny nostrils.
They've been closed
until now, but this week
they celebrate their grand opening,
allowing your baby to
go through the motions
of inhaling and exhaling.
Right now, of course,
there's no air to breathe,
so instead baby draws amniotic fluid
in and out of those petite nostrils.
These breathing practice runs
might seem a little silly
when there's no air around,
but it's well worth the effort
because when it comes to breathing,
practice makes perfect.
(lighthearted music)
