| The frequency of the fetal ultrasound scans which | | | | gender, although you need to wait longer to be more |
| you have during your pregnancy can vary, due to | | | | accurate. The fingers and the toes begin to form by |
| whether there is some cause for concern or any | | | | month five, and it may be possible to feel the baby |
| possible complications. The general rule is 2 or possible | | | | moving around inside you, which should measure |
| 3. You will usually have a fetal ultrasound scan at | | | | around 25cms. An ultrasound picture at five months will |
| around 20 weeks of the gestational age of the unborn | | | | certainly look more like a baby! This is when you can |
| child, which is when many people choose to find out | | | | often (but not always) reading of the gender of the |
| whether they are expecting a son or a daughter. By | | | | baby, and the scan which very many expectant |
| 20 weeks you can generally distinguish between the | | | | parents look forward to. |
| different body parts and features of the child, although | | | | By the sixth month, although still very early, some |
| sometimes it is still difficult for the untrained eye. If you | | | | babies born at this time have survived, even though |
| were to have an ultrasound scan every month, the | | | | they probably weigh only about 600 grams. Over the |
| pictures would clearly show how the unborn child | | | | next few weeks your baby should grow up to around |
| grows and develops throughout that time. | | | | 35 cms and will be running out of room to move |
| During the first two months, though your hormones are | | | | around freely. The baby may start to move towards |
| changing and you may begin to feel pregnant, the | | | | the birth canal ready for the birth. It is sometimes |
| baby will only measure between 0.1 and 0.2 mm by | | | | difficult to get a clear ultrasound picture at this time, but |
| week four, and by the end of month two your unborn | | | | if you can it will clearly show the tiny fingers and finger |
| baby becomes an embryo with a heart beat. A fetal | | | | nails. It might even show your baby with a head of hair, |
| ultrasound picture should show that the child measures | | | | although it is also quite usual to have a baby which is |
| around 8 - 11mm, but you will find it difficult to see | | | | completely bald. |
| which way up it is. By month three the baby will begin | | | | Your baby might be born within two weeks either side |
| to move around, but you won't feel anything. It should | | | | of the expected due date (determined from an early |
| measure around 90mm long, with a head around half | | | | ultrasound scan!). You will then be able to take plenty |
| the total size of the body with large, wide open eyes. | | | | of photographs of your newborn child, but hopefully |
| The baby should have grown to around 16 cms by | | | | you'll already have started the family album well before |
| month four, and it is sometimes able to detect the | | | | then. |