Your baby is now getting bigger and starting to lay down fat underneath their skin. At 4 months, a fine downy covering of hair, called lanugo appear, all over the body. At 5 months, this is joined by a greasy white substance called vernix, which coats their body and protects their delicate skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid.
Your baby's eyelids, which up to this stage, have been closed, now open. And because their eyes are fully developed, they can look up, down and even sideways. Their eyebrows and eyelashes are well defined. Their ears are developing and they can hear the outside world even if the sounds are probably muffled.
Interestingly, they now have taste buds on their tongue and can taste the flavour of the food you're eating. The flavour are transferred via the amniotic fluid. Evidence suggests that this means that they're able to recognize your breast milk once they're born. And amazingly, it makes them more likely to accept those foods when you start weaning them.
Their hands and feet are now perfectly formed, they can scrub their hands into little fists and even suck their thumb. Your baby will now be sleeping and waking at regular intervals and you may even be aware of the patterns yourself based on when they're still and when they're moving.
During the 2nd trimester, your baby has grown from about 12 to 33 centimeters long and their weight has increased from just over 2 ounces (55 grams) to nearly 30 (850 grams). Remember though, that all of these numbers are guidelines only. Every baby is different.
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