If a sound is especially loud or startling, the fetus may jump in reaction to it. If the baby were born this month and given the proper care, he would survive. The baby now uses the four senses of vision, hearing, taste, and touch. He can recognize his mother's voice. The skin begins to thicken, with a layer of fat stored underneath for insulation and nourishment.
Antibodies increasingly build up.
Toward the end of this month, the baby is ready for birth. The average duration of pregnancy is 280 days from the first day of the mother's last menstrual period, but this varies. By this time the infant normally weighs six to nine pounds, and his heart is pumping 300 gallons of blood per day. He is fully capable of life outside the womb. The growth pattern described here is recognized medical information, documented by scientific research.