By the end of this month, baby will grow to over three inches in length and almost one ounce, about the size and heft of a roll of Lifesavers. If you could look at his face, you'd see that his ears and closed eyelids have now fully developed. His head accounts for one-third of his total length, and his tongue, salivary glands, and taste buds have also formed. Even though he's a long way from his first meal, studies indicate he may already be getting a taste from the amniotic fluid of what you've been snacking on.

He is now getting all of his nutrients through the fully formed placenta (from the Greek plakuos, meaning flat cake, its approximate shape), an organ that you and your fetus share. The umbilical cord tethers the fetus to the placenta, which provides it with nutrients and oxygen and transports waste materials away.

As you enter the second trimester, your risk of miscarriage drops dramatically. While an estimated 15 percent of recognized pregnancies result in miscarriage in the first trimester, by the time you hear your baby's heartbeat around week 12, the risk of miscarriage for most women drops to only 3 percent.

Your baby's heart is pumping about twenty-five quarts of blood each day, and a lattice of blood vessels can be seen through her translucent skin, which is starting to develop a coat of fine downy hair called lanugo. The gender is apparent since the external sex organs have now fully differentiated, but it will take a combination of luck and technical skill for an ultrasound technician to reveal whether you have a son or daughter. (For more on ultrasound exams, see Chapter 5.)