4th month of pregnancy: the emotion of feeling baby move

A whole host of firsts await you in your 4th month of pregnancy. And the most emotional of all of them, the one that is truly unforgettable, is that you are going to feel your baby move.

Amazing: your baby is now breathing and is covered in a fine down!

Your unborn child is continuing to grow and, little by little, their body is becoming more balanced. Until now, their arms were still longer than their legs, but these have grown and they have little feet!

As the fourth month progresses, their hair system reaches an astonishing stage of its development: their body will be covered in a very thin layer of silky soft hairs that won’t last. This is known as the lanugo1.

As for their organs, a lot of things have happened. Their lungs are developing, as is their respiratory system1. What an extraordinary machine the human body is! During this 4th month, your unborn child will be able to inhale and exhale the amniotic fluid! This vital respiratory movement will be really useful when they come into the world… but you have some way to go!


Your uterus can now be measured and you can feel baby moving

Your uterus continues to grow bigger, which is completely natural. In order to monitor your pregnancy, you can now measure it using a tape measure and it reaches around 15 cm this month.

You should now be feeling really good, the predominant pregnancy hormones are those of wellbeing2! As for your appetite, any strange cravings and possible aversions to smells should no longer be bothering you.

But, above all, this fourth month includes an extraordinary moment… you are going to feel your baby move!

It is tricky to describe the feelings you will experience at that moment: a feeling of little bubbles, butterflies… your baby’s little arms and legs wriggle around and you will feel them more and more!

1Béatrice Knoepfler, with the participation of Dr Jean-Philippe Bault, Le calendrier de votre grossesse, Eyrolles.

2Laurence Pernoud and Agnès Grison, J’attends un enfant, éditions Pierre Horey

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Breast milk is the ideal food for infants. WHO recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months and then continuation thereof until the age of 2 alongside the introduction, from 6 months, of safe and appropriate complementary foods. Please consult a healthcare professional if you need any advice about feeding your baby.