What baby sees
Your baby can now open their eyes and look around inside the uterus [1]. Their eyesight is still under developed, but they are able to distinguish between light and darkness and can see the outlines of their hands, knees and umbilical cord [2]. If you shine a flashlight or lamp to your stomach, they may turn their head toward the light. Some babies may not yet react to the light though, as their vision is just beginning to develop [3, 4].
Your baby’s eyesight will continue to improve after birth. A child is able to distinguish colors and focus on moving objects when they are a few months old [3, 5].
As your baby’s internal organs develop, new functions begin. Bone marrow produces red blood cells, which carry oxygen to organs and tissues. Baby may already have some hair on their head, and their skin is becoming smoother and less wrinkled [1, 6].
From about this stage in pregnancy, the baby will start to use facial expressions, moving their mouth and eyelids.
If you are expecting twins
At 30 weeks, it is advisable to do a doppler ultrasound, especially if the babies share a common placenta. But even when they each have their own, you still need to check how well the twins are doing; if their growth is synchronized and whether they are interfering with each other [7]. In those rare situations when babies share not only the placenta, but also the fetal sac, doctors will begin to discuss a possible date for a c-section with the mother. We are talking of about week 32-34. This type of twins should not be left unmonitored longer [8].
What can be seen on the ultrasound
The outline of the ear and earlobe is visible in this image, as is the tragus, a small cartilaginous protrusion at the base of the outer ear. The dark area near the ear is the ear canal that leads to the eardrum. By this week of pregnancy the baby can hear well, they can distinguish their mother's voice and react to sounds from the outside [9].
