Your Baby: The Inside Story
Your baby is growing taller and fatter by the day. This week, he measures over 16.7 inches tall and weighs about 2 pounds 7 ounces (1250 g).
Amazingly enough, your baby's organs are beginning to self-regulate. The baby is filling out with layers of fat and everything is growing and maturing. Over the next three months, the baby will double in size, so this is when the baby will have a big growth spurt!
At this late date, you may feel a change in fetal activity as your baby's movements become smaller due to the increasingly cramped conditions. The kind of movement isn't as important as the frequency: You should feel your baby move at some point everyday. If you have noticed a decrease in fetal movements, especially after a long busy day, don't panic. Do fetal kick counts. After dinner, lie down in a quiet place and count the number of fetal movements in one hour. You should be able to count 10 fetal movements in one hour, usually between 7pm and 11pm. Call your doctor if you continue to perceive a decrease in fetal activity, or if you are unable to obtain 10 counts of fetal movements in one hour.
Your Body: Problems Sleeping?
For some women, falling -- and staying -- asleep at night can be a real challenge. Between the leg cramps, the anxiety, the extra weight, and the occasional kicking, it's no wonder you feel like an insomniac. But rather than lie in bed awake and fret about losing precious sleep, you might want to consider some of these suggestions to make nighttime dreamy:
Sleep positions: Generally, pregnant women find it much more comfortable to sleep on their side once they are further along in their pregnancy. This helps to take pressure off your back and also helps to relieve pressure from your uterus on the main vein that brings the blood back to the heart from your legs and your feet. Consider putting a pillow between your legs and under your abdomen for support.
Relaxation Techniques: Some women seem to have their wheels spinning all night thinking about labor and delivery, and all the new things that are getting ready to happen. You can start using some of the tips on breathing and relaxation from your childbirth classes. Not only will it serve as good practice, but it will also help you to relax and get some sleep.
On a Different Note: The Ins And Outs Of Preeclampsia
Six to eight percent of all pregnant women develop a pregnancy-induced disease called preeclampsia. If left untreated, this common condition can lead to complications -- in you and your baby. To ensure that you and your little one stay safe and healthy, learn all you need to know about preeclampsia here.
Pre-eclampsia Because it causes your blood vessels to constrict, pre-eclampsia reduces the amount of oxygen and nutrients delivered to your baby and can lead to low birth weight. Left untreated, it can also cause your liver, lungs, and kidneys to fail. Despite intensive research, no one knows exactly what causes the condition, and it continues to affect roughly 7 out of 100 pregnant women. Humans are the only species that are known to get this disease, so animal research has not been helpful. Pre-eclampsia appears during the second half of pregnancy, and is more likely to show up in first pregnancies, multiple births, teenagers, and women over 35. If you have chronic high blood pressure, a kidney disorder, or diabetes, you are at higher risk for pre-eclampsia. If you've had the disorder before, the odds are 25% to 50% that you'll develop it in a future pregnancy as well. If your mother had the disorder you are also at increased risk. Those with the angotensinogen gene T235 have 20 times the average risk of developing this condition. Eclampsia is much less common, afflicting only one in 1,500 pregnant women. Eclampsia and the severe form of pre-eclampsia called the HELLP syndrome are thought to be caused by untreated pre-eclampsia. Eclampsia results in convulsions that can put both you and your baby at risk. In very rare cases, eclampsia is fatal. If you get early, regular prenatal care, though, pre-eclampsia can be caught and treated, with little risk of progressing to eclampsia. |
Weekly Tip
If a baby shower is in the making, now is the time to register for all the itty-bitty clothes and basic baby necessities you've ever dreamed of - stroller, bouncer chair, car seat, high chair, bathtub, play mat, and more. The best way to begin is by asking friends and family with kids what you do and do not need and what does and doesn't work. Then simply stroll down the aisles of a few of your favorite stores -- be it the exclusive local children's boutique, Target, or Babies 'R Us -- to see the real thing and choose where you want to register.
Reviewed By: Victoria Kennedy, RN, A.D.A.M. editorial.
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