Week 31
Thursday June 30th 2005, 6:00 am
Filed under:
Family 
Your abdomen
swells and your rib cage and pelvis may be sore as the baby gets bigger
and fills up all the space you have available. While it is really great
that your baby is gaining weight and growing strong, you may be in line
for different discomforts at this stage of the game.
Some women will have more heartburn
as the uterus displaces the internal organs, leaving less room for her
stomach and its contents. This can be relieved by remaining upright
after a meal. Some women say that eating smaller, more frequent meals
helps their heartburn. Remember to ask your practitioner before using any medications, even over the counter products.
One of the most frequent complaints in pregnancy is back pain.
This can start at almost any point of pregnancy and can continue well
into the first postpartum year. Some of this can be relieved by
maintaining good posture, exercise, and stretching. And don't forget to
ask your partner for a back rub!
The
pregnant body produces a hormone called relaxin. This is what loosens
the pelvis making it mobile to help your baby be born. However, this
can also cause waddling! I also refer to this as “feeling like a Barbie
with her legs pulled off.” This is only temporary, and while it may be
a pain now, come birth time you'll be rather grateful!
A few
women will breeze by even this phase of pregnancy without any
discomforts. This does not mean that your body isn't preparing for
birth. It could be pain tolerance levels, exercise and agility levels
and many other factors. So, count your blessings if you fall into this
category!
Baby:
You may
worry that if you are breathless from walking or sometimes even just
sitting that your baby is in danger. This is not true. Your baby is
getting plenty of oxygen from your placenta.
The
baby's irises can now dilate and contract in response to light. Due to
the deposits of white fat underneath the skin the baby's skin is no
longer red but pink, and your baby weighs about three pounds and five
ounces (1.5 kilograms). The finger nails may reach the end of the hands. |
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Belly @ 30 Weeks
Sunday June 26th 2005, 9:53 pm
Filed under:
Family 
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Week 30
Thursday June 23rd 2005, 6:00 am
Filed under:
Family
Your posture
is still very important to your comfort. Maintaining a good posture is
a good way to decrease the strain on your body as your center of
gravity continues to change.
One of the things that you can do to help maintain your energy levels and to increase your stamina for the birth is to exercise.
It is important not to over do it, especially if you have not been
exercising prior to this week. Try taking walks or swimming short
distances. Getting out and stretching will help you have feel better
and reduce the numbers of pregnancy related complaints.
Baby:
The baby
is very aware of the surroundings. We tend to think of the uterus as a
dark place. The uterus actually can be light and dark depending on the
mother's environment. You may be able to distinguish sleep and wake
cycles in your baby. Although it usually seems as if the baby wants to
sleep while you are awake and vice versa at night. This is not
indicative of a sleepless newborn.
If you
are having Braxton Hicks Contractions use them to practice what you've
learned in prenatal classes, and know that they are a sign that your
body is getting ready for labor. The baby notices the contractions, but is not adversely affected by them.
Your sweetpea weighs a whopping 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms)! S/he measures about 14.8 inches (37.5 cms) in length. |
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29 Weeks
Sunday June 19th 2005, 9:29 pm
Filed under:
Family 
29 Weeks!
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Week 29
Thursday June 16th 2005, 6:00 am
Filed under:
Family
Mother:
Welcome to the third trimester! The home stretch! As your baby
is growing, so is your body. You may feel as if your internal organs
are crowded. They are. The best way to deal with the discomforts of
late pregnancy are:
Good Posture
Proper Nutrition
Exercise
Rest (When you can!)
Most discomforts will occur in your back, your legs, and the amount of air you can take into your lungs. Hang in there!
Baby:
Your baby is busy getting ready for the birthday! The baby
is beginning to regulate his own temperature and the bone marrow is
completely in charge of production of the red blood cells. The baby is
even urinating about a half liter of urine into the amniotic fluid
everyday!
The movements that you feel will probably begin to change at
this point. You once were the home of wild gymnastic parties, now as
the space becomes cramped you will notice smaller movements, such as
elbows and knees. Try monitoring the baby yourself, using fetal kick counts.
Your baby weighs in at about two pounds nine ounces (1.16 kilograms)! |
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Jen @ 28 Weeks
Wednesday June 15th 2005, 11:56 pm
Filed under:
Family 
Jen @ 28 Weeks
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Week 28
Thursday June 09th 2005, 6:00 am
Filed under:
Family
You will
probably begin to see your practitioner every 2 weeks now. Some women
really like the added visits, while others feel that they are running
out of time before the baby is born. If you haven't begun discussing labor plans with your practitioner, now is the time to start!
If you
have taken childbirth classes you have a good idea of the interventions
and alternatives associated in childbirth. If you haven't, please do
some reading on the subject. The most common things that people have
questions about are: episiotomy, fetal monitoring, and pain relief.
Some women will want to use a birth plan
to convey their wishes for their labor, birth and postpartum. This is a
terrific idea! It is also a good communication tool between you, your
partner and your practitioner.
Your
breasts my leak colostrum now, although if they do not leak, this is
not an indication that you can't breastfeed. You may also find out what
your blood type is. Some women, if Rh negative may need a shot called Rhogam to prevent complications. Make sure you know your partner's blood type, if he is also negative, then you are safe.
Baby:
Your
baby's eye lashes are developing, as subcutaneous fat is deposited. If
you have a baby boy, his testes will probably begin descending. Your
baby is about 13.8 inches long (35 cms) and weighs about 2 pounds 4
ounces (1 kilogram)!
A baby born at this time has a good chance of survival with the help of medical technology. |
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Jessalyn Elise @ 27 weeks.
Jessalyn Elise @ 27 weeks.
We went to our appointment today and picked out the date (Aug 25th and
way early in the morning). We talked to the Dr about the game plan and
what all would be going down. I’m trying to work it so I have as much
time off as I can around that time. (ends up being 10 days off counting
weekends.)
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Week 27
Thursday June 02nd 2005, 6:00 am
Filed under:
Family
Welcome
to the third trimester! The home stretch! Around this time you will
begin to really put on the weight, this will last until about week
thirty-six. Although some cultures dictate otherwise, weight gained
during pregnancy is not fat or unhealthy, but rather, necessary for a
healthy pregnancy and baby.
The weight that you gain will be
distributed in several places. In the beginning of pregnancy you may
have noticed that your breasts got larger. The average breast before
pregnancy weighs about 7 ounces and during pregnancy each breast can
weigh up to an average of 28 ounces! Some of the weight will go to body
fluids (amniotic fluid,
blood volume, etc.). Remember that your blood volume increase by 30-50%
during pregnancy. And let's not forget the baby and the placenta! Add this to a few measly pounds put on as maternal fat stores, and you average about 25-30 pounds.
The
most important thing to remember is that a healthy diet is more
important than what you gain. Some women will gain more, as in the case
of women who were underweight to begin with, and those carrying
multiple babies. While others will gain less. Pregnancy is not the time
to go on a reducing diet. Even if you are overweight, reducing can
actually harm the baby by burning your maternal fat stores sometimes
toxins can be released that are harmful to the baby.
Baby:
Your
baby's skin is very wrinkled from floating in water. This will stay
this way until a few weeks after birth as your newborn fills out into a
baby. Although take heart in the fact that your baby's looks are
assuming the looks that they will have at birth! Baby has also hit the
2 pound mark (900 grams). |
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