How big is your baby?
Your baby will be weighing in at around 4.73
pounds (2.146kg) and measuring 17.72 inches (45cm).
How big are you?
Your uterus now sits about
5.51 inches (14cm) above your bellybutton and about 13.38 inches (34cm) above your pubic symphysis.
You must remember that these measurements are purely a guideline as each pregnancy is different. Do not get concerned if you are smaller or bigger than other pregnant ladies, your healthcare provider will be monitoring your growth and weight gain with each visit.
What is important is that your uterus grows larger at an appropriate rate, which will lead to signs that your baby's growth and development is normal.
How is your baby developing and growing
Your baby is already starting to develop his/her immune system to help him/her fight against any infections.
The fingernails will be nearing the end of the fingers, and may even need to be trimmed within the first couple of days after birth.
Your baby's eyes will appear blue now, although they may change after the baby is a couple of weeks old.
Your amniotic fluid will reach it's maximum capacity this week, which will mean that your baby will be resting on the walls of the uterus rather than floating in the amniotic fluid.
This also means that you will really start to feel every movement that your baby
may make.
As there is less and less room, your stomach skin will be being stretched to the
maximum. this means that your stomach may become itchy. This is often worse
during the
summer months, and the best way to treat this is to stay well hydrated and
apply moisturizing lotion often.
When will your baby drop?
A few weeks before labor begins, you may notice a change in your abdomen, and if you measured the distance from the top of the uterus to the bellybutton or pubic symhysis, you may notice that the distance is now less. This is known as lightening, and occurs when the baby's head enters the birth canal.
You don't need to become concerned when this happens, as it happens at different times with different pregnancies, sometimes weeks before
signs of labor begin, and other times just before labor.
With lightening you may experience a mixture of benefits and problems, such as:
Benefit: more room in your stomach, making you feel less squashed, ability to breathe easier. Problem: More pressure on your bladder, anus and pelvic area.
Other signs which you may experience at any time now is loosing your
mucous plug.
This is usually described as looking like mucous from your nose when you have a
cold, and may have a brown, red or pink tinge.
Remember that you can tell us about your baby and you can receive a week by week update as to how your baby is growing and developing
post pregnancy. This includes information and articles on:
Baby development & milestones Nutritional requirements & feeding Sleeping patterns Caring for and teaching your baby And so much more
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Benefit: more room in your stomach, making you feel less squashed, ability to breathe easier.
