17 Weeks Pregnant

By this week in your pregnancy, you will find yourself much more relaxed and feeling much more comfortable. You body has adjusted to the hormonal changes as well as the physical changes. Every week or month from now on may bring you more symptoms. For example, during week seventeen, you may experience a rash or some kind of allergies. These usually happen when there is a change in your diet or if you are taking a medical prescription. Talk to your doctor before taking any medication for the rashes or the allergies. There are only a handful of over the counter medications that are safe for you during the pregnancy.

By now you will more aware of the baby’s movements. You will start to feel fluttering in the belly that is the baby. If you don’t feel anything, don’t worry every woman is different. Within the next couple of weeks you will start feeling something more solid than fluttering. You may start to feel cramping or achy if you sit or stand in one place for a long period of time. These can subside by simply changing positions slowly. If you start feeling dizzy or lightheaded, lie down with your feet elevated. Try to keep up your blood sugar with small snacks during the day.

Baby’s Development

By now the baby should be approximately 6-1/2 inches long and weigh in about 4 ounces. The baby will be gaining more weight faster at the end of the pregnancy. The umbilical cord will become thicker and longer as the pregnancy progresses. The cord carries the blood and the nutrients to the baby. The baby will have adipose tissues to help regulate the baby’s temperature. By now when you look on a sonogram, you will be able to see very distinctive facial features.

The baby will start holding his or her head more upright and there are pads forming on the fingers and toes of the baby’s hands and feet. The baby’s eyes are now fully developed but they remain closed. The baby’s skeleton will start to change from all cartilage to bones and the bones will then become more flexible, this will help the baby travel through the birth canal.

The baby will be protected by a covering called vernix. The baby will develop brown fat spots under the skin that will help keep maintain the baby’s temperature when the baby is born. The baby is starting to gain noticeable weight and is now heavier than the placenta. The baby can now hear noises and voices and can jump when they are startled by a loud noise.

Changes With Your Body

By now you should be showing that baby bump. The abdomen is growing and your internal organs will soon start shifting in order to make room for the baby. The top part of the uterus has become more rounded creating the baby bump. For example, the uterus will start moving up your intestines and out to the side of your abdomen, so you will be able to feel the uterus when you are standing up rather than lying down.

You may experience aggravation of the sciatic nerve; this nerve runs down from the uterus to the foot. This is common during pregnancy, it happens when the baby is putting pressure nerve when you sit or stand for a long period of time. The best way to avoid this at night is to sleep with a pillow between your knees. This will come in handy as your pregnancy progresses.

Your body will increase secretions because of the increased amount of blood; you may experience excessive sweating as well. You may start to feel more congested because of the increased blood flow to the mucus membrane. Some women experience vaginal discharges but it is normal. If you have any questions or concerns call your doctor.

You should continue on taking the prenatal vitamins and eating a balanced diet. This isn’t always possible so taking the vitamins becomes more important than ever. You want to stay as hygienic as possible, always wear clean clothes, if you start to sweat excessive, change your clothes. You may start to shower more it will prevent may infections from starting.

What To Expect

By now, you know how you are going to feel and how to control it. The baby is still growing so your body is going to continue to go through changes so you are going to go through the normal aches and pains of pregnancy. Once you start to notice that the baby is moving then you will start to feel blessed that you are pregnant. Depending on your height and weight, you may already be showing and but every woman is different. But don’t panic, at your next doctor’s visit you can talk to him about the growth of the baby.

At every doctor’s visit you will have your blood pressure tested, along with urine tests and weight monitoring. These are all done to help protect the health of the baby. The Alpha-Fetoprotein Test or AFP is performed between the 15th and 17th week. The Triple Test is also performed; these two tests will help determine the chromosome counts for your baby. These tests are harmless blood tests; they won’t harm the baby at all.

Sometimes the doctor may do a fetal ultrasound, this can be done in 3D and 4D so you can see what your baby really looks like. The later on the pregnancy if it won’t hurt the baby. It is really impressive to see what the baby looks like. Another test that is done to test for birth defects is the Amniocentesis; this test is scary to moms because the doctor has to use a needle to insert into the uterus to get a sample of the amniotic fluid to test for the birth defects. There is always a small risk of miscarriage if the needle gets to close to the baby. Talk about your concerns to the doctor before the test.

Tips/Advice

During this week of pregnancy, you are going to have a lot of testing done. Make sure that is you have any questions that you ask your doctor. The amniocentesis is not mandatory but it is extremely helpful in determining if there are any birth defects. Talk to your partner and make your decision together. At this stage of the pregnancy, you will want to include your partner more than ever before because there are such great changes happening now and more in the coming months.

Article Source : www. pregnancyweeks.us

16 Weeks Pregnant

During this week of pregnancy an occurrence called quickening may be happening. Quickening is when you start to feel the baby move. This happens between the 16th and 20th week. You feel kicks until the sixth or seventh month. What you will start to feel a small fluttering in your stomach, if you aren’t aware that this happens, you won’t think that it is the baby and dismiss it as something else. So, when it happens pay attention to it, it is the first signs of the baby’s movement.

At the sixteenth week, your doctor may recommend that you undergo some antenatal testing. These tests will test the baby for genetic problems or abnormalities. As we mentioned in week fifteen, the immune system is weakened because of the pregnancy. Conditions like the flu and the common cold can be treated with doctor recommended treatments but you should stay away from potential places where you may be prone to catching chicken pox or rubella.

The doctor may also recommend additional testing such as AFP, triple test or amniocentesis. These tests will let the doctor know how the baby’s development is progressing. You can ask your doctor if there are any prenatal classes that you can enroll in, you can learn more about the rest of your pregnancy as well as what happens during childbirth.

Baby’s Development

By week sixteen the baby is about 17.5 cm and 160 g in weight. The baby has more space in the uterus and will start moving around a lot more. The baby can grab, kick and even do somersaults in the uterus. As the baby gets bigger the tighter the space will be and you will start to feel more of these movements. The baby will start to suck and in the sonograms you will notice the baby stop swallowing if a bitter taste in found in the amniotic fluid.

The baby can get hiccups too, as the baby grows you will know when the baby has the hiccups, you will be able to feel it. At this stage the baby will react to strong visual stimulation and will use their hands to protect their eyes from strong visuals. By now the baby and the placenta are about the same size. The head and the neck are straighter and you may be able to tell the sex of the baby if the baby is in the right position when a sonogram is done.

By now the baby ‘s urinary system and the circulatory system are beginning to function better. The baby will now start pumping about 25 quarts of blood a day. When you reach the end of the pregnancy at about 40 weeks the baby is expected to increase that amount to 1900 quarts a day.

Changes With Your Body

Week sixteen is a crucial week in your pregnancy. This is the week when doctors will want to check for Down’s Syndrome or Spina Bifida. There are tests called AFP testing. There is nothing you need to do; it is a blood test that has no risk for the baby at all. Within a week or less, you can have the results for the test. You will also experience your milk glands have started to produce breast milk. The breast veins will become more visible as more blood is pumped into the breasts.

You will continue to feel aches and pains as the baby continues to grow. Backaches are the most common during pregnancy, by relaxing and resting you can alleviate the pain. They say when you are pregnant that you feel clumsier and accident-prone that has been attributed to the back pain. Your belly will be expanding every week now. This is happens naturally but when you add rapid weight gain to the mix, stretch marks will soon appear. You can slow down stretch marks but keeping your weight gain in check.

You may want to start sleeping on your side rather than on your back. Use plenty of pillows as it takes to make you feel more comfortable. It also takes the strain and pressure off of your belly.

What To Expect

You will start to exude that pregnancy glow. The actual glow is due in part to the increased blood flow to the skin. You can start to have more fun being pregnant and embrace the next 8 months. You should have no more morning sickness or fatigue and your mental state should improve greatly. You are by now used to being pregnant so the adjustment time may be over. You may start experience quickening (small flutters in the stomach); this is the baby moving around the uterus. You will start to feel more and more of these feelings as the month’s progress.

When this starts to happen, you may not even realize that it is actually the baby moving. The baby’s movement will increase as time goes on. You will continue to gain weight but try to keep it under control. Try to eat more fruits and vegetables in your diet. If you have any questions regarding your eating plan or about the AFP testing, now is the time to ask.

Tips/Advice

Week sixteen is an important week in pregnancy, if you have any genetic history now would be the time to mention it to the doctor. This testing is very important to the pregnancy. Discuss your fears and concerns with your partner as well as the doctor. Stress is not good for you or the baby. Stay on track with taking your vitamins and eating right.

Make sure that you keep on going to your appointments. You should be enjoying the sonograms and hearing the heartbeat every time you go. Seeing the baby’s growth is something very amazing. The heartbeat is the best sound in the world. Enjoy this while you can, it really is an exiting time not for the new mom to be but for the dad to be as well.

Article Source : www. pregnancyweeks.us

15 Weeks Pregnant

You should be starting to enjoy the perks of pregnancy ay week fifteen. You should be feeling stronger and mentally rested too. The second trimester is the most calming of the entire pregnancy. The first trimester leaves you will morning sickness and fatigue and the as the baby grows bigger the body will start to feel aches and pains. The second trimester offers a middle ground. You will start to expand your baby bump and now is the time that others will see you are pregnant and it not just weight gain.

You should have gained approximately 5 pounds by now. If you have gained more, don’t worry. If you start gaining too much the doctor will let you know. If you are not gaining enough, the doctor will advise you on what you need to do if anything to help maintain your weight during the pregnancy. You may experience more head colds or stuffiness this will have something to do with the increased estrogen levels, this can actually cause swelling of the mucus membrane causing these nasal problems.

Pregnancy tends to change your immune system a bit. You are more likely to get infections, colds and even the flu. It is highly recommended that pregnant women receive their flu shots. Talk to your doctor at the beginning of cold season and get the shots right away. Try keeping a humidifier or a vaporizer near by and remember to stay hydrated.

Baby’s Development

At week fifteen the baby will measure in approximately 4” long and about 1-.3/4 ounces. The baby will develop what is called Lanugo, this happens when the red and wrinkles head becomes covered with fine hairs. Like each pregnancy is different, each baby develops differently in the uterus. The hair will help the baby maintain a constant body temperature. But the Lanugo will disappear when the baby is born.

By now the baby can swallow food and one of the best parts is that the baby can hear you and hear sounds. So now would be a great time to start talking to the baby. Some new moms will place headphones on their belly so the baby can hear music. Some new moms at this stage may or may not be able to feel their babies move around but the baby’s are more active in the womb now.

The baby’s legs are longer than the arms but now the body is longer than the head. The taste buds are developing and the fingernails and toenails are growing as well. The three bones in the middle ear are harder making improvements in the hearing. The amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby also carries an external sounds that travel to the baby. They can hear prominent sounds like the mother’s heartbeat, stomach and even her voice.

Changes With Your Body

Weight gain is always a concern with pregnant women. By this week in pregnancy women gain an approximately 5 pounds. You may have gained more than that. But is nothing to worry about if you are a pound or two over. At the end of the pregnancy an average between 25 to 35 pounds are usually gained but you hear stories of women who have gained 40, 50 or even 60 pounds. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about weight gain.

You can actually feel the top of your uterus about four to five inches below the belly. The doctor will start measuring your belly at the appointments until the end of your pregnancy. This is called the Fundal Height, this is used to measure and monitor the baby’s growth and even the position of the baby. The doctor can get an idea if the baby is in the breech position, as you get further along.

You may start to feel the ligaments stretching in your abs. The uterus will expand and cause cramps. You may feel some twitches or a pulling sensation to one or both sides of the abdomen. This is normal but it is your body and your pregnancy and if you have the slightest concern call your doctor right away. Taking a warm bath can help alleviate the pains. Never take any over the counter or prescription medication without consulting with your doctor first.

You will want to be careful of some common bacterial infections that many women come down with during pregnancy. Urinary Tract infections, Bacterial Vaginosis and Yeast Infections. Urinary Tract and Yeast Infections are common to some women without being pregnant. Buy bacterial Vaginosis can cause pre term delivery and a rupture to the amniotic membrane that surround the baby. Tract and Yeast Infections can cause kidney infections if they are not taken care of. Visit your doctor right away if you think you could have any of these infections. They can be treated, never take any over the counter medication before talking to your doctor.

To prevent these infections wear clean clothes every day and wear loose fitting clothes. Try not to spend too much time in bodies of water including the swimming pool or the bathtub avoid hot tubs altogether. Stay away from perfumes and body sprays. Stay hydrated by drinking at least 8 to 9 glasses of fluids a day.

What to Expect

While every one is different, may you start to experience sleeping problems? As the pregnancy goes along you may have a hard time getting comfortable. Your baby bump is still small at this stage of the pregnancy so you may not have any problems right now sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your back can cause the uterus to put pressure on the heart and the inferior vena cava this supplies the blood to the baby and the lower portion of your body. Sleeping on your side may avoid that. It is a good idea to practice sleeping on your side right from the start. It will be better off for the baby. Try adding extra pillows to elevate your legs or sleep with a pillow between your knees, it sounds crazy but it actually does work.

Tips/Advice

You should be attending all of your doctor’s appointments and listening to all of the doctors’ recommendations. Continue taking your vitamins and try to eat a bit healthier. There are plenty of books out there and websites that you can check out when it comes to eating right. Now that you have entered into your second trimester, you can start to look for baby names without worrying. Relax and have fun, you only get 9 months to enjoy the pregnancy.