Pregnancy Lounge

Tag: weekly

  • Pregnant Week 7

    Pregnant Week 7

    This week of pregnancy your baby is about 1/3 of an inch in length now (crown-to-rump) and continuing to develop and grow very rapidly. Facial characteristics are now forming, with the beginnings of eyes, ears and nostrils. The upper and lower jaws and mouth are forming and the detail of your baby’s lips, tongue and teeth buds may now be visible.

    The lenses of your tiny baby’s eyes are also developing this week. Your baby’s brain and head are growing, along with the intestines, pituitary gland and pancreas. The leg and arm buds have grown and resemble paddles.

    Your baby’s heart is now made up of four chambers and pumping blood at about 150 beats per minute, which may be detected on ultrasound.

    You are still probably not ‘showing’ yet, although you may have gained or lost (if you’ve been bothered by morning sickness) a few pounds at this point, but you are most likely about the same as pre-pregnancy. Even though changes in you are happening much more gradually than your baby, don’t worry, those changes will come soon.

    Your breasts and nipples may be more tender or sore than you experience just prior to the beginning of your period, caused by hormonal changes that are associated with pregnancy. They also may be slightly larger and a bit swollen at this point, which is completely normal. In addition, you may notice the areola around your nipples getting darker and the glands elevating.

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  • 19 Weeks Pregnant

    19 Weeks Pregnant

    If you are at 19 weeks pregnant, your baby is approximately 5 – 6 inches in length (crown-to-rump) and weighs 7-8 ounces. A white, cheesy-textured coating called Vernix is now being secreted by your baby’s skin and beginning to form on your baby. This substance protects his or her delicate skin throughout pregnancy and assists with passage through the birth canal.

    If your baby is a girl, her uterus is clearly visible at this point and she has six million eggs in her ovaries — six times the number she will have at birth! If your baby is a boy, his testes are apparent and the prostate gland is beginning to develop.

    Your baby may be able to hear sounds from outside your body and he or she will begin to recognize the voices of you and your partner. Loud noises outside the uterus may cause your baby to become startled and jump a bit.

    The size of your uterus (along with your baby) has grown considerably over the last few weeks. The top of your uterus is now just over halfway between your pubic bone and your belly button. Your breasts have increased in weight and are enlarging more and more as your pregnancy progresses, about 6-7 ounces each so far. Many women have an increase of one or two cup sizes, so a good support bra is a valuable investment.

    Your uterus may practice contracting about now. These are called Braxton Hicks contractions and aren’t the same as labor contractions. They only happen once in a while and tend to go away when you move around. If you have more than 5 in an hour or experience severe backache and cramping, you need to contact your doctor or midwife.

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  • 17 Weeks Pregnant

    17 Weeks Pregnant

    If you are pregnant and at 17 weeks, your baby is about 4 inches in length (crown-to-rump) and weighs close to 3 ounces. Your baby is forming “brown fat” deposits under his or her skin now. This fat will help your baby to maintain his or her body temperature after birth.

    Your little one is drinking an average of 16 ounces of amniotic fluid a day now and also inhaling and exhaling it, in preparation for breathing after birth. Your baby may get hiccups at this point, although you probably won’t be able to feel them quite yet.

    The taste buds are developed enough now for your baby to distinguish sweet and bitter and more reflexes are developing, including blinking. Your baby’s movements have become more coordinated and soon you will start to feel him or her exercising muscles.

    You, as well as others notice your expanding belly easily now. Your uterus has grown significantly since the early weeks of pregnancy and this needs to be supported by your muscles and ligaments. Round ligaments are attached to each side of the upper uterus and also to the pelvic side wall. These ligaments are stretching to accommodate your enlarging uterus, which may explain the general achiness and pain you may notice in your belly. If you experience this type of discomfort, lying down may help.

    Many women begin to experience the first detectable movements of their baby (called quickening) around this time, which can easily be described as one of the most exciting moments of your pregnancy and will undoubtedly be very reassuring. You may be more likely to feel your baby earlier if you are thin or if this is your second pregnancy.

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  • Your Pregnancy Week by Week

    pregnancy week by week
    It is important that you know how your pregnancy is going which is why we put our pregnancy week by week guide together for our readers. Find sections broken down for baby and expectant mom. If you think you may be pregnant, take an extra dose of folic acid as it can help prevent birth defects.

    Take a look at what you are eating and focus on your nutrition as a pregnancy takes a lot out of you. What you eat does help your baby grow. So it only makes sense to eat healthy to keep your baby healthy. You are eating for two and although you should not double your food intake or calories, you should add 300 calories into your diet after the third month of pregnancy.

    Start reducing caffeine if you are a coffee drinker or soda pop junkie as soon as you realize you are pregnant. In fact, reducing caffeine before you plan to get pregnant is even better for your baby.  Many start prenatal vitamins to get their body ready to make the body stronger for pregnancy.

    Pregnancy Week by Week

    Find symptoms, fetal development and body changes in pregnancy, broken down by week.

    Week 1 .::. Week 2 .::. Week 3 .::. Week 4 .::. Week 5
    Week 6 .::. Week 7 .::. Week 8 .::. Week 9 .::. Week 10
    Week 11 .::. Week 12 .::. Week 13 .::. Week 14 .::. Week 15
    Week 16 .::. Week 17 .::. Week 18 .::. Week 19 .::. Week 20
    Week 21 .::. Week 22 .::. Week 23 .::. Week 24 .::. Week 25
    Week 26 .::. Week 27 .::. Week 28 .::. Week 29 .::. Week 30
    Week 31 .::. Week 32 .::. Week 33 .::. Week 34 .::. Week 35
    Week 36 .::. Week 37 .::. Week 38 .::. Week 39 .::. Week 40