Pregnancy Lounge

Category: Week by Week

  • Pregnancy Week 28

    Your baby is almost 13 inches in length (crown-to-rump) and weighs almost 2 3/4 pounds. Your baby already appears a lot like he or she will look at birth, although the skin is still fairly wrinkled caused by the constant immersion in amniotic fluid and small amount of fat underneath the skin.

    Your baby is capable of opening and closing his or her eyes and has fully-formed eyelashes to bat now. Your baby is growing physically stronger and his or her movements and grip are becoming stronger as well, due to your baby’s improving muscle tone. There’s still quite a bit of room in your womb and enough amniotic fluid to allow your baby to move freely. Response to sound grows more consistent and improves, as the network of nerves to your baby’s ears are complete.

    Your enlarging uterus is 3- 3 1/2 inches above your belly button and you may have gained between 17-24 pounds. You are now officially entering your third trimester, not long until your baby will be born! In the last three months, your belly will grow very large and you’ll feel more and more pressure on your bladder, causing you to urinate often, once again. It’s still as important as ever for you to drink lots of fluids anyway, at least 6-8 glasses of water each day. From now on, you may start to feel a little more uncomfortable and start to put on weight more quickly, but continue to eat well and get adequate amounts of relaxation and sleep.

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  • Pregnancy Week 27

    This week your baby is about 12 inches (crown-to-rump) and weighs about 2 pounds. Your baby’s lungs are developing more and more and the chances for survival if born this week have increased dramatically.

    Although your baby would still require intensive care and may still have a chance of severe disability. Brain wave recordings show rapid eye movement and your baby’s brain patterns will continue to develop, becoming more sophisticated, although at this stage they are similar to a full term baby.

    Your baby’s skin is still wrinkled right now due to the fact that the skin grows faster that the fat layer underneath it, but fat stores are accumulating as the weeks go by.

    Your uterus can now be felt about halfway between your belly button and your rib cage and you are probably feeling stronger, more vigorous kicking and stretching at this stage.

    Due to the compression on your bladder by your growing baby, you may develop a new symptom sometime around now, called stress incontinence. It’s when a little urine leaks out, usually only when you cough, sneeze or laugh. It is more common in women who have already given birth before than those pregnant with their first child. Kegel exercises, which are also useful for firming up pelvic muscles for delivery and postpartum recovery, can help control incontinence.

    From time to time you may also experience some pelvic pain as your uterus grows and stretches the ligaments that hold it in place. Most often this pain will be felt in the groin area and inside thighs. Resting as much as possible should bring some relief.

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  • Pregnancy Week 26

    Your baby is about 11- 11 1/2 inches in length (crown-to-rump) and weighs about 1 1/2 pounds. Capillaries (tiny blood vessels) start to develop under your baby’s skin, turning the skin a reddish-pink color, which makes it less transparent than previously. Vernix is continuing to build up on your baby’s skin as well. Up until around this point, your baby’s nostrils have been plugged, but they are beginning to open.

    Your baby’s lungs will continue their rapid growth this week and air sacks are developing in them. Your little one’s brain is still growing fast and brain wave activity begins this week for the visual and auditory systems. Even though your baby is developing and growing rapidly, he or she is still lean, but is beginning to fill out.

    No doubt, your belly is getting bigger, but you still shouldn’t be to the point where you are getting uncomfortable quite yet. Physically, you may be feeling pretty good and this is probably an exciting time, since everyone seems to notice your belly. Two-thirds of your pregnancy is behind you now and you are quickly approaching the end of your second trimester.

    You may notice some positive pregnancy symptoms, including thicker, faster-growing hair and nails as a result of increased circulation. Although, sometimes it can cause hair growth in places where you may not want it to; like on your face and belly.

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  • Pregnancy Week 25

    This week your baby is about 9 1/2 – 10 1/2 inches in length (crown-to-rump) and weighs almost 1 3/4 pounds. This week your baby’s heart should be so strong that it may be possible to hear his or her heart beat by placing an ear on your belly.

    The retinas (in your baby’s eyes) have developed all the layers they will have at birth and your baby’s eyes are blue, no matter what race because the pupils don’t acquire their final color until a few months after birth. Besides being wrinkled, your baby’s skin is also transparent and very thin, but it’s starting to thicken gradually and smooth out.

    While premature babies have a long difficult road ahead of them, if your baby was born this week he or she would have a good chance of survival, because of improved medical advancements.

    Your uterus is approximately 2 inches above your belly button and you may have gained around 15-22 pounds so far. As you get bigger you may suffer from a number of discomforts, including back pain, because of the strain of your growing belly. Backaches can also be caused by your body preparing itself for labor and delivery by loosening your joints. Make sure you always bend at the knee, not at your waist and walk barefoot as much as possible, avoiding high heeled-shoes. Sleeping with an extra pillow between your legs at night may also help.

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  • Pregnancy Week 24

    Your baby is about 8 1/2- 9 inches in length (crown-to-rump) and weighs about 1 1/2 pounds. Your baby’s lungs are gaining blood vessels now, preparing them for taking over the task of getting oxygen into the blood stream. They have also begun to develop surfactant, a substance that will help your baby’s lungs to expand following birth.

    In the coming weeks of pregnancy, your baby will continue to grow in length and weight at a steady pace and his or her movements will get stronger and more forceful inside your womb. Most of your baby’s weight gain is in the bones and muscles, as they become harder. Your baby’s eyelids may have separated, allowing your baby to open his or her eyes.

    The top of your uterus is well above your belly button now and you are really looking pregnant to others at this point in your pregnancy. You may be experiencing more and more tightening and relaxing in your lower abdomen, which are Braxton Hicks. They will become more frequent and increasingly noticeable as your pregnancy advances. Drinking fluids and resting may help quiet your uterus. On a good note, these “practice” contractions begin the process of ripening your cervix (softening and effacement), which just might mean an easier and quicker labor when the time comes.

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  • Pregnancy Week 23

    This week your baby is over 8 inches in length (crown-to-rump) and weighs a little over a pound. Your baby’s pancreas is developing well and is even beginning to produce insulin, which is necessary for the body to break down and use sugar. The bones in your baby’s middle ear are hardening now.

    Your little one is also beginning to exercise his or her fingers and toes, developing a strong grasp reflex. Your baby is now almost in complete proportion, although the head is still a bit bigger than the rest of the body.

    Changes in your abdomen are progressing gradually, but you definitely are getting larger and many of your pre-pregnancy clothes are probably impossible to get on. You may have gained between 12-15 pounds at this point in your pregnancy.

    Your pelvic floor muscles will be stretched as a result of your pregnancy. Kegel exercises are simple techniques you can do to tone the muscles in your vagina and perineal area. They will help prepare your muscles for delivery and ensure a speedy recovery postpartum. You may find yourself having trouble with hemorrhoids. Increase your fiber intake and drink lots of water if they become bothersome. They will most likely vanish after delivery.

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  • Pregnancy Week 22

    This week your baby is about 8 inches in length (crown-to-rump) and weighs about a pound. Your baby’s liver is now starting to function and his or her hair and nails are continuing to grow. In fact some babies are born with quite long nails that need to be cut soon after birth to prevent them from scratching themselves.

    Your baby is growing at a solid pace and becoming plumper, developing more and more fat underneath the skin, which will help to keep him or her warm later on. Your baby’s face is also filling out nicely. The lanugo hair that covers your baby’s body may turn slightly darker during this time.

    Your uterus is above your belly button now and may be pushing outwards on your rib cage, causing your ribs to become a bit sore at times. In the later months of pregnancy, your baby may kick you in the ribs as well as stretch out and push your ribcage until it becomes uncomfortable.

    For some women, nasal congestion and nosebleeds are a side effect of pregnancy. This can occur due to altered levels of hormones, causing the mucous membranes in your nose to swell. Increased blood volume and softening of the tissues also contributes to this.

    Varicose veins may become bothersome around now, or later down the road. Varicose veins are blood vessels that become engorged with blood and they can be aggravated by standing for long periods of time. Wearing clothing that is non-restrictive, to keep circulation flowing freely may be very beneficial.

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  • 20 Weeks Pregnant

    20 Weeks Pregnant

    If you are at around 20 weeks pregnant, your baby is about 5 – 6 inches in length (crown-to-rump) and weighs close to 10 ounces. At this stage your baby will be sleeping and waking much as a new born would, about 6 hours awake and about 18 hours asleep. Your baby’s nervous system is still developing and his or her movements are still jerky and erratic.

    This is a crucial time for your baby’s sensory development because his or her sense of smell, taste, hearing, sight and touch are now undergoing specialized development in the brain. Your baby’s heartbeat is stronger and easier to detect, beating at a rate of 120- 160 beats per minute. More below:

    You’ve made it halfway through your pregnancy (that is, if you go to full-term). Your abdomen is now quite distended due to your uterus having grown to become about even with your belly button. Your belly button may “pop out” as your uterus expands.

    Your doctor or midwife has probably been measuring the level of your fundus (top of your uterus) with a tape measure. After this week, your belly should grow about 1cm each week. Your abdomen may start to itch a bit as stretching occurs. Try to avoid scratching your belly and apply lotion to help relieve the dryness that may be contributing to the itchiness.

    You can feel your baby kicking more often at 20 weeks pregnant and with greater intensity now. Your partner may be able to feel these movements around this time, although they will be very soft. You will notice more consistent movements after about the 28th week. You may begin to feel your baby get the hiccups around this time or in the near future. They feel like gentle rhythmic movements in your abdomen.

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  • 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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  • Pregnant Week 6

    Pregnant Week 6

    Your baby is about 1/2 of an inch in length (from crown to rump) and is experiencing rapid growth. Limb buds begin to appear on the body, which will later form your baby’s arms and legs. Mid-way through this week, your baby’s eyes begin to form and tiny depressions will start to appear on either side of his or her head where the ears and inner ear will later form.

    Your baby’s digestive system is becoming more refined as the stomach and intestines develop. The appendix is in place now, as well. At this point, your baby is completely enclosed in the amniotic sac and the stalk begins to grow into the umbilical cord, forming blood vessels within. Your baby’s heart is beating and pumping blood, providing circulation for its tiny body this week.

    It’s been about an entire month now, since your baby was conceived, but you may not notice too many changes in your body quite yet. Your uterus is growing, but you probably haven’t noticed any major changes to your abdomen. It most likely hasn’t gotten much thicker at this point, especially if this is your first pregnancy.

    It’s normal for you to feel more tired and exhausted than you usually do. Fatigue is quite common throughout pregnancy, since your body is working so hard to create this little baby. Make sure you get plenty of rest (a nap in the afternoon wouldn’t hurt). Continue to take your prenatal vitamins, in addition to eating a well-balanced diet, because fatigue is often aggravated by a deficiency in iron or protein.

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  • Pregnant Week 5

    Pregnant Week 5

    In your pregnancy, you are now in week 5. Your baby is now called an embryo and is about 1/16 of an inch long. All of your baby’s major organs are under development now. The neural tube, which will later be referred to as the spinal cord, will fuse baby’s primitive heart has begun to take shape, with the heart tubes beginning to fuse together and your baby’s heart will start early contractions, which later become distinct beats.

    By the end of this week, it may be possible to detect your baby on an ultrasound, since the sac is now visible, although ultrasounds are not done routinely this early in pregnancy.

    Your period is late now and you are probably beginning to suspect that you’re pregnant. If you have taken a home pregnancy test, you most likely have already gotten a positive result. Some women don’t have a positive until a week or more down the road, so don’t be disappointed if your result was negative.

    If your period hasn’t shown up within a few days, then you should re-test, because your Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) levels rise as your pregnancy progresses and become easier for home pregnancy tests to detect.

    You may feel sick to your stomach and begin vomiting, as the dreaded “morning sickness” kicks in. Usually this happens only in the morning (or is worse earlier in the day), but some women have to deal with it the entire day and even into the night.

    On the positive side, recent studies have shown that morning sickness can be a sign of a healthy pregnancy. But, if you feel fine, don’t worry, just count yourself as one of the fortunate few who don’t have to deal with this miserable pregnancy symptom.

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  • Pregnant Week 4

    Pregnant Week 4

    At the end of week 4 of pregnancy, you’re probably expecting your menstural period (or crossing your fingers it won’t come, if you were trying to conceive).

    Most women don’t notice any early pregnancy symptoms quite yet, but some may already. Typically, a missed period is one of the first signs of pregnancy.

    Many of the early pregnancy symptoms are very similar to those you get every month right before (or during) your period, including breast tenderness, light cramping, fatigue and mood swings.

    During this week, the newly-implanted ball of cells are growing very rapidly, multiplying and grouping together. It divides into two parts, one becoming the placenta and the other becoming your baby. Different layers of cells are forming, which develop into specialized parts of your baby’s body. These three germ layers are the ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm.

    The amniotic sac and the amniotic cavity will begin to form and the yolk sac has also appeared. The yolk sac will later give rise to your baby’s digestive tract. Your tiny little one is undergoing many great changes.

    A home pregnancy test may show a positive at the end of this week. Many tests can provide positive results as early as 10 days after conception, but you may want to wait a few days for more accurate results.

    You should be avoiding all medications (even over-the-counter and herbal ones), unless you’ve checked with your doctor or midwife about their safety during pregnancy first. Many things that are safe for you when you’re not pregnant can hurt your baby now. Some cold medications, sinus drugs and pain-relief products can cause problems for you and your developing baby.

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