Welcome to week twenty five!
Your family and friends may be talking about when to have a baby shower for you and it is a good time to make sure that your baby registry is all caught up with the things that you need and want.
If you are planning or considering breastfeeding, it is a good time to start looking at different breast pumps (we will compare breast pumps in a few weeks), bottles, nipples and decide how you feel about pacifiers.
If you are planning or considering breastfeeding, it is a good time to start looking at different breast pumps.
How my Baby Grows
- Your baby is now about the size of a head of cauliflower
- Fatty tissue is filling in more and the baby’s skin is less translucent and wrinkled
- It is also time when your baby’s soft, downy body hair called lanugo starts coming in
- Your baby is developing reflexes now which is a sign that the central nervous system is continuing to develop
- Your baby spends a lot of time in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep
Symptoms Mama may Feel or Experience
- Your baby shower will not be far off, so make sure that you are working on those registries
- If people have already asked to plan a shower for you, make sure that they are spread apart some by weeks if possible because there will likely be some overlap in the people attending
- If you have a theme for the baby’s room this is good to share with those planning a shower for you
- If you live far from family or friends not to fear, one positive thing that came out during the COVID pandemic is that people learned how to celebrate events virtually
- Just because you are feeling your baby move does not mean that you feel every movement so don’t worry if there are hours between the time you can feel movement-remember that your baby spends a lot of time in the REM sleep cycles that we talked about
- By now you may be thinking about maternity clothes because not even your “big” clothes seem to fit right, maybe it is summer and those comfy little summer dresses will fit and feel good to wear
- If this is not your first baby it is normal for you to show sooner, feel bigger than a previous pregnancy and feel more ligament discomfort
- Your body has already stretched with previous pregnancies and it will relax to accommodate the growing baby sooner and easier
- Because of this your ligaments will need to undergo faster stretching
- You will probably have more pelvic discomfort as well
- Don’t forget about the belly band that we talked about a couple of weeks ago
- If it is your first baby, you may not be showing as much as a woman who has had another baby or two
- Don’t let it worry you if people say things like “you don’t look big enough” or “I was a lot bigger with my babies”
- As long as you are receiving regular prenatal care and having your belly measured you are fine because if there is an issue with growth, your doctor or midwife will let you know, in these cases they often get another ultrasound just to check on growth
Thoughts to Consider
- If you think that you would like photographs of your new family shortly after you bring your baby home, you may want to book that early
- Ask around to see who your friends used and see what you think of their pictures
- Visit a studio to see some of a particular photographer’s work
- Or check online as there are often semi-professional people who are very good and just do photography on the side, they would probably be much less expensive
- Even if you don’t plan to return to work, you will probably still need babysitters from time to time
- You might want to start looking around, checking with friends and interviewing so that you are not looking at the last minute
- There are also websites for organizations that vet individuals for sitting, housework and other chores
- If you are planning vacations during the first year after your child is born you may want to check out a few things before booking them
- Does the place have equipment like port-a-cribs or highchairs, or will you need to bring those because it may affect the way you travel
- There is a lot to check out about airlines if you plan to travel by air with car seats, strollers or other bulky equipment
- There are also rules about flying with “child in arms”, they can tell you at what age you need to purchase a seat
Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy
- Almost every woman does some traveling during their pregnancy
- You are at an increased risk of deep vein blood clots in your lungs or the lower part of your leg during pregnancy but especially if you fly
- There are a couple safety tips for traveling while pregnant
- Get up and move every 1-2 hours
- Stay hydrated as dehydration can bring about preterm labor, urinary tract infections or headaches
- Plan on car trips taking significantly longer due to bathroom breaks
- Yoga during the end of your second trimester and into your third can improve balance as your center of gravity changes and is great for relaxation-check out our videos and articles on prenatal yoga in the StorkAdvisor app or on our website
