Welcome to week twenty six!

This is a great time to remind yourself to continue making healthy choices by getting the rest you need, eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water and continuing exercises like walking or swimming.

You are almost done with your second trimester; can you believe it?

If you have an ultrasound at this stage of the pregnancy you would be able to see your baby’s breathing movements

How my Baby Grows

• Your baby’s movements are getting a lot more dramatic now
• This is a very important time for your baby’s lung development
• If you have an ultrasound at this stage of the pregnancy you would be able to see your baby’s breathing movements
• He/she is inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid as the lungs become stronger
• At 26 weeks your baby is about the size of a head of lettuce

Symptoms Mama may Feel or Experience

• Your partner may start to feel a little left out of all the excitement so here are a few ways to include Dad

• The good news is if he wants to, he can come with you to your prenatal appointments
• He is a vital part of any childbirth or newborn care classes that you attend
• You can pick up a book on expectant fathers so that he can identify with other new dads and learn a few things
• Some communities even offer expectant dad classes (that would be fun to watch!)

• If you have other children at home or pets this might be a good time to start talking about how you will introduce them to your new baby in a couple of months
• If you have started sharing potential baby names it would not be uncommon for even your closest family or friends to disapprove and make comments that offend you

• You might consider not sharing your baby’s name until he/she is born, by that time they are so taken by the cuteness of your baby that they don’t care about the name as much and rarely comment negatively
• Or you might preface announcing the name by stating “remember that this is our decision, please don’t share negative thoughts if you have them”, sometimes these comments stay with you a long time and you don’t need anything stealing your joy as you prepare for your new baby

Thoughts to Consider

• If you have not decided on a pediatrician yet, this is the time to get started and below you will find a couple thoughts that may help you choose

• Consider the distance between your pediatrician and your home or work because you will be there often even if your baby is particularly healthy
• Ask friends and family who they are using and why, you will probably find that the same practice comes up often
• Most have Saturday office hours for working parents, but this is a good question to ask
• Do they have a lactation consultant in their office
• Not all pediatricians have medical privileges at every hospital or birth center so make sure you ask if they can visit your baby after the birth for his/her first physical exam, if not there will be a pediatrician or neonatologist that can examine your baby and talk with you
• Do you want someone to stay with you when you bring your baby home, or do you want this time alone with you partner and newborn
• People, especially close family members may not even ask before coming to your home to visit and they may even plan to stay for awhile without checking to see if that is what you want, you may have very hurt feelings if they purchase airline tickets before you have made these decisions, some things to consider are:

• Is the help needed/wanted
• Or do you feel confident of your skills as a new mom and want the time alone with your new baby
• Remember that this is your decision and lovingly share your desires with them ahead of time, it can make for a more peaceful first weeks at home with your newborn
• Remember that there are probably at least two grandmothers in the mix

• They may both want time with you and their new grandchild right after the birth
• Consider helping them see what they can do to help rather than just what you prefer they not do
• Talking with your partner about all this and agreeing on your decisions can help you enjoy that precious time with family and not feel stressed by it

Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

• Your prenatal visits are very important for the health of you and your baby and soon you will be making appointments every two weeks instead of once a month

• This increase of appointments is necessary because there are certain things that change more quickly now, and your doctor or midwife will need to monitor both you and your baby more frequently
• If this is a problem for your work schedule you may have to complete paperwork to be off extra hours

• This paperwork is called the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and you will need to bring it to your prenatal visit to have it filled out
• Many women do not need this until the last couple weeks of the pregnancy, but some need it sooner if their pregnancies become complicated
• FMLA is meant to protect your job while you go to prenatal visits which help ensure a good outcome for you and your baby or after the baby is born and you take your recommended 6-8 weeks of leave
• Adequate hydration with water continues to matter, you can prevent urinary tract infections, feel better, stop unnecessary uterine cramping and cut down on headaches just by staying hydrated