Welcome to week twenty two!
Your clothing is getting tighter, and you may have had to add a rubber band on your favorite jeans just to provide a little more room for the bump! This might be a good week to start talking with your partner about your birth plan so that you have time to search for information.
Don’t forget that StorkAdvisor has Go-to-Topic articles on birth plans, doulas, and other things to consider as you plan for the birth of your baby. It might also be time to check out what your community offers in the way of childbirth classes and when you will need to get registered. Even though they are not held until the last couple months of your pregnancy, they sometimes fill up months before they are actually held.
This might be a good week to start talking with your partner about your birth plan so that you have time to search for information.
How my Baby Grows
- Your baby probably weighs close to a pound now and is about the size of a coconut
- Eyelids are still fused shut but eyes are starting to move around
- Your baby’s eyebrows are present and there are cute, tiny lips
- Vision, hearing and a sense of touch are developing
- Your baby is more active with his/her environment
- If you are having a boy his testicles are beginning to descend
- Something called brown fat is developing which will allow your baby to produce body heat
Symptoms Mama may Feel or Experience
- You may have noticed that you are sometimes short of breath when doing things like climbing steps or other activities that don’t usually cause this symptom
- Remember that your body is carrying around a lot of extra weight not only from the baby but from amniotic fluid, placenta and the increased blood volume that you have pumping through your circulatory system
- Also, your baby is displacing your diaphragm and pushing it up giving less room for it to expand when you take a breath
- Birth plans can be as simple as “these three things matter to me” or a printed-out plan to discuss with your provider before birth and your nurse when you are in labor
- Check out the StorkAdvisor article on birth plans, labor and essential oils
- There are many examples of specific birth plans online
- Yours does not have to be that elaborate
- Just skip over what does not matter to you, discuss things you are unsure about and focus on the ones that really matter to you
- Some of the plans you might want to make will be possible and others will not, depending on the facility that you give birth at, and the provider’s comfort
- For instance, if you are planning on an epidural you will not be able to give birth in most birth centers
- You may want hydrotherapy (labor and/or birth in a tub or laboring in a shower) and the facility may not have tubs or limit the amount of time that you can spend in them
- Some hospitals limit visitors and visitor types like children
- Most providers do “delayed cord clamping” which increases the blood volume for the first few months of your infant’s life
- Most also do some version of skin to skin contact immediately after birth even with a cesarean section birth
- If you hire a doula, they will be very helpful in creating a birth plan that you are satisfied with
- Knowing this information and finding out specifics will help you feel more prepared and allow you to have realistic expectations
Thoughts to Consider
- Childbirth classes to prepare you and your partner for the birth experience
- They are important because the benefit of a more positive birth experience is well documented in the literature if you are prepared in advance for the event
- There are a variety of types of childbirth classes, and we recommend that you go to their websites for more detailed information of each
- Hospitals and birth centers may have their own that are designed and taught by local RNs who work labor and delivery or postpartum
- “The Bradley Method” is taught by people trained in this method, encourages the use of a doula, the curriculum takes 12 weeks of sessions and covers everything from prenatal nutrition, exercise to birth and the postpartum period, it focuses on “husband-coached” labor (a husband can be any other partner of choice) and how to keep from using medications during labor
- “Lamaze” childbirth classes are the oldest and most widely used methods of childbirth, certified Lamaze educators focus on rhythmic breathing patterns that you learn in class and practice at home, they encourage moms to try natural birth but address pain medication options
- “HypnoBirthing” works to change the way in which you view birth, it helps you achieve a trance-like state using relaxation techniques like visualization, positive affirmations, and meditation
- “Birthing from Within” was developed by a certified nurse midwife and natural birth advocate, it is similar to HypnoBirthing and the Bradley Method and is unique in that it incorporates beliefs and expectations of the mom, breath awareness, guided art, poetry, mindfulness and journaling
- In person classes may range from 4-12 weeks or are sometimes completed over weekend sessions which are much longer but meet less times
- Most types of childbirth classes can now also be done virtually
Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy
- Small frequent meals will be even more important as your pregnancy advances because your stomach has less and less room to contain food now that the baby takes over much of the abdominal space
- Hydration remains vitally important
- Maintaining relationships as your body and your priorities change may take work
- You may not want to attend certain events if you are no longer drinking alcohol to protect your baby
- You may be more focused on preparing for your baby than other things that you used to do
- This is not permanent but making time for friends and family as your life changes is important to your overall health
Dr. Cheryl Sharp,
Certified Nurse Midwife
Chief Content Officer
Chief Content Officer