As your baby’s weight increases to more than 3 pounds this week, the strain on your body will be noticeable. You will experience pain in the lower back and hips. There will be less room for your internal organs due to the growing baby. For your lungs to expand you must take more breaths.
You may start to notice aches and pains in some unusual places by the 25th week of pregnancy. You may experience moments of shooting pains in your legs. Doctors are still unsure about the reasons for leg cramps that appear at this stage. Changes in your circulation, pressure on nerves and blood vessels may be the causes for cramping. The added pressure of your baby may also
The fundus (top of the uterus) reaches just above your navel. You will experience the baby’s movements and may even be understand the sleep/wake cycles of your baby. It is important to recognize the signs of premature labor from around the 24th week of pregnancy. Premature labor can be more common in the summer months, owing to dehydration in some women, so you should consume lots of water. Contact your health care professional if you have any signs of premature labor. Pregnancy signs also
Your baby will be quite small but his facial and other features have almost fully developed at this stage. You can see more development of the baby in the next 18 weeks. His or her skin still seems wrinkly, mainly because there is not sufficient weight gain to fill the skin out. Your baby’s lips starts to become more distinct. While the eyes have
As you go through your pregnancy stages, till you reach the 18th week of your pregnancy, you will find that your figure is continuing to change, and most people will recognize that you are pregnant. Your cardiovascular system is also affected by your pregnancy and you may experience some low blood pressure. Your body is now around 7 inches long and weighs 5 ½ ounces. As a part of your pregnancy test, you may be offered
Each time you go to the doctor, they measure your blood sugar level. This is to make sure that you are not developing gestational diabetes, a condition that affects one to two percent of women during pregnancy. When blood sugar levels are controlled through a pregnancy diet, women can have normal, healthy babies. Pregnancy is usually a fragile time in a woman’s life. Some women experience low back pain for which they can get a pregnancy massage in addition to physical therapy after consulting your doctor. A pregnancy calendar will help
Pregnancy 16th week shows your uterus is continuing to grow and weighs approximately 8 ½ ounces. Your placenta is also growing, and your body is producing an increased amount of amniotic fluid that protects the fetus during your pregnancy. Your next prenatal appointment may be in the next few weeks. During this visit, your health care provider may recommend some screens or tests including an ultrasound. Having gone through the various pregnancy stages, the complicated body systems are also beginning to function including your child’s urinary and circulatory system.
Pregnancy 16th week will mark some changes in both you and your baby. Although you have probably gained between 5 and 10 pounds, the fetus weighs
This week you may still be tired and fatigued. As you go through the stages of pregnancy, you may be experiencing some growing pains as your baby belly pushes your internal organs aside. Sleeping may become more difficult, as your baby bump grows. Sometimes, in the 14th week, you may discover that you have an ectopic pregnancy – vaginal bleeding is one of the signs. In this case you should seek
By the end of the twelfth week, your baby will be 2 ½ inches in length from crown to rump and will weigh about 14 grams. The digestive system of the baby will be able to produce contractions that will push food through the bowels. The baby will also be able to urinate at this stage, the baby’s kidneys start functioning. The amniotic fluid is replaced every three hours so that the baby stays protected in a clean environment. The baby will be able to open/close its mouth, clench its fist and make facial expressions. The baby will also alternately be
The fact that you are pregnant begins to show around the eleventh week, which is the end of the first trimester. The baby is rapidly growing at this stage. The head of the baby is very large, about half of its body size. There is also slight hardening of bones, separation of fingers and toes and stretching and kicking acts which become more prominent. Your baby will be 1-2 inches in length and weighs approximately 8 grams. The most vital internal organs are fully formed at this stage and start functioning. Ossification centers in the skull will
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