23 Weeks of Pregnancy (Your Baby & Pregnancy)
How big is my baby?
Fetal size: 20cm(8 inches). Fetal weight: 455 grams (1 pound). Your baby matures, and starts to get a bit plumper.
How does the embryo develop this week?
Your baby's body and face start to resemble the appearance of a newborn baby.
The pancreas develops further this week, enabling the production of insulin, which metabolises sugar.
What pregnancy symptoms will I be experiencing?
Your abdomen is looking rounder this week! Normal weight gain for the weeks up to and including Week 23 is between 4 and 7 kg (10 and 15 pounds).
As your uterus grows, it will put more and more pressure on your bladder, to the point that you may leak small amounts of urine from time to time. Using panty liners or pads will help. Urinary tract infections are also more common during pregnancy. Symptoms include frequent urination, a burning or tingling sensation while urinating, and feeling as though you need to urinate, but with no success. If you are concerned, ask your health care professional to check your urine.
Emotional swings are normal during pregnancy. If yours haven't improved, don't worry. There's not much you can do to avoid moodiness when your hormones are in control! Talk to your partner about how you feel and re-assure them that outbursts are not always intentional.
24 Weeks of Pregnancy (Your Baby & Pregnancy)
How big is my baby?
Fetal size: 21cm (8.4 inches). Fetal weight: 530 grams (1.2 pounds).
Your baby continues to gain weight. Development is occurring in the brain, growth and increase in size of the kidneys, lungs and gastrointestinal tract (gut).
What pregnancy symptoms will I be experiencing?
Feeling your baby move - you first becomes aware of your baby's movements some time between Weeks 16 and 20. Initially the movements feel like little "flutters", as your baby is small and floats in the amniotic fluid. As your baby grows, the movements become stronger and more pronounced. The baby will develop its own movement pattern and will have periods of activity followed by more quiet periods. These movements are a good sign that the baby is healthy, so any obvious reduction in movement should be reported to your health care professional.
Car safety - it is important to wear a seat belt during pregnancy, and to place the belt across the thighs and above the tummy, rather than across the middle of the tummy. This will prevent any undue pressure on the baby if you are involved in an accident.
Nipples - during pregnancy your nipples may become darker and more prominent. There is no advice that has been proven to prepare nipples for breastfeeding, however it is advisable to become familiar with your breasts and nipples. Later in pregnancy you should try to express a little colostrum and rub this into your nipples. If you think that you may have retracted or inverted nipples, it is best to seek advice from your health care professional.
Breastfeeding - it is recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that babies be breastfed for the first 12 months of life. Breastfeeding is best for the baby, even if it is only for a short period. Breast milk is nutritionally perfect for babies and is already at the right temperature. It provides everything a baby needs in exactly the right proportions for the first six months of life, and from then up to the age of two years in combination with solids.
Breast milk is proven to help reduce the risks of your baby developing allergies, asthma, eczema and diabetes later in life. Breastfeeding may also help to prevent cot death. Another advantage of breastfeeding is that it releases hormones that encourage the uterus to shrink back to its original size more quickly. Furthermore, it also uses a considerable amount of calories, helping to use up extra fat stores that were built up in pregnancy. Consequently your figure is more easily returned to normal following birth.
Deciding whether or not to breastfeed is a personal decision and your decision that you need to feel comfortable with. Whatever your decision it will be respected.
Establishing breastfeeding requires patience and practice. Some women have no problems, while others can develop difficulties, although these are usually short term. Midwives and lactation consultants are available to help you to establish breastfeeding. Once established, breastfeeding becomes even easier and is very convenient.
25 Weeks of Pregnancy (Your Baby & Pregnancy)
How big is my baby?
Fetal size: 22cm (8.8 inches). Fetal weight: 680 grams (1.5 pounds)
Your baby continues to develop and mature. Its brain begins to form connections between the nerve cells and fibre ends. This process continues for a few weeks, while a basis is created for the relay of the sensory messages that signal consciousness in adults.
What pregnancy symptoms will I be experiencing?
Your uterus has grown quite a bit and you are getting noticeably bigger - in front and on the sides of your abdomen. Different people carry their babies in different ways, so don't be concerned if your shape is different to that of other pregnant women.
If you are uncomfortable when sleeping, try lying on your side. This ensures optimum blood circulation for you and your baby, particularly if you lie on your left side.
You may be experiencing pain under your ribs when your baby moves. Your growing baby is placing a lot of pressure on your bowel, bladder and other organs. Unfortunately there isn't a great deal you can do to relieve the pain and discomfort except lie on your side and rest. If the pain becomes too much, discuss it with your health care professional.
If your urine is tested, it is possible it may contain small amounts of sugar, even if you aren't a diabetic. This is because your sugar levels change during pregnancy and the kidneys will ensure that any excess sugar is expelled from your body in your urine. At around the end of the second trimester you may have a routine screening for diabetes.
26 Weeks of Pregnancy (Your Baby & Pregnancy)
How big is my baby?
Fetal length 23 cm (9.2 inches). Fetal weight nearly 910grams (2 pounds).
Your baby's body has started to grow faster than its head. This new sense of proportion makes your baby look more like a newborn. Arms and legs are stronger and bones are hardening. Eyebrows and eyelashes are present and hair on the head is growing longer. Your baby is becoming longer, and although still red and skinny, it's body is rounding out as fat deposits start to develop under the skin. Genitals are now completely differentiated.
The lungs are growing, nostrils are open and muscles start to work to give your baby breathing practise prior to birth. Your baby has also developed patterns of sleeping and waking.
As brain cells start to mature, your baby starts learning and remembering. Your baby can also hear your voice and will start to move in rhythm with your speech. Beats such as drumbeats will also register with your baby, and he/she may move with the beat. Music that is played regularly while your baby is in utero may also be vaguely remembered after birth or later in life.
It is also important to note that your baby can distinguish its father's voice if he talks to the baby in utero. This means that your baby will also be able to recognise it's father's voice and distinguish it from others after birth.
What pregnancy symptoms will I be experiencing?
If you have been eating correctly, your weight gain up to and including week 26 will be somewhere between 5.4 and 10 kilos (12-22 pounds).
As your baby grows, your uterus continues to increase in size, pushing up and out against your ribs. This may cause pain in your ribs. The lack of space may cause indigestion and heartburn. Other discomforts such as headaches, back ache and leg pain may occur more regularly.
Varicose veins - these can be inherited, or may be caused by pregnancy hormones, or later in pregnancy, by the uterus pressing down and obstructing the flow of blood from the legs to the heart. Regular exercise, controlling weight and resting with the feet elevated help prevent varicose veins. Support stockings or tights can also help ease varicose veins.
You will probably feel your baby move every day now. This will be enjoyable and reassuring for you. Your partner should also be able to feel the baby's movement if he places his hand on your abdomen. The movements of every baby are different, and there are no hard and fast rules about how often your baby should move. It isn't unusual for your baby to have quiet times, but if your baby is quiet and not as active as normal, visit your health care practitioner so that you can listen to the baby's heartbeat.
Twins - Twins are more common when there is a family history of twins (passed down through the female), although, there is a higher incidence of twins in women who are receiving fertility treatment. There are two types of twins - identical and non-identical.
Identical twins come from one egg that splits into two separate cells. Each of these cells then grows into a baby and usually shares the same placenta. Because the twins originally come from the same cell they share the same DNA, are always the same sex and look very alike. Non-Identical, or fraternal twins, occur when two eggs are released at once and each is fertilised by two different sperm. In fraternal twins, each baby has its own placenta and they can be different sexes. Fraternal twins are more likely to look like siblings, rather than being identical.
Raspberry Leaf - recently there has been growing evidence that the use of Raspberry Leaf in the third trimester of pregnancy can assist the process of labour by ripening the cervix. It can be taken as a tea or in a tablet form. Please discuss its use with your health care professional.
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