What’s your baby up to?
Your baby now weighs almost one pound (430g) and measures around 27cm from head to toe, about the size of a pawpaw.
Your baby’s muscles are more developed and he is more active. His inner ears are fully formed, his lips eyelids and eyebrows are more discernible.
His lungs, liver, kidneys and pancreas are all developing.
His eyes are beginning to open.
Your baby’s heartbeat can now be heard not only on an ultrasound; but also with a stethoscope.
How are you feeling?
You may be feeling and enjoying your baby’s movements and you can even tell his activity patterns.
As you grow bigger, you may have started seeing the stretch marks. They may appear on your stomach, buttocks, breasts and thighs. They can also get very itchy.
Have your feet grown larger? Swelling in pregnancy can make your feet grow larger. Also, the pregnancy hormone-relaxin can also loosen the ligaments of your feet, thereby increasing their size. It must be annoying to have to spend money on new shoes, unless you are one of the few lucky ones that do not experience larger feet.
What should you do this week?
Relieve itchy stretch marks by keeping your skin moisturized. As stretch marks are better prevented than cured, improving your muscle tone by exercising may prevent the appearance of stretch marks. If you do get them however, you shouldn’t worry your pretty head over them, they generally become less apparent over the years, even if they don’t, just rock them.
Keep taking your prenatal vitamins, it’s important that you and your baby get all the necessary vitamins and minerals.
Keep exercising and staying active, unless advised to rest by your doctor. Exercising before pregnancy and during pregnancy would make getting your body back much easier. Don’t forget to tone up your pelvic floor with kegel exercises.
Feed your increasing appetite with yummy and nutritious food. An iron-rich diet would prevent you from getting anaemic. Increase your intake of dark leafy vegetables like ugu, egg yolk, beans, red meat, iron-fortified cereals. Also eating foods high in Vitamin C would help your body absorb iron better. Citrus fruits,tomato, sweet potatoes are all good sources of vitamin C.
Elevate your feet while sitting down to reduce swelling. Also remember to take rings off your fingers before they get stuck due to swelling.
Finally, stay informed, healthy and inspired, by reading  Maternity Nest. Connect with other moms-to-be for moral support, by joining your Due Date Club in the The Nest.
