Medically prepared pregnancy guide
-And tips for the first weeks after the birth-
WEEK AFTER WEEK PREGNANCY OVERVIEW
Preface
We know that pregnancy raises many questions. It is precisely for this reason that we have had a doctor write a guide for you.
-All information is therefore based on the latest scientific status-
Do not rely on half-knowledge from the Internet, but on the knowledge of a doctor
We hope you enjoy reading
Your entire SaintBaby team
Week 1 & 2
The idea of having a baby is a nice feeling. The whole process of having a baby begins at conception and continues through to delivery. This entire period lasts approximately 40 weeks. Every week has its own beauty. Since the child is growing inch by inch in your womb during this time, there will be an abundance of joy and emotions in this long time.
Pregnancy is not a quick process. Preparation for conception begins in the first two weeks of pregnancy. There is no real baby yet, but the womb is preparing all the preparations to welcome the baby. Your body is eagerly waiting for your partner's sperm to hit the ripe egg during this time. Although there is no baby yet, many of a baby's hopes and dreams can surely be in you and in your partner's heart.
The best way to spend those two weeks is by taking pregnancy supplements provided by your doctor. Folic acid is an essential supplement and is given to all women planning pregnancy. Eating a healthy diet and moderate physical activity should also be on your list during these two weeks as you prepare your body for pregnancy.
Week 3
At the beginning of the third week, your mature egg would meet with your partner's sperm. This process is known as "fertilization".
Fertilization ensures that your baby receives 46 chromosomes (the elements that determine your baby's individual characteristics and make them unique). It's amazing that your baby gets all of these chromosomes from you and your partner - 23 from you and the other 23 from your partner.
Now, at week 3, you can tell that your baby is in its initial development. At this stage, the baby's eye color, skin color, and body shape are determined based on the chromosomes you and your partner provide. Although you can't see any changes on the ultrasound, your baby's sex will be determined at this point. Your egg has the X chromosome. If the sperm has a similar X chromosome, you have a little girl. However, if the sperm carries a Y chromosome, then your baby is a boy.
At this stage of the baby's development, the baby is just a ball of cells and moves through your fallopian tubes towards your womb. This trip from the fallopian tube to your womb has several steps and would take approximately 3-4 days. As soon as the cell ball reaches your uterus, the baby sticks to the wall of your uterus, and this process is called "implantation".
With the 3rd week implant, it is now time for your baby to grow.
Week 4
Now that the baby is growing, you can see some tiny parts of your baby in the baby's cocoon, or otherwise known as a "pregnancy sac".
At this stage, the placenta also begins to grow. The placenta is a special organ that connects the baby to the mother so that the baby can get oxygen and all nutrients from the mother.
The cell ball in your womb now divides into three layers. These layers will develop into the baby's body organs. At this stage, a collection of cell sheets appears to form a special tube called a neural tube. This tube develops into the baby's brain, spine, and spine by the end of week 4. Folic acid is very important for healthy neural tube growth. This is why your doctor has advised you to take folic acid supplements immediately in order to plan your pregnancy.
Week 5
By the 5th week of pregnancy, you can find that your baby has grown into a tadpole-like structure. The complex development of the baby's heart, blood vessels, brain and spine continues during this development week.
As we discussed in Week 4, there are 3 layers developed by the baby and these layers are called the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm, respectively. The ectoderm is the outermost layer of the three and this layer leads to the development of the baby's ear, nervous system and specialized tissue called connective tissue.
The baby's mesoderm layer is the middle layer that develops towards the baby's heart and major blood vessels.
The endoderm layer is the inner layer that develops as the baby's lungs, bladder, and intestines.
In addition, the umbilical cord development from the placenta begins this week of the baby's development.
At this stage you will feel changes in your body. The volume of blood in your body will increase by this week and you will be going to the bathroom to urinate frequently.
Week 6
From the 6th week onwards, your baby will grow very quickly.
The baby's cocoon fills with a liquid called amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid protects your baby from physical harm, such as shock, when you move faster or make vigorous movements. Covered in amniotic fluid, your baby will grow safe and sound during pregnancy.
Your baby's heart continues to grow during this development phase. The ultrasound can detect a regular heart rhythm at this stage. Although the rhythm is regular, you or the doctor will not be able to hear the heartbeat without the help of an ultrasound scan. Now, for even more pleasure, the ultrasound scan can reveal a tiny spot that is your baby's beating heart. The baby's heart rate does not match yours and beats faster at 150 beats per minute. This will continue until delivery.
Even though everything is moving faster, the baby still looks like a tadpole.
Your baby's face will begin to shape in this week of development. The appearance of two black dots on the face will develop into eyes in the near future. Two holes will appear on your baby's face that will later become your baby's nostrils. During this week, your baby's jaw, tongue, vocal cords, and even your baby's inner ear will begin to develop. However, the cheeks and chin may have already popped up.
The baby's neural tube leads to the head, spinal cord, and other nerves. The baby's head at this point is relatively larger than the body, and the baby's body shows a curved "C". The baby's brain begins to develop in the head. Different parts of the brain, including the front, middle, and back parts of the brain appear and the first brain waves can be recorded.
This is not all that will happen to your baby at this point. The early development of the liver, kidneys, pituitary gland, trachea, lungs, and genital organs begins this week of pregnancy.
You may experience morning sickness during the first trimester. Frequent nausea and drowsiness can also occur. Some women even complain of vomiting. All of this is due to changes in the hormones in your body. Here are some tips to help reduce morning sickness:
- Reduce stress and get 8-10 hours of sleep.
- Eating a cracker early in the morning before you get up from bed can help reduce nausea.
- Avoid spicy foods as this can irritate your stomach and make symptoms worse.
- Hydrate yourself enough by adding fresh fruit juices and teas.
- Don't drink coffee as it can make morning sickness worse.
It is important to know that although it is known as morning sickness, you can experience all of the symptoms throughout the day. So don't just take care of yourself in the morning, but all day long.
Week 7
Your baby now looks like a little butterfly. When your baby's arm buds emerge, the baby's limbs and their bone structures begin. The baby's entire body rests on a skeleton, but the difference is that at this stage it is not a bone, but a cartilage that is less strong and rigid and rigid. The baby's nerves sprout in both the arms and legs, and their joints begin to form too.
Your baby has the wrong tail at this point. This isn't a real tail, but this tail-like structure contains the lowest part of the baby's spine, the tailbone. However, in the coming weeks, this part will be in the body, and the tail will go away.
During this development week, the baby's face experiences further changes and developments. The two small dots seen on week 6 start eye formation. From this week on, your baby's tiny mouth and ears will also appear. Your baby's eyelid will wrinkle next to the eyes. In the coming weeks of pregnancy, this eyelid assumes its usual shape and position.
The baby's brain continues to develop complexly along with the nerve cells. Almost a third of the brain is formed during this week of development. During this phase, hundreds of cells develop in your baby's brain every minute. With this advanced brain and limb development, the baby can move around in your womb. However, you cannot feel the movement just yet.
Other organs such as blood vessels, heart, and digestive organs continue to develop over the weeks. The trachea continues to develop, and the bronchus splits into branches to coincide with the development of the lungs. The baby's liver will now start producing red blood cells.
Because there are hormonal changes in the body, you can now sweat more than you used to. So make sure you keep yourself hydrated at all times.
Week 8
Your baby will now become more like a person. The baby's face is more prominent: the baby's ear, tip of nose and upper lip are clearly defined in the 8th week of development. The eyebrows begin to develop, the chin is now pressed against the chest and the tail begins to disappear.
The baby's arm and foot buds lead to interconnected feet and arms. For the next few weeks, the distinctive fingers can be seen on the ends of the limbs. During this week of development, the baby's arms are bent at the wrist and the hands are placed near the chest, looking folded. This week of pregnancy also determines the position of the joints in the hands and feet. Although the baby is constantly moving in the womb. It is too early for the mother to feel the movement.
Your baby's heartbeat gets stronger every day. At this point, the visual pigments appear in a special place on the eyeball known as the retina. These pigments aid in your baby's vision when outside of your womb.
Your baby's sex organs, or genitals, develop during this week. However, these organs do not yet have specific characteristics to determine whether your baby is a boy or a girl. If you want to know the gender of your baby, you will have to wait a few more weeks before you can find out during your ultrasound scan.
Your baby grows at 1mm per day and therefore the baby needs a lot of energy that you have to fulfill. You can meet all of your baby's nutritional needs by eating a healthy, balanced diet that is recommended for pregnancy. It is true that you need to consume more calories and more nutrients during pregnancy. But "eating for two when pregnant" is a myth. Although you want to provide all of the nutrition to your baby, make sure that you are eating healthy and only consuming the necessary amounts.
Food cravings are a well-known sign of pregnancy and can occur in any part of pregnancy from the first trimester onwards. You may find that you have strange food cravings or that you are starting to like food that you didn't like before. You may notice a major change in food preferences. Don't worry about that as it is normal. Try to satisfy your cravings and remember that all of your eating habits must be healthy.
Week 9
This week of pregnancy as the doctors now refer to your baby as the "fetus". The baby is completely like a mini human. The characteristics are more pronounced. The baby's body doubles. This would also apply to the size of the head. The size of the head still remains larger than the body. The tail has disappeared at this stage of pregnancy. You can see that the eyes and eyelids are fully developed, but the eyes are still closed. The baby's eyes do not open until after the 27th week of pregnancy. It can be seen that the child has a protruding ear with an earlobe, mouth, nose and even a throat. The baby's tongue also shows the formation of taste receptors and the roof of the mouth also begins to grow together.
The baby's heart shows a complex development of its chambers and valves.
The baby's immune system, which protects itself against microbes, works through the developed thymus gland. The cells that are part of the immune system are produced in this gland.
The arms and feet show advanced development in this week of pregnancy. The membrane attached between the fingers begins to disappear and clear, distinctive fingers can be seen. The end of the baby's finger shows a slightly enlarged size. This enlarged size of the ends of the fingers starts the development of the baby's unique fingerprint. The baby's leg also increases in length. At this stage of development, most of the baby's important joints are formed and ready to work. The formation of muscles in different joints in the body allows the baby to move, but the movements are still uncoordinated.
The development of the brain is continuous, with most of the parts responsible for movement and the vital functions of the body fully developed.
The baby's organs, as if the pancreas, gallbladder, and genital organs are developing along with the respiratory organs.
Although no new organs have been developed this week, all of the body's organ systems are evolving. This includes changes in height and weight. You will need to sit still for a few more weeks to know the gender of your baby. Waiting is difficult, but you can be sure that your baby is developing at the right rate.
Week 10
Your baby is now 4 inches long. The baby's facial features become distinctive and clear. The development of the jawbones and the onset of future teeth continues. The eyebrows continue to develop in week 10 as well. You can see the forehead clearly when it protrudes from the face. This is a good sign that the baby's brain is actively developing.
The baby's spine can be stretched during this week of development. The bones of the body are also hardened. The fingers and toes show more definition because the membrane between the fingers and toes is no longer visible. That's not all. Now you can see the mini nails appear at the end of your fingers and toes. The baby can bend his wrist and move his hands and feet.
Your baby is growing, the first nice sign of this is that the baby is swallowing the liquid around the baby, which is the amniotic fluid. As a result of swallowing, the developed digestive tract begins to produce digestive juices to digest the ingested materials.
In the 10th week of development, the baby's kidney has almost completed its development and the first urine is produced. This is great news, isn't it?
Your baby has body hair, and this hair appears all over the place, and this hair is called "lanugo". There are other important changes in your baby. The baby's brain and nervous system are showing great development, producing 250,000 nerve cells per minute. The baby's heart also enlarges. The liver takes over the functions of the yolk sac and continues to produce red blood cells.
The endocrine system also shows spontaneous development. The baby's thyroid is showing signs of future thyroid hormone production from the accumulation of iodine in the thyroid.
Week 11
Your baby will gain both length and weight. The next 10 weeks of baby development show a 3-fold increase in the baby's length and a 30-fold increase in weight than the previous 10 weeks.
The baby's head is even bigger. However, the head-to-body relationship will improve in the coming weeks. The baby's "C" body will slowly straighten up from week 11 onwards. The baby's face is fully formed. You can see the mini nose, cheeks, and even chin. The baby's ear is fully formed and has its final shape. The shaped ears also move to the sides of the head. The fully developed ears are clearly visible on the ultrasound examination. The child's tongue and palate also formed properly this week of pregnancy. Although eyes are formed, they still remain closed. The hair bulbs on the head as well as on the body start forming from week 11. Now that you can see some mini / rudiment teeth in the fully formed jaws.
As with your baby's airway development, your baby can now breathe. The main difference in breathing between you and the child is that you are breathing air, but your baby is breathing the amniotic fluid. Yes, the amniotic fluid is inhaled and exhaled. This is how your baby learns to breathe. This step is very important for the healthy development of your baby's lungs.
The other internal organs such as the pancreas develop and begin to produce insulin hormone. The digestive tract also shows advanced development. The folds and bends in the intestines are made to digest food. The liver is also actively developing. It is also important that the umbilical cord passes through this area when the mother's nutrients enter the baby's bloodstream via the liver. Although the liver doesn't act as an adult liver, it does help produce red blood cells. The fully developed kidneys are further developed and matured.
If your child is a little girl, your baby's ovaries are formed at this stage of pregnancy. When your baby is a young boy, your baby's scrotum and testicles develop at this stage of development.
There are other changes in your baby's skin. The skin becomes less transparent. However, the blood vessels radiate through them. The formation of mini nails that started in the previous week continues into this week of pregnancy.
Week 12
Your baby's organ systems are now developing faster. The muscles continue to develop so that the baby can do more stretches and kicks. The baby's reflexes will be fully developed at this stage.
When you put your hand on your tummy, your baby can feel it and react to it by closing your fingers and toes in response. In addition, the baby can now flex and loosen their fingers. Your baby can now even contract muscles around his eyes and perform sucking movements.
The baby's intestines cannot yet fit into the abdomen, and the intestines move into the umbilical cord and later into the abdomen. The fully developed kidneys are already producing urine. The urine can now enter the baby's bladder and be released into the amniotic fluid.
The ultrasound scan still cannot reveal the baby's gender because the sex organs need to evolve to identify the gender.
Week 13
The baby looks like a mini-human every week. The baby's ears have migrated to the right place in the head. Your baby's eyes also moved into place towards the front of the face. The growth of the body is faster than the growth of the head. That's not all. You can see the baby's arms grow longer. Your baby will be able to suck their thumb from this week.
The baby's skin still looks slightly see-through. The baby's blood vessels and organs can be seen. Your baby now has a uniquely engineered fingerprint.
The baby's physical activity increases from this week onwards. Now he / she can move legs and hands, swallow, yawn and even hiccups.
The other organs continue to mature. The baby's intestines begin to move from the umbilical cord into the abdomen.
In the 13th week of pregnancy, your doctor can examine gender identification. However, your doctor will not draw any conclusions until a few weeks of researching your baby's exact sex. By the time your baby is a girl, their ovaries are already filled with around 7 million eggs.
Week 14
From this week onwards, the baby's internal organs will continue to mature. The baby's palate is fully formed, which facilitates the constant sucking reflexes. The baby's body grows faster than the head and this gives the neck more definition. You can also see some hair growth in the head as well as in the eyebrows. The growth of this facial and body hair becomes more intense after the 28th week of pregnancy.
The digestive tract of the body continues to develop. The liver begins to produce bile. As a result, your baby's spleen is now taking over the function of producing red blood cells. The baby's intestines also start producing meconium. This is the primary, or first, stool released after birth. The pancreas also begins to produce enzymes that aid digestion and the hormone insulin.
If your baby is a boy, this is where his prostate will begin to form. When your baby is a girl, their ovaries move up to the pelvis.
All changes lead the baby to an independent life.
Week 15
You are now 15 weeks pregnant. This week will be a joyful and unforgettable week for you. You will easily feel your baby's kicks and jerks. This week of baby development shows that the brain controls your baby's muscles. The movements become stronger and you can feel them.
Your baby's facial expressions can be seen starting this week. The cute face of can now flinch, frown, blink and smile. The facial expressions will continue to develop in the coming weeks. These expressions do not correlate with your child's mood, they are just the movements of the muscles.
The baby's senses are also actively developing. The baby's eyes can respond to light even though the eyes are closed. The taste buds also continue to develop. The bones of the ear harden in the ear cavity and this makes hearing easier. Now you can talk to your baby and your baby can hear them.
Baby's legs grow faster than her hands. This leads to an increasing proportion in the body that resembles a newborn. All of the major joints in the body are formed and the hardening of the bones continues. It is also interesting that the baby's skull bones also begin their formation.
The hair covering around the body has an insulating effect and helps maintain temperature by storing heat. This layer of hair is shed as soon as your baby deposits fat under the skin.
What is more interesting is that your baby's gender can be identified at this point. Are you curious whether you will have a boy or a girl? Or do you want to surprise it? Now is the time to decide!
Week 16
By week 16, your baby can make a fist with his hand and suck his thumb more easily. Even though the eyelids are closed, your baby can turn the eyeballs. Your baby will be able to respond more appropriately to light in the coming week by rotating the eyeball towards the light source.
Your baby's bones will get harder but still a little softer to move through the mother's birth canal during delivery. The baby's spine has straightened out at this stage of development.
Your baby's ear cavity continues to advance so your baby can hear most of the external noise. So remember that you are not alone. Your baby hears everything you say. Isn't it a great time to talk to your baby, tell stories or just pour your heart out with love?
Week 17
Your baby is now about 6 inches long and about 150 grams. You will feel your baby's hiccups for the first time. The baby has already developed the reflexes necessary to survive outside the womb. The baby's movements become more coordinated.
After the baby has developed organs, the fatty tissue begins to grow under the skin. This is not the same fatty tissue as you and me. This is a special type of fat called "brown fat". This is important for heat generation and temperature maintenance. That's not all. Your baby's sweat glands will begin to develop from this week onwards.
Week 18
Your baby's fingerprints are completely formed by the 18th week of pregnancy. The baby's bones also continue to develop, and at this stage of development there are about 200 bones in the baby's body.
The baby's senses are further developed in the 18th week of pregnancy. Although the baby can hear the sounds, it is not yet able to interpret any of the sounds. In the following weeks of development, the baby can learn to interpret these sounds.
The baby's skin becomes thicker and less transparent. However, you can see some blood vessels through them.
The baby's womb and fallopian tubes are also formed when your baby is a girl. If your baby is a boy, his sexual organs are well expressed at this stage.
Week 19
You can now feel those surprising kicks from those little feet very well. The baby's leg is now longer than the arm. The baby's weight is also increasing at this stage of development and has now exceeded the weight of the placenta.
Your baby's heart rate continues to drop, but it is still higher than that of an adult. The heart rate and rhythm become stronger.
Your baby's complex development continues. This includes the brain and nervous system, other organs and endocrine systems. The part of the brain responsible for the senses, as if smells, sounds, touch, taste, and sight are being developed. This improves your baby's senses in the coming weeks of development and makes him well prepared for the outside environment after birth.
Week 20
By the 20th week of development, all of the baby's organs have been formed or are in their maturation phase.
The baby's muscles are well developed, and this allows the baby to perform acrobatic movements in the womb. This is further supported by further hardening of the bones and this process continues.
When your baby is a boy, the external genital organs continue to grow under the influence of the sex hormone testosterone. However, the testicles are still in the baby's tummy and will descend near birth.
By the time your baby is a girl, the uterus and fallopian tubes have developed, and the primitive eggs in the ovaries begin to reduce to 2 million eggs. These eggs last a lifetime and there will be no new egg formation after birth.
Week 21
Now you can see your heart and lungs clearly during an ultrasound scan. In addition, your baby can feel everything faster than before. Your baby can understand your eating habits, sleeping habits and whether it is dark or light outside.
At this stage of development, your baby's reproductive organs continue to develop. A little girl's vagina starts forming from week 21. In boys, the testicles formed in the abdomen gradually move towards the scrotum from this week onwards. However, this movement continues until birth.
Week 22
This is one of the most important weeks for a baby's development. The baby's lungs continue to develop. In addition, the baby's body is preparing to secrete a special substance called surfactant. This substance is particularly important for the proper functioning of the lungs and helps the baby to breathe independently shortly after birth.
The eyes are fully shaped, but your baby's eye color is still not shaped due to the low number of pigments in the iris.
The baby's skin is no longer transparent, but the skin is covered with a greasy material. This will go away once the fatty tissue is fully formed.
Another interesting feature that will appear in week 22 of development is that your baby has its own circadian rhythm. He / she will sleep at least 12 hours. But remember, your baby does not go with your daily rhythm and that is why your baby can wake you from sleep with gentle kicks and naughty movements.
Week 23
Your baby is obviously an adult now. The baby's brain and ear show advanced development that enables them to recognize your voice.
Plus, you can feel pretty much more kicks starting this week as your baby tries to move his legs by pressing his leg against the womb.
Your baby's eyes are occasionally open, but most of the time they are closed. This will change after the 27th week of development.
The baby's heart is also developing and the doctor's stethoscope can now hear your baby's heartbeat.
The baby's skin has pigment and the fat deposits under the skin also develop faster. Your baby can regulate body temperature.
Week 24
Your baby is the size of a melon. The skin becomes opaque and the skin contains pigments. The skin looks pink due to the development of many new capillaries.
Your baby is learning to breathe. The baby's nostrils move to practice breathing. These breathing movements caused more amniotic fluid to get into the lungs and this further aided the development of the lungs.
The baby's senses are fully developed and this ensures that your baby can respond to your voice and touch. The baby's ear and the part of the brain that controls balance continue to develop. This allows the baby to recognize its exact position in the womb.
It also develops your baby's hearing ability. This enables the baby to learn the mother tongue and act as an early language lesson for the baby.
Week 25
As your baby's brain development has peaked, it has learned and acquired complex skills. This will give your baby a stronger grip. The baby will try to grasp everything that gets in its way, including the umbilical cord.
Now your baby is almost 33-35 cm tall and weighs 680 g. Your baby has gotten cuter and can also start blinking and holding them open.
The baby's skin is showing more pigment and is now completely opaque. The fat deposits under the skin increase at this stage of development. Many tiny new blood vessels form under the skin, making the skin pink in color.
As your baby grows and gains weight, back pain can occur. It can be difficult to stand for a long time or to walk quickly. Knowing the importance of staying active during pregnancy is a great way to slowly step outside. Now avoid strenuous or vigorous activity and be more careful with you and your baby.
Week 26
At this stage, your baby's hair will become thick and clear. The hair in the eyebrows and eyelashes also show a well-defined shape.
After the baby is almost fully developed, it has a certain sleep wave pattern. Your baby will now follow your sleep pattern and try to adapt to it.
The baby's spine is getting stronger every day. This allows the baby to move freely. The baby's eyesight becomes more sensitive and almost all kinds of stimuli affect the baby. However, it will take another 4-8 weeks for eye pigments to be made and the eye color to appear.
The baby also increases in size as the fat deposits under the skin have increased in thickness. You can no longer say that your baby is slim, it has gradually become plump.
By the end of the 26th week of pregnancy, your baby has developed an immune system to protect him from infection, but he is not fully mature.
Your baby can now see, feel, breathe, yawn, cry and even dance in your womb.
Week 27
Now that your baby has grown for 27 weeks, your baby can identify your voice and distinguish it from your partner's voice. You may feel kicks and jerks more often and sometimes these kicks can last several minutes. This is normal and not something to worry about.
The hiccups are also often felt. The baby may have hiccups in cases where the mother eats spicy foods. You will clearly feel these hiccups due to the baby's fully developed vocal cords.
Your baby will have fully developed tongue and taste buds and this will enable your baby to taste with the tongue in the future. The baby's skin looks red because of the blood vessels underneath.
The baby's nervous system continues to develop and this improves the reflexes and the reflexes become more coordinated.
Week 28
The eye pigments will be produced in higher quantities from this week onwards. The baby's nervous system is actively shaped. There is electrical activity in your baby's brain by the 28th week of pregnancy. Your baby can dream in its sleep.
In the meantime, your baby has a characteristic posture: slightly curled body with legs bent at the knees, arms bent at the elbows, limbs brought towards the trunk and the head next to the womb.
The third trimester of pregnancy only started last week. The entire focus of the further development of the brain, lungs and liver lies during this time. From the 20th to the 40th week of pregnancy, the liver increases in volume by at least 17 times the volume developed at the beginning of the 20th week of pregnancy.
Week 29
Your baby is now 37 cm and weighs 1.25 kg. The baby looks plump due to the increased growth of adipose tissue. By the 29th week of development, the baby's fat makes up about 4% of total body weight. This is important as this fat deposit helps regulate body temperature on its own.
You can experience more spontaneous and stronger kicks. That is healthy and normal. This shows that your baby is developing at the right pace. The advancement of the parts of the brain, the hardening of the bones and the strengthening of the muscles are the main reasons for these stronger and sudden kicks.
Your baby will turn his head to hear the conversation you are having or a song you are hearing. This is an important developmental milestone for the baby. As the baby's enhanced senses and brain development promote this advanced quality, it will be better suited to the environment it will be exposed to after birth.
Although the teeth do not appear outside, the enamel appears around the teeth. At this point, the baby's teeth are in the gums. Now that the baby is fully developed you can feel the baby's place and body. The baby's body is the most motionless part of the mother's belly. The baby's head rests in the part of the abdomen where most of the movement can be felt.
Week 30
When your baby is 1.3 kg and 40 cm tall, they will gain 0.5 pounds each week. As the baby grows taller, the movement may decrease slightly as there is less room to move. This is normal and not a cause for concern. However, if you do not hear or feel any movement, you need to see your doctor.
The biggest changes that occur during this week of development affect the nervous system. The wrinkles and furrows in the brain begin to deepen and become more prominent. This is a sign of the development of complex brain functions and skills.
During this week of development, the baby's body bone marrow begins to produce red blood cells. The spleen and liver do not fulfill this function. The amount of amniotic fluid also decreases as the baby grows. Now that the baby is in the 30th week of development, there is about 1 liter of amniotic fluid in the amniotic sac.
Week 31
In the third trimester, the baby's weight increases faster than that of the height. Some babies already have a lot of hair on their heads, others may not have a lot. It varies from baby to baby.
You can see your baby moving when you talk to him / her and this is a way of responding to you. All of this is possible with the baby's well-developed hearing ability.
The baby's other senses are fully developed and working efficiently. The pupils of the baby's eyes can now respond to light.
When you have a boy, his testicles are roughly level with the opening of the abdomen on his lower part known as the groin duct. When you have a baby girl at this stage of development, the clitoris (one of the sex organs) begins to form.
As your child is growing and almost preparing to see you, you need to make sure that you are still consuming the right nutrients and supplements, even when you are 31 weeks pregnant. You should also know that whatever you are feeling, your baby is feeling. When you are stressed, your baby will feel it. If you are stressed out for any reason, you can do relaxation exercises or pregnancy yoga. You can also meditate or listen to quiet music. All of these are important for your baby's healthy growth.
Week 32
As you near your final weeks of pregnancy, we know that your happiness and joy cannot be contained. Remember, when you are happy and cheerful, your baby will feel it too. This is exceptionally good welcome news for the baby.
Now that the baby has fully developed taste buds, it tries to taste the amniotic fluid. Your baby is also trying to make preferences about the food you eat. Therefore, if you want your baby to love healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, it is great to start consuming them now so that your baby can get their nutritional preferences right.
In this week of development, most of the organs have reached full maturity. Your baby can stay at head height. He / she can perform somersaults. However, by the end of that week, the baby will be in the wrong position. This can sometimes vary between babies, but from 32 weeks the baby can take this position as a readiness for delivery.
Your baby will now dream more and will also try to move as much as possible during the period of vigilance.
It is better to stop any strenuous activity that you do from now on. You can also use meditation and breathing techniques to relieve stress in the body and prepare for labor.
Avoiding spicy foods for the last 5 to 8 weeks of pregnancy will help prevent belching, heartburn, and stomach irritation as the large, bloated womb can press against your stomach and make symptoms worse. It is better to avoid fatty foods as well. You can reduce discomfort by increasing the pillow height. This will relive heartburn most of the time and make breathing easier as well.
Week 33
From this week you can see that your baby is no longer active as before. This indicates that the space in the womb is filling up and restricting its movement. This is completely normal in the last few weeks of pregnancy.
The bones of the baby's body become denser. The baby's skull now has separate bones, and between these separate bones there are cartilage-covered spaces in which the baby can move flexibly through the mother's birth canal. The two halves of the brain are now connected and complete their development. The baby's nose still looks like a button as the back of the nose is still not shaped.
As the time of delivery approaches, the baby's nervous system continues to improve. This results in coordinated sucking and swallowing with breathing movements.
Week 34
Your baby will look almost like a newborn, only with more fat deposits at the time of delivery. Most of the weight gain achieved in the past few weeks is converted into fat deposits to isolate the organs.
Your baby is almost ready to meet you at 34 weeks of pregnancy, even though your due date is later. When you are expecting a boy, your baby's testicles will grip into their position in the scrotum.
You have waited 34 weeks and there are only a few weeks left to welcome your baby into your arms.
Week 35
As you near your delivery date, you can focus on giving your body plenty of rest. Avoid sudden movements and try to maintain correct posture. As the baby grows, it is difficult to sleep on your back as the weight is transferred to your spine and you can experience back pain. Now is the good time to sleep on your sides with comfortable pillows around you. You can ask your partner to massage your back lightly to relive the strain.
As the baby approaches the final weeks of development, all the focus is only on weight gain, and not on the development of any particular organ.
Week 36
While the baby is in its 36th week of development, the baby's face becomes rounder as the fat build-up under the skin occurs more quickly. The final stage of development of the muscles involved in suckling is also completed so that the baby can drink milk as soon as it comes out of the womb.
Now is the perfect time for you and your partner to arrange everything you need for your baby to arrive. You must now have the packing of your baby bag for delivery and everything you need for your own care.
Week 37
Your baby's final touches take place in every organ of the body. The baby adds about 14 g of fat every week until birth. While this does not change the mother's body weight, adding 14 grams of fat per week will change the baby's weight.
Your baby is ready to get out of your womb and into your arms. He / she has learned all the techniques and specific adaptations to survive outside of your womb.
Now you need to be aware of any pain or contractions that may begin to appear from this week on as it may be a call for your beautiful baby to deliver.
38.39 & 40th week
Your baby enjoys every minute of time in your womb. He / she expects the moment to see you and to feel you. As your body prepares to deliver your baby safely, you and your partner may have a million dreams in store for you.
Preparing for the baby's delivery begins itself in the first trimester when your doctor asks about the preferred method of delivery. You might consider natural childbirth or a cesarean section. In any case, it is important that you prepare beforehand and wait for the right time.
A child is not only an enrichment for your life, but also an abundance of joy. The moment you hear the first scream will change you and your partner's life forever. May this joy increase in your life in the years to come!
epilogue
The start of the time together
It's pleasant in the mother's womb. It's warm, her heartbeat is familiar, the lights and sounds from outside are muted. Thanks to the amniotic fluid, movements are like a gentle rocking.
And then suddenly everything is different.
The outside world is loud, bright, hectic and sometimes cold. Mom can suddenly move away spatially. Dad (or depending on the family constellation, mom's partner) is also very nice, but not nearly as familiar as mom. And then there is the switch from the perfect "food pipeline" to independent food intake.
So: hunger. Sometimes every two hours, sometimes two hours at a time. This cluster feeding is absolutely normal, especially with breastfeeding children, and regulates itself to longer breastfeeding intervals with increasing age. Abdominal pain, if the peasant has not worked out and there is too much air in the stomach, can, in addition to sudden hunger attacks, also cause a bad mood. Try to carry your child in a pilot's grip or ask your midwife about abdominal massage techniques, she will be happy to advise you.
You can tell that the world is upside down for a child after birth. But not only for the child, also for the new parents. While the mother struggles with the hormonal change and sometimes with the tears, her body has to work hard to regress. The uterus contracts after the birth and there is after-labor. These are particularly easy to notice during the first few days after the birth of the child. Here the body releases the binding hormone oxytocin, which stimulates the mammary glands to produce milk and at the same time causes the uterus to contract.
So after-pains are important, albeit uncomfortable. In addition, there is bleeding of up to six weeks, this is called weekly flow. Large sanitary napkins should be used to allow the body to drain off and to prevent the bleeding from congestion, known as lochia in technical terms. Tampons are not suitable due to the severity of the bleeding. It is best to have a supply of sanitary napkins ready to hand before giving birth. As if the after-pains and bleeding weren't enough, some mothers worry at the sight of the hairbrush. During pregnancy, many women feel like Rapunzel because hardly any hair falls out and the hair becomes thicker, but this ends after childbirth when the loss of the hormone estrogen causes more hair to fall out. As soon as the hormonal balance has regulated,
Not to be forgotten in the time after the birth is the father (or the partner). Even if the physical adjustment is less for partners, there is a little new person there who takes time to get to know each other. And then do the laundry, clean the apartment and cook the perfect meal? The clear answer: no.
Allow yourself and your child time to arrive. Pregnancy and childbirth were exhausting and suddenly everything is new. Make the transition as easy as possible for yourself. Sleep when your child is asleep. It is good that you might otherwise be able to eat off the floor. But that's just not the priority. The delivery service can be in front of the door more often, so there is no time to cook. Instead, there is more time to cuddle and breastfeed. Even if only the mother can breastfeed, the partner has other strengths. Many babies need a lot of physical contact after they are born. Here the partner can take over while the mother takes a shower, eats or sleeps.
Share your tasks and resources fairly, as a team everything works better. If you are accused of indulging your child unnecessarily: You cannot spoil your baby in the first few months by giving him closeness and security. Never let your newborn baby cry. That doesn't mean jumping up at every note and overturning in the hectic pace. But a crying child needs you. Go there in peace and comfort. Even if the cause of the crying doesn't always seem obvious to you, your child still needs you. This also applies to sleep. When children cry at night, they need mom or dad.
Do not be unsettled if others tell you that the child must learn to sleep alone. No child should have to cry itself to sleep. This only leads to damage to the child's basic trust. You know better, don't be confused when you are there for your baby. With regard to sleeping, aspects of safe sleep should be considered. Sleeping bags instead of blankets ensure free breathing, and the room should also be smoke-free and the room temperature should be around 18 ° C. Your child will sleep most safely in the supine position.
And if there is a little free time left during the day, go for a walk together. Win-win situation: fresh air, exercise and a walk no longer bothers the untidy apartment. So you can wonderfully enjoy the first few weeks with your newborn.
