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If
this is your first baby, it can be tricky recognizing your baby’s
movements. It will be a while before you feel pushes and kicks. At first
you’ll feel fluttery movements as your baby moves amniotic fluid
around.
Weeks 13 to 18
Weeks 13 to 18
You
Your risk of miscarriage has dropped dramatically and hopefully any nausea will begin to lift (if it doesn’t, speak to your doctor or midwife). Your bump will begin to show as your baby grows to around the size of a avocado and your breast will become bigger. It’s a good idea to invest in a good maternity bra aw well as a stretch mark cream as you may spot a few appearing.
Baby
Baby is developing at an amazing rate. Her eyebrows and eyelashes are growing and her skin is covered in fine hair (lanugo). At the same time, she’s becoming very active - busy kicking, rolling, doing somersaults and even tugging her umbilical cord. Her eyes have become very sensitive to light. Your baby’s genitals are developed and your OB might have pointed out the gender of your baby and she will also do the necessary fetal measurements during your scan. By 14 weeks your baby will have her own unique set of fingerprints.
Weeks 19 to 22
You
Congratulations - you are half way through
- The first few fetal movements or quickening maybe felt around this time especially for first time moms. You may likely to feel them after a meal or during a quiet time when your sitting or lying down. These baby movements might feel like flutters or bubbles inside your tummy.
- As your bump grows bigger, it’s completely normal to feel the odd twinge in your abdomen and a little clumsier as your centre of gravity shifts. Take the strain off your lower back with a support belt.
- Baby is growing so very quickly now. Her skin is thickening and is covered in vernix, a creamy substance hat protects her. Her eyes are formed except for the color in her iris. Your baby is also absorbing your anitbodies that will protect her from infection when she first comes into the world.
- By 26 weeks you might feel a tiny hand pressing against your tummy.
You
For the next nine to ten weeks, you’ll put on around half of your pregnancy weight. It’s quite common to have dry eyes, so keep some eye drops in handy. And as there’s so much pressure on your bladder, you might find yourself popping to the bathroom more often.You may also feel more ravenous during mealtimes. Make sure to have your blood pressure and sugar levels checked so as to rule out gestational diabetes (GDM).
Baby
- At this point, your baby looks like a mini version of how she’ll look when she arrives. She’s got a lo of filling out to do over the next few weeks but has developed so much that she can hear music and the sound of your voice. Talking, reading stories and playing soft music around your belly is a good way to stimulate her senses. She’ll begin to open her yes and even such her tumb.
- You may feel your baby doing some somersaulting.
