Welcome to the Pregged pregnancy week-by-week series. Each week-by-week post is separated into three handy sections.
1. Mom – Section one covers the changes mom will experience and the things she may need to consider health-wise.
2. Baby – Section two looks at the development of the fetus and what’s going on with baby inside the womb.
3. Nutrition – Section three covers nutrition for each week of pregnancy so that you know what foods are important to include in your diet at each stage.
6 WEEKS PREGNANT – MOM
You baby has reach half of its final weight—4 pounds or so. What? How can you possibly get any bigger? Your uterus is still expanding continuously, and at 34 weeks pregnant, it is about five inches above your navel now. You may notice a burning right below your rib cage that is terribly annoying. Try massaging the area and change positions. If you have not already experienced carpal tunnel syndrome—you may start at this point. With all the swelling, the hands become numb as the pressure on the nerve in the wrist gets pinched. It makes it really difficult to write for any length of time. So, if you want to record some of your hopes and dreams about your pregnancy and baby to share later in life, start a video recording on your phone and send it off to your email for safe keeping.
Share your feelings when you first found out you were pregnant, your first ultrasound, the heart rate, the first movement, all the special events and memories preceding the birth. Oh, and one more thing, seriously consider your pain-relief options in labor. Many women prefer to go ‘au natural’ without chemicals, but keep your options open. I mean birthing a baby is akin to passing a kidney stone. There is absolutely no reason to suffer when options are safe both with intravenous meds and epidurals. And, this is not a joint decision between you and your partner! It’s your body, so make sure you take care of it. Everyone’s pain tolerance is different, and each labor is different. For example, if the baby is positioned ‘posterior’, the pain can be doubled.
Baby Development
Just three more weeks, then you are home-free. If you go into labor then, the doctor will let your precious one be born. Don’t get your hopes up. The exact cause or trigger for labor is not entirely understood. One interesting study showed that the baby itself might decide when to be born by releasing a protein from the surfactant in his or her lungs that interacts with maternal immune cells to create an inflammatory response in the uterus. Inflammation is a well-known factor in premature births, though the source is not from the fetal lungs, more likely an infection or inflammation from another source-like vaginitis. Other views are that the fetal adrenal glands release a hormone that triggers a maternal response.
Pregnancy Nutrition Week 6
Every woman feels heartburn during pregnancy —It’s like having a flamethrower stationed in your chest or gut — The muscle at the base of the esophagus relaxes more easily causing burning acid to spray upwards, and you may even feel it in the back of your throat. Yuk! Be sure to sit upright when eating, chew slowly, drink small amounts of water with your meals, and avoid hot, spicy foods. Never lie down after a meal and prop your head at night to avoid any chance that it will pop up then. You can take antacids during pregnancy like Tums, but you have to take them about every two hours. Mixing baking soda in water and drinking it can help in a pinch. Once your hormones normalize after delivery, the heartburn will go away.