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Pregnancy Week

February 9th, 2009


Pregnancy Week by Week – The Final Stages

Executive Summary By Brian G Potter

A pregnancy is usually an expected happy event in a family, anticipated much like Christmas day to a young child, yet even so it is fraught with hormonal upheavals and emotions that affect the entire family. In the third trimester of pregnancy a woman’s hormones have pretty much stabilized and the mood swings have subsided by a substantial degree. Unfortunately, other mental and emotional problems may creep in during this final stage of pregnancy. Forgetfulness and just being mentally off is a common complaint that woman often share but is also something that many woman feel and because of fears never share with others.

By getting the right foods, avoiding foods high in sodium and iron, particularly if taking iron supplements and getting moderate exercise will help to ease fears and anxiety as well as just making the physical and mental body feel well. Maintaining an exercise plan many emotional problems are lessened as well due to the endorphins that are released during exercise causing a feeling of well being. Ensuring plenty of sleep and rest is a huge factor in curbing those emotional upheavals; take the time to center.

Allowing ones self to feel uncertain or fearful about the pregnancy in general is a helpful tool.

Pregnancy Week by Week – Progress

Executive Summary By Apurva Shree

The early signs of pregnancy create a mixed feeling of joy, fear, and nervousness. A pregnancy week-by-week guide will help you to overcome your apprehensions and wait for nature’s miracle to behold in flesh and bones after the completion of the pregnancy.

Pregnancy week by week developments:

Week one to four

During this period the sperm forming a zygote -the basic form of life, fertilizes the egg.

Week five to eight

A woman exhibits the early signs of pregnancy that is confirmed by the medical tests. By sixth week the baby’s heart starts to beat and by eighth week the fetus develops rudimentary limbs.

Week nine to twelve

During this period your body starts expanding to accommodate the growing fetus with growing body parts. It is also a time of subsiding nausea or morning sickness.

Week thirteen to sixteen

The baby’s bones begin to harden and it starts moving in the womb. You can hear the baby’s heartbeat during your visit to the doctor.

Week seventeen to twenty

The baby’s internal organs start developing rapidly. The fetus gets covered with soft fine hair called lanugo. This is the time when accurate gender of the baby can be checked.

Week twenty-one to twenty four

At this stage you will feel slight contractions as the uterus starts preparing for the delivery. Baby begins to practice breathing to be prepared for it at time of birth. The baby also develops fat deposits in order to regulate body temperature at the time of birth.

Week twenty-four to twenty eight

The baby hears muffled outside sounds and sense light at this stage. The baby’s movement starts slowing due to lack of space in the uterus.

Week twenty-nine to thirty two

The baby’s head grows rapidly in proportion to the rest of the body. The brain and eyes are almost fully developed, only the lungs need development.

Week thirty-three to thirty six

The baby grows to the length of sixteen inches and weighs four pounds at this stage. It can open-close its eyes, the fingernails too start growing at this stage.

Week thirty-seven to forty

The baby’s major organs are fully developed by now and lungs too grow to prepare for breathing outside the womb. The baby will drop to birthing stage in the pelvis. Maintain a pregnancy weekly calendar to note down all the developments and other relevant information provided by your doctor to monitor the growth of your baby.

Good pregnancy health is vital during the progressing pregnancy week by week.

You may want to check out another article about baby clothes.

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