The child
Your baby now measures about 2.5 inches (6.5 cm) from crown to rump and is about to start growing fast. Her internal organs are maturing. Baby’s movements are less jerky, and she can bend and twist all her joints. Eyebrows are starting to appear, and hair is starting to grow on the head. You can listen to your baby’s heart by holding an ultrasound instrument against your belly.
In preparation for life outside the uterus, your baby is now practicing breathing in and out, and filling her lungs with amniotic fluid. However, in her water-filled world your baby isn’t using her lungs to take in oxygen. Your baby gets oxygen directly from mom’s blood via the umbilical cord and placenta.
The placenta provides all the nutrients your baby needs and hormones that are important for the pregnancy.
Mother
Your skin could look more beautiful and smoother thanks to the increase in blood volume and the oxytocin hormone. Many women find that also their hair changes during pregnancy—it feels thicker and shinier. Other women experience the complete opposite—it becomes frizzy and hard to manage.
When it comes to dyeing your hair during pregnancy, there are no restrictions at this time. However, it cannot be ruled out completely that chemicals are absorbed through the skin of your scalp and affect the pregnancy or your baby. Your pregnancy hormones can cause your hair to react differently to the dye, so the results may not be what you were expecting.
If you had a less-than-favorable experience of pregnancy and childbirth, you may be worried and afraid about what will happen this time. Talk with your midwife or physician. Prepare a plan well in advance so that you feel as calm and secure as possible. It might be worth spending more time on preparing for the birth this time, or preparing yourself in some other way. You may find that it’s a little easier to prepare now that you know what it means to give birth or what a cesarean section involves.
If you had a cesarean section or a large rupture when you gave birth before, you will have the chance to discuss the best way to give birth this time with your midwife or physician at the prenatal clinic. They will send a referral to the birth center or maternity ward where a birth plan will be prepared and a decision made regarding the best alternative.
Partner
During this time, many mothers-to-be start feeling great. Their nausea subsides which is, of course, great for you too.
Do you enjoy exercising? Perhaps you could work out together. Not only is exercise good for both of you, it also gives you the perfect opportunity to talk about all the things that are happening in your lives at the moment.
