The child
As of now, your baby will no longer be measured from crown to rump but from head to foot. At the start of this week, your baby is about 5.5 inches (14 cm) long, head to foot. Her arms and legs are fully formed and all her joints work.
To a certain extent, your baby can now coordinate her movements as the nervous system is functioning and muscles respond to signals transmitted by the brain.
The uterus is a hive of activity—the baby is rolling round, kicking, doing somersaults, wrinkling her brow, opening and closing her mouth and sucking her thumb. That said, it may be difficult to feel these movements at this stage as the amniotic fluid dampers the effect.
Your baby’s skin is thin, reddish and wrinkly. The fine, downy lanugo is visible on the skin. This hair will have disappeared almost completely by the time your baby is born, but you may see a little on the back and shoulders.
Your baby starts to form subcutaneous fat, commonly referred to as brown fat, which will help your baby to stay warm after birth. Your baby’s nails also start to form.
Mother
If you’ve had a baby before, it’s not unusual to feel your baby moving earlier than the first. You might already have felt the first tiny fluttering sensation that is so special? If your placenta is in the front (behind your navel), what doctors refer to as an anterior placenta, it may be harder for you to feel any movement until your baby is a bit bigger. The position of the placenta is one of the things checked at the routine ultrasound scheduled for between weeks 18 and 20.
Your uterus may have started practicing again ahead of childbirth and you may feel it tensing and constricting. These contractions are called Braxton Hicks contractions. As long as you feel no pain, it’s fine. If you do experience pain, consult your midwife or physician. Contractions can sometimes be the first sign of a urinary tract infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics. This is easy to check with a simple urine sample.
Your body may start to produce colostrum now. This is the clear fluid that emerges from your nipple if you squeeze your breast. Colostrum is the first food your baby receives before your body starts to produce mature breast milk around day 3 or 4. As long as you are pregnant, your breast produces colostrum. You needn’t worry that you’ll run out if you leak before your baby is born. Extremely nutritious and high in protein, it also contains various antibodies that offer some protection against infections. Superfood, in other words!
If you had a less-than-favorable breastfeeding experience last time, it could be worth taking a breastfeeding course in preparation. Studies indicate that learning about the mechanisms of breastfeeding before the baby is born increases the chances of a good start. Read more about how you can prepare for breastfeeding during your pregnancy in the articles below.
If you already know that you do not want to breastfeed, remember to bring a sports bra that provides good support to the birth center and do not stimulate your breasts. Speak with your midwife or physician for more information and advice.
Partner
Although your baby won’t be born for a while yet, now is a good time to start thinking—and talking—about your expectations for the after-birth period. Parenthood is a very joyous experience, but it can be a strain as well. Conflicts concerning how to look after your baby or how to divide household chores can arise in your relationship.
One way to initiate communication and together come up with mutual goals is for each of you to write down what you do over the course of a day, divided into one-hour intervals. Then imagine your life once your baby is born and write down what you think a typical day will be like, again divided into one-hour intervals. Compare your days and talk about what they look like and even where they differ.
