Week 21: Lots of movement going on this week! I usually feel her around 9 – 10am, again around 7-8pm, and then at about 11pm – 12am. Alec has been trying to feel her for the past two weeks and finally felt her moving last night for the first time (April 22 2011).
Your baby’s digestive system is maturing, now enabling the fetus to swallow amniotic fluid, absorb much of the water in it, and then pass unabsorbed matter as far as the large bowel.
Week 22: I’m looking bigger and bigger! I must definitely look pregnant now as I’m getting a lot of looks on the street. Baby clearly loves the theatre as she is really active when I’m watching a show.
During this week, your baby’s skin will make the transformation from being translucent to opaque but will still look red until enough fat builds under the skin layers. The skin will also be very wrinkly under the thick coating of vernix until the fat fills it out.
Week 23: More fun pregnancy symptoms are coming up – swelling feet (I need to buy new shoes!), reflux, back aches, pins and needles. I’ve been so tired this week – it could be a growth spurt or an iron deficiency possibly. One funny moment – Alec placing his ear on my stomach to try and hear the baby’s heartbeat. She responded by kicking him in the head.
Your baby’s brain is now starting to grow rapidly, with billions and billions of brain cells developing in the next couple of weeks. These brain cells will control every aspect of your baby — from breathing to circulation, recognising sensory stimulation to movement, and everything in between.
Week 24: Six months milestone! I had my 6 month check up and everything is looking great. Baby is in the 75th percentile for size/weight. My weight is also looking good – I’m weighing in at 162 pounds (73.5kg). I’ve put on 5 kilos so far, which puts me smack on track. Feeling pretty good except for upper back muscle spasms which started this week. I’m going prenatal yoga twice a week, but clearly it’s not enough.
Your baby — who is almost a foot long — now has hair starting to cover his/her scalp. And while defining characteristics like cowlicks will be visible, the hairs will be short and fine until closer to the birth. As of right now, the hairs don’t have pigment, but in the next several weeks you’ll have a brunette, blonde or carrot top growing in your tummy. Her face is fully formed.
Week 25: I can feel bigger movements now – the baby turning and twisting as well as kicking and punching. I’ve spent most of the week with excruciating back pain – I’m not sure what’s causing it, if it’s the baby pressing against nerves, or my posture changing, but it’s been really painful. I’m feeling moments of panic (I’m not ready! I don’t know how to take care of a baby!) along with feeling more organised as we start to look at furniture and book in childbirth education classes.
Hair now has colour and texture. This is a pretty big week for your baby’s nose and vocal cords. The nostrils are starting to open up now (they were plugged up before) so your baby will be taking some practice “breaths.” And since the vocal cords are officially functioning, prepare to feel a few hiccups here and there!
Week 26: This week, my face got puffy (noooo!!!) and so did my feet, and I started to need to take afternoon naps like a nanna if I go out during the day. Over the weekend we went on a gospel walking tour of Harlem. Baby loved the gospel music, kicking and turning throughout the service.
Your baby’s hearing is progressing as the network of nerves to the ears matures. And even though the sounds your baby hears are muffled, he or she may recognise both yours and your partner’s voices.
Week 27: My mental acuity has been slipping since becoming pregnant, and I’ve had some doozys this week: such as deleting my calendar in gmail (it’s not recoverable!). I’ve gotten even clumsier than usual, too. Case in point – cutting, burning, stabbing and bruising myself all in the one day … On baby updates, it’s getting easier for Alec to feel her movements.
This week, your little one weighs in at almost 2 pounds and is almost 15 inches long. Eyelashes are also starting to grow at the ends of the lids, and someone will be taking a first peek around this week, as baby’s eyelids flutter open for the first time. The eyelids won’t stay open for too long yet, but the blinking reflex will begin. More good news: Your baby probably recognises the voice behind all those lullabies now, and he/she is falling in love just as fast as you are.
