Lara Percival

Tag: Cantaloupe Melon

  • Into Week 34 – Cantaloupe Melon

    Into Week 34 – Cantaloupe Melon

    Your baby is the size of a cantaloupe melon 2.1kg and measures 44.5cm (head to heel)…

    YOUR GROWING BABY

    The brain is working enthusiastically forming all of the millions of complex connections needed for learning in the outside world. While this is happening your baby may be sleeping much more and possibly even dreaming. This can be monitored by the rapid eye movement (REM) during sleep.

    Your baby’s brain is not the finished article at birth and will triple in size in the first year. At the age of one your baby’s brain is three-quarters the size of that of an adult.

    The lungs are maturing well and healthy babies born now are at less risk of needing extra help with their breathing, but may still need extra care after birth and require monitoring in the neonatal nursery.

    WHAT’S HAPPENING TO YOU

    By this week, fatigue has probably set in again and your tiredness is perfectly understandable. Now is the time to take frequent rests and conserve your energy for the big day.

    Your vision may seem blurry and a decrease in tear production can leave your eyes dry and irritated. An increase in fluid in the eye can change their shape so you may find you are more near-sighted or far-sighted than usual. These changes are temporary and your eyes will return to normal after you’ve had your baby.

    Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that occurs only in pregnancy when the body can’t make or use enough insulin to meet the extra demands of pregnancy. Gestational diabetes can be controlled by keeping physically active and making healthy changes to the diet such as cutting down on sugary foods and replacing them with starchy foods like pasta and rice and eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. But, for one in five women, medication and/or insulin injections are required during the rest of the pregnancy.

    NEED TO KNOW

    Things for you to consider during week 34 of your pregnancy:

    • See your midwife every two weeks from now on to assess your wellbeing.
    • Contact your midwife/maternity unit immediately if you experience any vaginal bleeding.
    • If you wear contact lenses you may find glasses more comfortable these days.
    • If you have gestational diabetes you have a two-in-three chance of developing gestational diabetes in a future pregnancy. You are also at higher risk of developing diabetes later in life so you should have an annual blood check which you GP can arrange.
  • Into Week 23 – Cantaloupe Melon

    Into Week 23 – Cantaloupe Melon

    Your growing baby

    Your baby is about the size of a small cantaloupe melon (600g) and measures 30cm (head to heel).
    Baby is now gaining approximately 90g each week. The brain is growing and developing at a fast rate. At this stage your baby is starting to fill out and the deep wrinkles on the skin are gradually disappearing. The skin is becoming a little less translucent as pigment starts to deposit.

    The lungs are now forming the branches of the respiratory system as well as surfactant cells. These cells produce a substance that will help the tiny alveoli or air sacs, to inflate after birth.

    Your baby’s face is now completely formed and has eyebrows, lashes and hair. But, because there is no pigment yet, all the hair is white

    It may feel that your baby is moving constantly at times and hiccups could be causing its little body to jolt. Your baby can hear all sorts of noises now, both inside and outside the uterus.

    Pregnancy week 24 – What’s happening to you

    Your uterus has risen above your belly button and you may start to experience indigestion and heartburn as your growing abdomen puts pressure on your digestive system.

    Pregnancy hormones decreases tear production, which causes dry eyes and irritation. You may also find that your vision has become slightly blurred. This is because hormones have caused an increase in the curvature of your eye, which changes your vision. These changes are temporary and will disappear once the baby is born.

    You may notice that your skin, especially over your bump, is itchy. This is caused by pregnancy hormones and the increased volume of blood in the body. Wearing loose clothing in breathable fabrics such as cotton, and taking cool baths or showers can help.

    Always tell you GP if the itching becomes severe, especially at night and if it is affecting the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, as this could be a sign of obstetric cholestasis, a rare pregnancy liver disease.

    Need to know

    Things for you to consider during week 24 of your pregnancy

    As your baby is now so good at picking up sounds, get your partner to talk to it so that it becomes familiar with the sound of your partner’s voice. You may notice after a while that you can feel a change in your baby’s movements when it hears your partner’s voice.

    Eating, smaller, more frequent meals and taking a walk after you’ve eaten will help to ease heartburn.

    You should have booked any antenatal classes by now.

    If dry eyes are causing you a problem ask your GP about lubricating drops.