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Are you
sick of being sick in your pregnancy? Week 16 is usually the
time when expectant moms start to feel better and have more
energy. This is the time when you should start relaxing and
enjoying the fact that you will soon have a little one in
the house with you. It is a long way to look forward to another
24 weeks, but you need to rest as much as possible because
you will need it in the weeks to come. This is a great time
to get out and about meeting other pregnant women and learning
from them.
At sixteen
weeks the baby weighs about four ounces and is about five
and half inches long. You will start feeling life inside at
this point as the baby moves and reaches for the umbilical
cord. First time mothers may not realize that the fluttering
feelings in their stomach are the movements of the baby. However,
once you realize that they are becoming more frequent, if
you don? know what is happening, all you have to do is ask
someone who is farther along in the pregnancy or a woman who
has had children.
The baby
movements are starting to become more coordinated. The head
is not as large as it was in previous weeks and is now more
in proportion with the rest of the body. The fingernails and
toenails are growing by this week as well. The lungs are starting
to develop and although the baby can breathe air yet, it does
inhale and exhale the amniotic fluid.
The 17th
week is the one in which the doctor will order some tests.
This includes a glucose test to see how well your body can
manage a high dose of sugar when you drink a really sweet
mixture. If you pass this test, you won have to worry about
gestational diabetes and follow a special diet. Another of
the tests your doctor will order at this time is a blood test
to see whether you are Rh positive or negative. If you are
Rh negative, you will need to have a needle during the 28th
week.
One of
the most noticeable changes during the 17th week is that you
will have aches and pains in your abdomen if you make any
sudden movements. You may also have achy pains in your hips
and buttocks and in your sides. This is because the ligaments
and muscles are stretching to make room for the uterus to
expand as the baby grows. Many mothers first think they are
experiencing slight contractions, but these aches and pains
are normal.
You are
prone to infection when you are pregnant. When you do eat
meat make sure it is thoroughly cooked so that you can avoid
becoming ill or contracting a virus. You can also contract
a virus if you have cats as pets when you change the litter
or spend any amount of time with them. During your pregnancy
it is better to have someone else in your household to take
over changing the litter.
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Most mothers
to be want to know about how the baby is developing during
each week of the pregnancy. At 16 weeks pregnant, your baby
is only about the size of an avocado. At this point the fetus
is only about 5 inches long and weighs only about 3 ounces,
even though you have started to develop a baby bump so that
others do notice that you are pregnant. By this time you may
have noticed slight stirrings in the womb. This is because
the baby is starting to move about and is no doubt grasping
for the umbilical cord. Even if the baby does hold the umbilical
cord very tightly, it won’t cause him/her any damage.
By this
time, the circulatory system and the urinary tract are fully
functioning in your unborn baby. the lungs have not yet developed
fully. The baby is inhaling and exhaling the amniotic fluid
through the lungs that are there, but again this is perfectly
natural and is not harmful.
The babys
skin is quite wrinkly at this stage of your pregnancy. This
is because it hasn’t filled out with baby fat yet. If
you were able to see inside your womb and take a look at the
baby, you would be able to see all of its veins through the
skin. The heart is functioning and the blood is pumping through
these tiny veins. The eyes are in the proper position, but
the baby can only see straight ahead. If you are having a
girl, the uterus has already developed and the ovaries are
in the proper place.
When you
move suddenly at this stage of your pregnancy, you may sometimes
feel a sharp pain in your side. Women who are pregnant for
the first time may become alarmed by this and rush to see
their doctors. However, the pain is caused by the stretching
of the ligaments in the uterus and pelvis to make room for
the growing baby. It shouldn’t last for any length of
time but if it does continue you should make an appointment
with your health provider just to get everything checked out.
The developing
fetus in the womb will also bring new changes to your body
at the 16 week period. The baby is putting more strain on
your back, which means you may experience lower back pain
and have to lie down more often. The fact that you feel the
baby moving makes the pregnancy more real for you and you
may feel a surge of energy in your comfortable times. One
thing you will notice is that you have a heightened sense
of smell and even though the morning sickness period has passed,
there are certain smells that will make you feel nauseous.
Along
with this renewed sense of smell, you may notice that you
have a runny nose more often and you may even experience nose
bleeds. Having nose bleeds at increasing frequency is something
you should discuss with your doctor because it could signal
a change in your blood pressure.
For more information visit http://www.PregnancyHut.com
Article
Author: Ling Tong
Article
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/
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