|
Pregnancy Week By Week
Week 33 and Week 34
Week 33
Baby: Your baby measures about 19.4 inches from head to toe and weighs about 4.4 pounds. The next few weeks will mark lots of growth in the baby. The fetus will gain more than half its birth weight in the next seven weeks. Baby begins to move less now as it runs out of room and curls up with knees bent, chin resting on chest and arms and legs crossed.
Mother: The uterus is about 5.2 inches above your navel, and you've gained between 22 and 28 pounds. Of the pound a week you're gaining now, roughly half is going to your baby.
Dad: Feel her pain.
Perhaps you've heard of the 'sympathy weight' sometimes gained by fathers during and after their partner's pregnancy. Although there is no scientific explanation for this phenomenon, many fathers do report gaining weight during this time.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta talked about this phenomenon on CNN's 'Housecall.' Some of the possible explanations were:
- A combination of increased eating and decreased movement, usually experienced in accordance with mother during last weeks of pregnancy.
- Couvade syndrome--the presence of pregnancy-like symptoms in men, during their partner's pregnancy. An estimated 90% of men experience this.
- Fluctuating hormones (specifically prolactin and cortisol.)
- Bonding with baby (and mother.) Testosterone levels go down more than 30% during the first weeks after delivery, improving the father's nurturing capabilities.
If you are a victim of sympathy weight gain, never fear. You could just get one of those, 'I'm not fat, it's sympathy weight' t-shirts. No one will think twice about it!
Do's and Don'ts: Do increase your servings of fiber-filled fruits and vegetables. Fiber-rich foods, such as prunes, apricots, plums, beans, and peas, will help you avoid constipation. If it becomes a problem, try adding psyllium, a natural, branlike stool-softener available at health food stores, to your meals. A fiber-rich diet only works if you drink more liquids, so aim for at least eight glasses of fluids, preferably water, each day.
Exercise: This pelvic tilt exercise can ease back pain and sciatica (tingling sensations or sharp pains that run from the buttocks down the thighs): While kneeling on all fours with your back straight, gently rock your pelvis back and forth. Curve the center of your back upward like a cat while contracting your abdominals. Then lower until your back is straight again. Repeat ten times.
Tips for this week: It's medically safe to continue having sex with your partner, but you may be too uncomfortable. Talk with your spouse about other ways to remain intimate, including backrubs and foot massages.
Week 34
Baby: Your baby measures about 19.8 inches from head to toe and weighs about 5 pounds. Baby is probably settling into the head-down position, although it might not be final. Organs are now almost fully mature, except for lungs, and the skin is pink instead of red. Fingernails reach the ends of fingers, but toenails are not yet fully grown. Baby might have lots of hair. Movements are less frequent because of the tight fit.
Mother: Your uterus hardens and contracts as practice for labor, known as Braxton Hicks contractions, but you may not feel them yet. Your pelvis has expanded and may ache, especially at the back. Uterus is pushed hard against your lower ribs and your rib cage may be sore, and your navel is probably pushing out as a result of your abdomen being stretched.
Dad: The informed daddy is a happy daddy!
Have you done your labor and delivery research? If not, see above for our handy-dandy summary of what to expect.
And then, be prepared for anything. Just like no two pregnancies are alike, no two deliveries are either. When you see births on TV (oh come on, we know you've flipped to the Lifetime channel once or twice!) babies come out with one swift push, and arrive looking fat, cute, and one year old.
The reality is that labor and delivery can be full of surprises (including bodily secretion surprises), so don't be surprised! Talk with your partner, tell her you know all about it (make sure you learn all about it first!), and that you're excited to be there with her. She'll love this, trust us!
Do's and Don'ts: Do pack your hospital bag with some reminders of home. Consider taking a long T-shirt to wear during labor (instead of the standard-issue hospital gown), a headband or ponytail holder to keep your hair off your face, and extra pillows to make you more comfortable after delivery.
Exercise: Try this simple exercise to gear up for labor: Sit cross-legged on the floor or in a chair. Line your shoulders up with your hips and place one hand on your belly and the other hand on your back, just above your waist. Take a deep breath, expanding the belly as you inhale (a "belly breath"). Exhale while contracting your abs to pull your belly button in. Squeeze and hold, then release (but don't go all the way back to the expanded position). Repeat. Each squeeze-and-release counts as one contraction, so aim to do 25, five times a day.
Tips for this week: Start thinking about whether you want to breast-feed, which helps increase your child's immunities. You may want to consult a lactation expert or the La Leche League, an organization that encourages and promotes breast-feeding, or simply talk with friends or relatives who can share their experiences.
|
