"What to Expect When You're Expecting"

Even though I have done this before, it has been quite some time (as my daughter Isabella just turned 9 in April of this year and will turn 10 two months after the baby is born), so I have pulled out and dusted off my copy of "What to Expect When You're Expecting" (an excellent book written by Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi Murkoff and Sandee Hathaway B.S.N.) along with other baby books and am brushing up on my "baby" knowledge. Below are some of the more interesting facts I have read from various books and websites that you might also find interesting!

Interesting Tidbits

1. A Human pregnancy is actually 40 weeks not 9 months with the average pregnancy lasting anywhere between 38 and 42 weeks. The 40 week countdown begins with the first day of the last menstrual period.
2. Pregnancy is confirmed when a test (home test or a test at the doctor office) detects the pregnancy hormone called hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotropin)
3. The most common early signs of pregnancy are: frequent urination, tender/swollen breasts, fatigue, morning sickness (which really should be called "any time of day sickness" and usually occurs in the first trimester beginning anytime between 4 and 10 weeks), food cravings
4. The baby's heart beat can be heard as early as 10 weeks with a device called a Doppler (or can be detected during an ultrasound).
5. Mother's to be often suffer extreme fatigue during the first trimester as this is when the placenta forms.
6. Did you know that the sex of the baby is determined immediately upon conception.

The First Trimester (0 through 13 weeks)

The First Month (0 - 4 weeks approximately)

On the outside not a lot happens the first month, most women in fact do not even realize they are pregnant at this time. On the inside however, a great deal is happening.
By the end of the first month a baby is a tiny embryo smaller than a grain of rice.

The Second Month (5 - 8 weeks approximately)

By the end of 8 weeks, the embryo is more human looking and is about 1 1/4 inches long from head to bum. The embryo has a beating heart, arms & legs, fingers and toes are beginning to form. By this time almost all of the baby's major organs and structures are formed. The baby also begins to perform small spontaneous movements.

The Third Month (9 - 13 weeks approximately)

By the end of the third month, the fetus will be 21/2 to 3 inches long. All of it's major organs (as well as sexual organs) will have formed. Blood begins to circulate through the umbilical cord, carrying nutrients and oxygen from the placenta to the fetus and then carrying away waste products.

My Growing Appetite

What I used to eat in one day...	What I eat now in one day...
Breakfast - piece of toast, glass of OJ Lunch - granola bar, apple (sometimes) Supper - varies, but usually some type of pasta and salad or cooked veggie Snack - ice cream	Breakfast - bran muffin or toast, bowl of fruit or cereal or porridge, glass of juice Lunch - bagel or sandwich, 2 pieces of fruit Snack - varies Supper - still varies and often some type of pasta & veg with second helpings! Snack - still ice cream!!! sometimes a late night piece of toast!

The Second Trimester (14 through 26 weeks)

The Fourth Month (14 - 17 weeks approximately)

By the end of the fourth month the fetus will be between 4 and 5 inches in length (depending on which book you read). The fetus is developing reflexes such as sucking and swallowing; tooth buds appear and fingers and toes are well defined. By week 15, the fetus has developed a full repertoire of facial expressions. By week 16, the fetus's joints are fully developed and soon the mother will be able to feel the baby's kicks.

The Fifth Month (18 - 21 weeks approximately)

During the second trimester, the baby grows at an astounding rate (more than either of the other trimesters): growing from just 3 inches at 13 weeks to 14 inches at 26 weeks. The fetus now performs many recognizable activities: it moves around, undergoes regular periods of sleeping and wakefulness and can hear and swallow. By the end of the fifth month the fetus will be 8 to 10 inches in length and quite strong.

The Sixth Month (22 - 26 weeks approximately)

By the end of the 22nd week, the fetus's skin is sensitive to touch and the fetus will respond when pressure is placed on the mother's abdomen. In the 23rd week, the fetus's lungs are starting to develop surfactant, the dish soap like substance that keeps the lungs from sticking together and enables them to expand easily when the baby is born (this is a very important stage in the development of the baby). The fetus now weighs about one pound and will be approximately 13 inches in length by the end of the month.

The Third Trimester (27 through 40 weeks)

The Seventh Month (27 - 31 weeks approximately)

Week 27: the fetus is passing a pint of urine into the amniotic fluid each day (which is then removed from the body via the mother's kidneys)
Week 28: The fetus is between 12 and 15 inches in length and weighs approximately 21/2 to 3 pounds
Week 30: the fetus is capable of reacting to sound
week 31: the fetus will now grow more in weight than in length

The Eighth Month (32 - 35 weeks approximately)

Week 32: The baby's lungs and digestive track are almost mature!
Week 33: The fetus is now approximately 19 inches long, nearly it's full length.
Week 34: The fetus is busy gaining weight, depositing layers of fat under the skin for insulation after birth.
Week 35: The fetus has usually settled into a head down position by this stage but may still do a few flip flops!

The Ninth Month (36 - 40 weeks approximately)

Week 36: The baby's lungs are hard at work producing surfactant.
Week 37: The baby is now approximately 21 inches long and weighs about 61/2 pounds.
Week 38: The baby is continuing to gain approximately 1% of it's body weight each day.
Week 39: The baby's adrenal glands are in overdrive, producing vast amounts of cortisone - a hormone that may help to trigger the start of labour.
Week 40: The fine, downy hair and the slippery white vernix have all but disappeared from the fetus's body. But, that is dull...Week 40 means the baby is ready and will soon be here - yehhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!