Week 21 of PregnancyYour Baby and Changes… At week 21 of pregnancy Your baby is now about 7.2 inches long, and his or her tissues and organ systems are continuing to mature. Your baby is still pretty active and continues to move all over in the amniotic fluid. However, towards the end of this trimester the baby will begin to settle, usually in a head down position. Your baby is beginning to show evidence of eyebrows and eyelashes and the hair on his scalp is much more visible. He wakes and sleeps in regular intervals, similar to what a newborn would do. This may be apparent to you by his movement patterns. He regularly ingests and absorbs large quantities of the amniotic fluid and excretes urine. The amniotic fluid that has cushioned and supported your baby in the uterus now serves another purpose. The intestines have developed enough that small amounts of sugars can be absorbed from the fluid that is swallowed and passed through the digestive system to the large bowel. Almost all of your baby's nourishment, however, still comes from you through the placenta. At this stage the bone marrow spaces are developed enough to contribute to blood cell formation as well, and bone marrow will become the major site of blood cell production in the third trimester and after birth. (The spleen will stop producing blood cells by week 30, and the liver will stop a few weeks before birth.) Your Body and Changes… Sign up for our free weekly eNewsletters hereYou are probably finding that your emotions are much more in check and you feel more stable. That is because your hormone levels have stabilized. You are probably showing a nice baby bump and maternity clothes would be the most common choice for your daily clothing needs. Your uterus is about one-half inch above your belly button which commonly causes your belly button to push out from your belly. Average weight gain is about 10 - 15 pounds; but again, don't be concerned if you are a little off either way. Your focus should be eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water, don't pay too much attention to the calories or numbers on the scale. You may notice that your ankles and feet are swelling or be swollen by the end of the day. The water you drink will help so be sure to get plenty. Also, plan to rest for at least 30 minutes with your feet up in the evening. No matter how busy you find yourself in the evening, if you give yourself some time to prop your feet up you will notice your feet swelling less during the day. Articles
Water birthing is the process of giving birth to your baby in a warm tub of water. Some women choose to birth to their babies in water because of the many benefits that come with it, up to and including the comfort and soothing natural effect that the water give them.
The baby has lived in the amniotic sac for nine months therefore water birthing gives the
baby and opportunity to be born in a similar environment which offers comfort. It also is
a less stressful environment for the mother during childbirth. Single motherhood is more common than one might think. According to resources there is an estimated 10.4 million single mothers in the USA alone, and average of 3.5% of the nation. Many reasons for single motherhood exist up to and including simple divorce situations. Mothers make great leaders for this reason. They are able to block out all obstacles existing for being a single parent and put their children's well being as a top priority. “Getting your tubes tied” is a phrase or term which is used commonly to describe one process of contraception in the female anatomy. The medical term for this is “tubal ligation”. With having a baby, comes responsibility from the start of being a parent. Part of that responsibility if ensuring that your new little newborn is protected from germs, viruses, and diseases while still surviving on the mommy’s immune system. It has been said that is mothers had gum disease their babies have four times the changes of experiencing gum disease as well. |
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