All about baby
Those early flutters are now quite noticeable kicks and nudges, as your baby grows in size and strength – feeling like a punch bag anyone? You may have even felt hiccups while your baby practices breathing.
Have you noticed kicks in response to loud noises outside the womb – like big bangs in an action-packed film? Research suggests that some babies can also recognise music played to them while in the womb after birth, and may even be able to distinguish between mum’s and dad’s voices and recognise them once born.
An important milestone this week is that your baby is now ‘legally viable’, meaning that if born now it would have a chance of survival with specialist care. From now on your baby will continue to put on fat and baby's lungs will be maturing in preparation for birth.
- Measures about 21cm from crown to rump
- Weighs in at around 1.3 pounds/ 600 grams
Over to you
Your bump’s really showing now and you’ll probably gain between half and one pound each week from this point on. You may start getting breathless as hormones relax your lung muscles and your growing uterus pushes up against your diaphragm.
You may be suffering from what’s affectionately known as ‘baby brain’ – when you struggle to concentrate and forget things more frequently. It’s those hormones again. On the plus side you can get away with all sorts of things by putting it down to baby brain.
Trouble sleeping? Sleep deprivation can start well before your baby arrives. Your growing bump makes it difficult to find a comfy position, and will be pressing down on your bladder resulting in endless trips to the loo. Vivid dreams and restless thoughts about your baby could also be disturbing your sleep. Apart from figuring out which arrangement of pillows helps ease some of the discomfort – try lying on your side with one under your bump and another between your knees – rest when you can, you’ll be forgiven for nodding off at your desk occasionally.
In the know
Now that you can feel your baby is kicking, squirming and hiccuping inside you, you'll be more aware than ever that he or she is a real, living person that will soon be in your arms…
But what if you’re worried that your baby's movements seem late in starting? There's probably nothing to be concerned about. If this is your first pregnancy, you may feel your baby move weeks later than experienced mothers. It may also take longer to detect movement if you're overweight, and sometimes, the placenta can be located toward the front of the uterus, making it harder to feel movements until the baby gets larger.
It's not a good idea to compare baby movements and frequency with other pregnant women as every baby is different, with their own cycles of being alert and awake or being sluggish and sleepy - you need to get used to what's normal for your baby. Also remember that you wont feel every move your baby makes. As a guide, about 10 kicks in a 24 hour period is considered normal.
If you're busy and on the go, you'll be less aware of your baby moving and all your rushing around can rock your baby to sleep. Sit down, rest and lay your hands on your bump - it's one of the best ways to feel a few kicks and wriggles. Or try giving your bump a gentle nudge to see if your baby reacts. Being in the bath is also a great time for feeling your baby move - and relaxing for you too!
It used to be common practice for mums-to-be to keep a "kick chart" - counting how many kicks and movements the baby makes in a given amount of time. Nowadays, midwives are more likely to recommend that you get used to what feels normal for your baby and to get in touch if you have any concerns about a decrease in movement.
You can expect that in time your baby's kicks and movements will get progressively stronger, and will soon be so sharp you won't be able to ignore them. Typically, kicks get stronger up until about 28 weeks, or so, and then they become less frequent as it becomes more crowded inside and your baby goes into hibernation.
Go to next week's article: Pregnancy Week 25
Please note that the contents of this section are for information only and are not intended as medical advice or as a substitute to your doctor's advice. For medical care and advice, you should consult your doctor on a regular basis. If you have any problem which concerns you, consult your doctor immediately.
