All about baby
Your baby is looking ever more like it will look at birth, although his or her skin is still very wrinkled. Antibodies are crossing from the placenta, helping to provide your baby with immunity to infection. This immunity will be boosted if you breastfeed, and lasts until your baby is a few months old.
Around this time, baby's eyelids open, so now they can blink and look around while still inside the uterus! If someone puts their ear to your belly, they might even be able to distinguish your baby's heartbeat.
Your baby's eyelashes and eyebrows grow fuller and hair on your baby's head will become longer. That's not to say your baby will be born with a full head of hair - some babies are completely bald to start off with!
- Measures about 24cm crown to rump
- Weighs in at around 2lbs
Over to you
From now until about 36 weeks, you'll probably gain weight at a slightly faster rate. It's natural to be rather alarmed by your ballooning size, but remember that weight gained during pregnancy is not unhealthy, but actually necessary for a healthy pregnancy and baby.
Your breasts alone may have quadrupled in weight! As your blood volume has increased by 30-50%, some of the weight will be in fluids too. And of course, your baby and placenta count for quite a few of those pounds. The rest will be in maternal fat stores, which are important energy reserves for breastfeeding.
Of course pregnancy is not the time to go on a diet. Even if you are overweight, reducing calories can actually be harmful to your baby. However, following a healthy diet – i.e. nutritious, low-fat foods and reasonable portion sizes - will help you to maintain a steady weight gain.
In the know
Have you had baby names picked out since well before you were even pregnant or are you beginning to panic that nothing sounds right? Or are you having heated discussions with your partner about your very different ideas? Worse still, did you have your heart set on a name only for a friend to get in there first??
Choosing a name for your newborn can be one of the most difficult decisions you have to make in pregnancy, making your birth plan seem like a walk in the park. It's quite a responsibility, as whatever you chose could have a big influence over their future (no pressure then...) But it's also fun and a wonderful feeling when you find the perfect name.
If you haven't settled on a name, let Huggies® Club give you a hand. Our Baby Name Finder has thousands of cool, classic, original names to get you inspired.
Before you click, here are a few hints to get you started:
- Keep a running list and note down names you like. Come back to your list every once in a while and take off anything you no longer like the sound of.
- Look at the family tree. Your or your partner's ancestors might have just the perfect name for your little one.
- Let meanings be your inspiration. If you're musical, maybe Melody has a nice ring to it?
- Naming your baby after a celebrity or their famous offspring might seem like a good idea now, but think about how you - and your child - may feel about it in a few years time
- Once you have a name in mind, try it with your surname - say it out loud to see how it sounds. Beware of what you might be creating - Neil Down anyone? And think about what the initials might spell out.
- How could it be shortened? You might prefer Oliver, but chances are he's going to be called Oli.
- Keep it a secret before the birth. Safeguard your chosen name and avoid the risk of friends and family telling you how much they don't like it!
- Or let people know if you want their opinion - or a heads-up on something you've missed
- A name is for life - so choose something that works for a grown up as well as a baby
Go to next week's article: Pregnancy Week 28
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.
