Welcome to the Pregged pregnancy week-by-week series. Each week-by-week post is separated into three handy sections.
1. Mom – Section one covers the changes mom will experience and the things she may need to consider health-wise.
2. Baby – Section two looks at the development of the fetus and what’s going on with baby inside the womb.
3. Nutrition – Section three covers nutrition for each week of pregnancy so that you know what foods are important to include in your diet at each stage.
6 WEEKS PREGNANT – MOM
What the heck is round ligament pain? I am sure you have experienced brief, sharp pains in your groin that shoot up to your belly button. Round ligaments are two ligaments, attached on each side of the uterus that extend down the side of the uterus to the beneath the pubic bone. As the uterus grows, these ligaments stretch with it. Sometimes you can feel a twinge in your vagina. These pains do not hurt you or the baby in any serious way; they’re just annoying and make you stop in your tracks and wince. Slow down, limit sudden twisting, don’t jump, and take a deep breath. It will go away with rest.
Grab a bottle of water while you’re at it because you need more fluids in the second and third trimesters because your blood volume goes up by 50%. The heart pumps larger volumes faster. In fact, your entire blood volume goes through the entire uterine-placental circulation in just 7 minutes! You’ll also notice more blue veins in your abdomen, breasts, arms, legs, and neck. The leg veins can become inflamed and bulging—called varicose veins and they can throb and hurt. Your feet and ankle start swelling, too. This will continue but can be managed with compression stockings and getting off your feet, lifting your legs above your hips so the blood can flow back to the heart faster.
Baby Development
Playing with body parts is common now, pushing off the uterine wall, and doing flips are very easy because there is plenty of room in the amniotic sac for continual recess. It is still too early to feel these movements unless this is your second baby. Eyebrows and the hairline are forming, and as the hair gets longer, it can look like its sticking straight up rather than lying flat—just like you see when swimming. The placenta is enlarging and preparing for the increased food and energy demands of this active fetus. So, what happens when the fetal blood from the umbilical cord hits the placenta? For one, mom’s blood gets to the uterus via her uterine artery filled with oxygen, glucose, and other nutrients. There, two systems meet and exchange contents—baby gives mother carbon dioxide and other waste products for her to get rid of via her lungs, kidneys, and liver. And mama provides everything baby needs to grow bigger and bigger. It’s a complicated system. We’ll talk about the fetal lung situation in a minute—because it’s fascinating to learn how blood partially bypasses the fluid-filled lungs that are not ready to do their jobs yet. Immature lungs cause most of the complications associated with premature births. Best to keep junior inside as long as possible.
Pregnancy Nutrition Week 6
Your belly is growing, and you can experience heartburn and constipation more often. Tired of cooking and eating at home? – Just have lunch in a good cafe! Start out with a soup or salad or a sautéed leafy green such as spinach, escarole, or broccoli as a side. Same goes for tomato-based broths, bean or lentil soup, and chowders. Stay away from cream-laden bisques. Instead of heavy cream and butter, you can substitute plain yogurt or sour cream. Go for steamed veggies, baked potatoes instead of fries and onion rings if you must eat on-the-go. And brown or wild rice are all super sides. Indeed, try juice or tea instead of carbonated drinks.