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
Eating for two means taking in an extra 300 extra calories a day. And that’s not really all that much when you think about it. Heck, an apple is 100 calories. So, don’t go overboard just because you’re eating for two. Try to gain efficiently by choosing the most nutritious foods during pregnancy and minimizing the junk. At 13 weeks pregnant, your lower abdomen is probably just starting to protrude a bit too. You’re probably finding your jeans aren’t buttoning without a struggle.
Are your two favorite positions these days sitting and lying down? Pregnancy fatigue is normal. That’s because you’re running a baby-making factory that’s in business 24/7. And for the next few weeks, baby is not the only thing growing— so is the placenta, the magnificently complex mission control that will serve as your baby’s life-support system until delivery. As a result of the efficient placenta, you will soon become energized to get things done, maybe even start up an exercise program. It’s perfectly safe to do, too. Remember to pre-hydrate and do not overheat.
Baby Development
Remember those palm prints from grade school? Well, your little dumpling has his or her own set of fingerprints now. I hope your refrigerator is cleared away of pictures from your vacation—because soon the door will be loaded with baby’s face and later replaced with painted hand impressions. Baby is still percolating while bones are becoming more noticeable because your baby is a skinny little creature without much fat even though he or she is the size of a peach. They swallow amniotic fluid and then pee it out making sure everything is working. In fact, low amniotic fluid can point to a couple of problems related to either the kidneys or the blood supply to the placenta. Getting ready for goo-goo and gaga sounds, now is the time vocal cords are developing—even though no sounds are made in the womb.
Pregnancy Nutrition Week 6
Welcome to the second trimester! Your little one starts to feel flavors!
The smell of the amniotic fluid depends on what you eat today, so you’ve got a perfect way to get your little one used to your daily dishes.
In the second trimester, you should pay much attention to your weight. Pack on way too many pounds and you increase your chances of gestational diabetes, hypertension, and complications during labor and delivery (not to mention you’ll more likely find yourself with stretch marks plus extra pounds to shed once you’ve delivered).
Pack on too few, as about one in five moms, do, and you’re at an increased risk for a baby who’s born too soon or too small (or both) along with other pregnancy complications.
Bottom line: A steady pace is best for you, your body, your pregnancy and, most of all, your baby.