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Month 6
Baby
~ his skin is now red and covered in a fine, soft hair
~ his eyelids can now part and open
~ his finger prints can be seen
~ his toe prints can also be seen
~ he can kick strongly now
~ by the end of the month he will weigh a little over a pound and will be over 11 inches long
Mommy
~ you will feel the baby kicking strongly now: don't be alarmed if you don't feel anything at times, as you get active the rhythm will relax the baby and he will sleep, when you relax and lay down he will wake up and get active...try to enjoy it
~ your vaginal discharge (leukorrhea) may continue
~ you may feel pains in your lower abdomen or achiness: your muscles and ligaments are stretching and it may hurt
~ the skin on your belly may also start to itch: it too is stretching and growing
~ you may continue having heartburn, gas, and indigestion: try to avoid those foods that you know will give you such discomfort
~ your feet and ankles may swell midly: trying laying with your feet up or lay on your left side to relieve
~ you may get hemorroids: some tips to avoid or relieve them: avoid constipation; sleep on your side; avoid straining at the toliet; take warm sitz baths; keep the area clean; lie down whenever you can
~ you may begin to develop stretch marks: think of them as a sign of your passage into motherhood...they will fade eventually
~ you should be feeling fewer mood swings
~ you may still feel absentminded: it is the hormones, don't worry you will return to normal shortly after delivery
~ you might start to get bored with your pregnancy: have you ever done anything 24 hours a day for this long? Think about it...that is a lot...it is perfectly normal to get bored with it
~ you may start to feel anxious about your future and the decisions that lay ahead of you: now is the time to start making sure you are surrounded by postive people who can help you through your options, decisions, and feelings
Month 7
Baby
~ she can open and close her eyes
~ she can suck her thumb
~ she can cry
~ she does a lot of kicking and stretching
~ she will respond to light and sound
~ by the end of the month she will be around 15 inches long and will weigh close to 3 pounds
~ if she was born this month she would have a good chance for survival
Mommy
~ you may start to have difficulty sleeping: between her activity and your increasing size may make it hard to get comfortable and sleep
~ your belly may continue to itch
~ your breasts may start to leak colostrum
~ you may start to feel scattered Braxton-Hicks contractions: muscles tightening, usually painless, make sure you tell your doctor if and when you start feeling them
~ you will start feeling shortness of breath: the larger the baby gets the more crowded your lungs will feel
~ you may get varicose veins on your legs
~ your back may ache: the extra weight you are carrying around will make your back hurt, lie down and get back rubs when ever you can
~ you may feel faint or dizzy once in a while
~ you may get headaches
~ constipation, heartburn, and indigestion may continue: remember to avoide foods that cause discomfort like that and also remember fresh fruits and veggies and drinking a lot of water will help
~ you may have increase whitish vaginal discharge
~ you may start to feel apprehensive, mayber even scared, about labor and deliver: that is perfectly normal, start looking into childbirth classes and educating yourself on what is to come...the more you know the better you will feel as you go through it. Also start looking at a coach or birth partner...if you don't have anyone you feel comfortable maybe you should look into a doula...don't plan to be alone
~ your absentmindedness will continue
~ you may begin to fantisize about the baby: this is normal and it may make you reconsider your options and what you want to do...that is healthy go through it and remake all your decisions for you and your baby
~ you may still be bored with the whole pregnancy thang...that's still okay