Week 22
Your Baby’s Development
The senses your baby will use to learn about the world are developing daily. Taste buds have started to form on the tongue, and the brain and nerve endings are formed enough so that the fetus can feel touch. Your baby may experiment with this newfound sense of touch by stroking his or her face or sucking on a thumb, as well as feeling other body parts and seeing how they move.
Your baby’s reproductive system is continuing to develop, too. In boys, the testes have begun to descend from the abdomen, and in girls, the uterus and ovaries are in place and the vagina is developed.
Your Body
If you haven’t felt them already, you may soon notice your uterus practicing for delivery with irregular, painless contractions called Braxton Hicks contractions. You may feel a squeezing sensation in your abdomen. Don’t worry, though: Your baby may be able to feel the contraction as it squeezes the uterus, but Braxton Hicks contractions aren’t dangerous or harmful. If, however, the contractions become more intense, painful, or frequent, contact your health care provider immediately because painful, regular contractions may be a sign of preterm labor.
Week 23
Your Baby’s Development
Even though fat is beginning to accumulate on your baby’s body, the skin still hangs loosely, giving your baby a wrinkled appearance. Your baby’s daily workout routine includes moving the muscles in the fingers, toes, arms, and legs regularly. As a result, you may feel more forceful movements.
By now your baby weighs a little more than 1 pound (454 grams). If preterm labor and delivery were to occur this week, a baby could survive with expert medical care, but might have mild to severe disabilities. With increasing research and knowledge in the field of fetal medicine, the long-term prognosis for premature babies (preemies) improves every year.
Your Body
The closer you get to your delivery date, the more trouble you may have sleeping. Anxiety, frequent urination, heartburn, leg cramps, and general discomfort can translate into a short night’s sleep for a pregnant woman. But your baby’s health and your own depend on you getting adequate rest. Try a warm bath, soothing music, a relaxing book, or a cup of herbal tea to put you in the mood to snooze.
Many doctors recommend that pregnant women sleep on their sides, not their backs or stomachs, so that blood flow to the placenta is not restricted. If you find this uncomfortable, try placing a pillow between your knees to relieve the pressure of your weight while lying on your side.
Week 24
Your Baby’s Development
Your baby is still receiving oxygen through the placenta. But once birth occurs, his or her lungs will start taking in oxygen on their own. In preparation for that, your baby’s lungs are developing the ability to produce surfactant. Surfactant is a substance that keeps the air sacs in our lungs from collapsing and sticking together when we exhale, allowing us to breathe properly.
Because the inner ear — which controls balance in the body — is now completely developed, your baby may be able to tell when he or she is upside down or right side up while floating and making movements in the amniotic fluid.
Your Body
An important prenatal test, glucose screening, is usually performed sometime during weeks 24 to 28. The glucose screening test checks for gestational diabetes, a temporary type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy and can cause problems in the newborn, such as low blood sugar. Gestational diabetes may also increase the chances that a woman would need a cesarean section because it can lead to the growth of very large babies.
During the glucose screening test, you’ll drink a sugary solution and then have your blood drawn. If your blood sugar levels are too high, you’ll have further tests, which your health care provider will discuss with you. Gestational diabetes usually can be controlled by eating a well-planned diet and getting regular exercise, but sometimes medication, such as daily insulin, will be needed during the pregnancy.
Week 25
Your Baby’s Development
You may notice that your baby has resting and alert periods. You’ll notice fetal activity more readily when you are more sedentary. Your baby’s hearing has continued to develop, too — he or she may now be able to hear your voice!
Your Body
Pregnancy can cause some unpleasant side effects when it comes to digestion. Not only does the hormone progesterone slow the emptying of the stomach, but it also relaxes the valve at the entrance to the stomach so that it doesn’t close properly. This allows acidic stomach contents to move upward into the esophagus. The result: reflux (also known as heartburn) that can make eating your favorite meals a nightmare. The expanding uterus puts additional pressure on the stomach in the last few months of pregnancy. Try eating smaller, more frequent meals, and avoid spicy and fatty foods.
source: http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_calendar/pregnancy_calendar_intro.html