The placenta takes over
Your baby has grown and is about 5.5 cm long – it weighs about 15 grams. It is now getting nutrients and oxygen through the placenta. The entire foetus is in constant development, but right now, the emphasis is on the all-important brain development. The eyelids are in place, the tissue that will become the teeth is developing, and an indent is developing above the upper lip. The baby can swallow and the intestines are slowly beginning to move in the belly, because there is more and more space for them.
Time for a new wardrobe?
Are your clothes getting a little tight? Try using a rubber band at the button closure for a little extra space in your waistband and you can wear your favourite jeans for a little longer – you can also buy extenders. Otherwise, try wearing trousers with a lower rise. Or you can jump straight into a pair of maternity leggings – the most important thing is that you feel comfortable! With every breath, you’re taking in 40 to 50 percent more air than usual, and your ribcage has expanded, which explains why you feel like your usual bra doesn’t quite fit anymore. Something else that affects fit is of course that your breasts have probably already changed. They’ve definitely gotten bigger, and your nipples and the surrounding area may be a little darker. It isn’t entirely certain, but this is probably to make it easier for the baby to find them once it’s born. Your nipples might leak a little and could be more sensitive. If you’ve decided to do a combined ultrasound and blood test, the ultrasound will be between weeks 11 and 14, so it’s good to schedule that appointment now. These tests show how likely it is that your foetus has a chromosomal abnormality. It’s worth considering your intention before you do the test, and how you will handle a result that might not be what you had hoped for. Different places have different rules about screening tests, so talk to your healthcare provider.
Pregnancy brain and forgetfulness
Does it seem like your partner is having a tough time paying attention for any extended amount of time? Forgetting things more than usual? This is really common and will probably happen more and more as time goes on. It isn’t clear what causes this – possibly a lack of sleep paired with hormonal changes. Or the body might just be too busy building a little life inside its belly and has no time to focus on anything else. When the baby is bigger and takes up more space in the body, all those kicks, somersaults and turning around will make it hard for the person carrying this little acrobat to focus and keep track of what they were doing. But there’s actually a bright side to all this: from the second trimester, which will soon begin, a lot of pregnant people feel calmer and often find there’s no reason to stress out unnecessarily.
