17 Weeks Pregnant: Your Weight Gain

17 Weeks Pregnant



In this article

• Pregnancy Week 17: All About You
• Pregnancy Week 17: All About Baby
• How Big Is Baby?
• Most Common Pregnancy Questions
• Multiple Madness
• For Your Partner
• Fun Fact
• Follow The Chronicles of a Real-Life Pregnancy
• Join Your Due Date Club

At 17 weeks pregnant, chances are, you're not just starting to show but you're gaining some pregnancy weight as well. Here are important tips to keep you on the healthy track.

Each time you go to the doctor or clinic, they dip a strip of paper in a cup of your urine to measure your blood sugar level. What's with that blood sugar test, anyway? It's to make sure you're not developing gestational diabetes, a condition that affects around one to two percent of all pregnant women. When blood sugar levels are controlled (through diet and sometimes medication), women can have normal pregnancies and normal, healthy babies.

Pregnancy Week 17: All About You

Pregnancy Weight Gain and Other Symptoms
Daily, your body's changing inside and out to accommodate your baby-to-be. As your skin stretches, your breasts and abdomen may become itchy. Your baby bump will begin to change your posture so that your back may ache. Inside your body, your stomach is getting more cramped, sometimes leading to heartburn, indigestion, and flatulence. You may also notice mood swings as pregnancy hormones continue to play with your emotions.

Unsightly Pregnancy Signs
Your body undergoes many changes to give your baby-to-be enough room to grow. Some of these changes are comforting—your rounded belly and your full breasts, for example—while other signs can be troubling. Keep in mind that many of these physical changes will last only until your baby arrives.

• Bleeding gums: Your blood volume has increased dramatically to provide nutrients to your baby-to-be. This increase, along with swelling caused by pregnancy hormones, might make your gums bleed.
• Stretch marks: Whether or not you have stretch marks is a matter of genetics. No amount of specialty abdominal creams or Vitamin E pills are going to prevent stretch marks (despite claims to the contrary), but most women find that these stretch marks fade over time after the baby's birth.
• Weight gain: You should expect to gain 25 to 35 pounds during your pregnancy. As distressing as weight gain can be for some women, those pounds are necessary for your growing baby. Much of the weight is extra fluids (such as blood), tissues (like your breasts), and of course, your baby. (Find out how it all adds up here.) If you eat a sensible pregnancy diet and stay fit, you should be able to lose much of your pregnancy weight after your baby's birth. (Some women are able to shed pounds in a matter of weeks; others need as much as a year to get their bodies back in shape).
• Dark line (linea nigra): As your abdominal muscles stretch to make room for your growing uterus, you may notice a dark line extending from your belly button to your vaginal area. After birth, this line will disappear.
• Swelling (edema): Your body retains water to provide the necessary fluids for your growing baby-to-be. You can prevent much of this swelling from drinking plenty of fluids and keeping your legs up. You may also want to purchase socks designed to improve the circulation in your feet.
• Skin spots: The skin's pigmentation may deepen around certain parts of your body during pregnancy, such as your nipples and freckles. You may also notice spots of color on your face, called the mask of pregnancy or chloasma. These pigmentation changes will fade after your baby's born.

Pregnancy Week 17: All About Baby

Around this time your baby's ears pop from his head and Baby-to-be can now sense sounds. After all, he has plenty to listen to in utero! He's accustomed to the strong beating of your heart, blood rushing through your veins, and your stomach grumbling. He can also discern sounds outside the uterus, like your voice and music. Although, according to the Mayo Clinic, whether he can distinguish the sound of your voice versus other sounds is not yet clear.

On average, most moms are feeling fetal movement by week 17. Kick, little one, kick!

How Big Is Baby?

This week your little one weighs in at around 5 ounces and stretches to just over 5 inches (crown to rump). He is about the size of a red onion.

Most Common Pregnancy Questions

When can I find out the sex of my baby? Do the ultrasound technicians ever make mistakes?
Ultrasounds are used to help screen for abnormalities or deformities during pregnancy. While checking on the well-being of your baby, the ultrasound technician may also be able to determine the gender of your baby as early as week 16 or week 17 of pregnancy (however, between weeks 18 and 26 is best). If you're looking forward to this ultrasound as a chance to find out the sex of your child, be prepared; babies do not always cooperate. Many times babies aren't in the optimal position for visualizing the genitals.

Generally during one of these prenatal appointments and ultrasound checkups, your technician will be measuring the head, femur, abdomen, and amount of amniotic fluid as you're hoping to get a glimpse of your baby's gender. These are his or her priorities, and having an ultrasound simply for determining the sex of the baby is not recommended. In fact the ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) has recommended not offering ultrasounds exclusively for determining the sex of a child. Long-term studies on high exposure to ultrasound are not known, and it is best to be prudent and keep your exposure to the minimum.

Although the quality and accuracy of gender detection during ultrasound is improving, amniocentesis or chorionic villus samplings are more accurate. Your technician will do his/her best to determine gender, if your baby cooperates. However, mistakes can and do happen (so, you can't ask your technician to repaint the nursery!).

To know or not to know … that is the question. This is a choice that you will have to make with your partner. But keep in mind that knowing ahead of time will not make your delivery any less exciting or your baby any less precious.

Multiple Madness

Mothering Twins Must-Haves
In the world of parenting, there are a few products one cannot be without. In the world of parenting twins, these must-have items are so critical that they should be acquired before the babies make their entrance.

• A headset phone. You'll want to talk to people but will need both hands (and you'll wish for a third) free to care for your babies. A headset phone allows you to have hands-free conversations.
• A voice recorder. There will be many moments when you'll need to write something down, but won't be able to find a pen (or will be driving).
• A page-a-day calendar. This will help to remind you that it isn't always Monday … or Wednesday … or Friday. It also gives you something fun and unique to look forward to each morning.
• Cute and comfy PJs. You'll wear them a lot. Get at least two pair so you'll have a fresh one to change into when the first needs washing.
• A selection of frozen meals and take-out menus. When it's 8 PM and you can't handle the thought of cereal for dinner (again!), you'll appreciate being able to quickly select something from the freezer or peruse a local take-out menu and decide upon your evening's sustenance.
• A handmade sign advising visitors to not ring your doorbell. This will ensure that those at your front door will make a quiet entrance and not disturb sleeping babies.

With these six items on hand for yourself, you'll be off to a great start!

For Your Partner

Your Job as Coach
One of the hardest things for many fathers-to-be is the sense of helplessness they feel. Men can't chip in by carrying their growing baby, giving their partners a break by going to the bathroom every 15 minutes, or by struggling to sleep at night. No, expecting dads just have to watch their partners cope with certain aspects of pregnancy all by themselves.

Some men respond to this situation by becoming Nervous Nellies. They worry over everything, afraid the slightest change means something might be wrong with their unborn child. In these cases, they mean to be helpful but may only end up stressing their partners out!

Some men disengage from the pregnancy experience, leaving their partners to manage the pregnancy alone. Others act out against their partners, even calling them fat or ridiculing them for eating too much. These reactions stem from the same out-of-control feelings. It can be difficult for men who want to step in and help but are instead be relegated only to sit back, watch, and cheer from the sidelines.

The best thing you can to do at this point is to focus on supporting your partner in any way she needs it. Help her reduce her worry, her responsibilities, her load, literally and figuratively. Think of your job as being her coach. Here are some tips:

• Make her snacks or buy her a water bottle so she never is without food or drink
• If you aren't already, help out more at home so she can get more rest
• Give her foot or back massages

In essence, pamper your partner now more than ever because in doing so you will also be pampering and feeding your unborn baby as well as building even more intimacy between you and your partner. If you can remember that everything you do for her you are also doing for your baby, you will feel more connected, more a part of this incredible process of pregnancy.

Fun Fact

While this fact isn't necessarily fun, it might be comforting to know that 90 percent of all women get stretch marks. You're not alone! Take heart—your stretch marks should fade after your baby's arrival.

21 Weeks Pregnant: Bonding With Baby-to-Be

21 Weeks Pregnant

In this article

• Pregnancy Week 21: All About You
• Pregnancy Week 21: All About Baby
• How Big Is Baby?
• Most Common Pregnancy Questions
• Multiple Madness
• For Your Partner
• Fun Fact

You don't have to wait until your baby arrives to begin bonding. Try these simple ideas to feel closer to your little one during your 21st week of pregnancy, and beyond.

Pregnancy Week 21: All About You

Now that your body is accustomed to your new addition, you'll notice several pregnancy symptoms disappear: Nausea becomes a distant memory and fatigue more manageable. Your breasts and abdomen are less tender, but you may experience itchiness and see stretch marks as your body continues to expand. As your internal organs are pushed aside to make room for the growing fetus, you may have heartburn, indigestion, and bloating. Your mood swings lessen, but you may have more anxiety about labor and motherhood as the reality of your baby's birth draws closer.

Bonding with Your Baby-to-Be

You don't have to wait until your baby arrives to begin bonding. Throughout your pregnancy you may have thoughts and impressions about your baby-to-be's personality. Maybe she constantly wiggles at a certain time of day, or her movements become less frequent when you're listening to particular kinds of music. Try these simple ideas to feel closer your little one.

Talk to your baby-to-be: According to a 2005 study by Barbara Kisilevsky, a nursing professor at Queens University in Ontario, Canada, babies prefer their mothers' voices even before they're born. Kisilevsky, who conducted the research with a team of psychologists from Queens and obstetricians in Hangzhou, China, found that babies' heart rates in utero accelerated at the sound of their mothers' voices. You can help your baby get to know your voice by talking to him. Sing to him in the car, rattle off the ingredients as you cook dinner, or read to him. Let other family members in on the fun; your partner or other children can talk to your tummy, too!

Start a library for your little one: If this is your first child, you may not have any baby books in your home. Before your baby arrives, pick out stories you can share with her. You'll be reading these stories over and over again, so choose carefully. (And remember, you don't have to wait she's born to start reading to her.)

Listen to music together: Your baby can hear sounds, including music, in utero (how well she hears it is still a matter of scientific study). While you may not convert your baby-to-be to your preferred bands, you'll feel a connection to her as she kicks during your favorite tunes. Try picking an anthem for your baby—maybe a Beatles classic, a country ballad, or a calming lullaby.

Ready the nursery: Preparing your child's room can help you envision what life will be like once he arrives. Choosing colors, picking out crib sheets, and adding decorations to plain walls may make your impending motherhood feel all the more real.

Buy baby clothes: Shopping for a little one can be fun. Just look at how small those newborn socks are! Display your finds on hangers in the nursery.

Blog your pregnancy: Help your family and friends know more about how you're feeling through a website designed around your pregnancy. Post ultrasound pictures or—if you're brave enough—pictures of your growing baby bump. Friends and family can offer support and share in your excitement. (Or use our tools to create your own online pregnancy journal!)

Keep a journal of your thoughts: Take time to reflect on what it means to be carrying your child. Record these thoughts in a diary so that you'll never forget how you felt during your pregnancy. You may even share this journal with your child once he gets older.

Pregnancy Week 21: All About Baby

Your little one will begin to fill out over the next few weeks. Fat layers form throughout your unborn baby's body. These layers will eventually keep him warm and insulated once outside the womb. Soft hair, called lanugo, covers his body, too. His eyelids are still closed, making him appear like he's sleeping, but frequent wiggles will let you know he's awake. You may also feel Baby hiccupping.Those jerky motions you feel in your belly are a result of little lungs practicing the important task of breathing.

How Big Is Baby?

Your little one is about 10.5 inches long (crown to heel) and weighs in around 12 ounces.

Most Common Pregnancy Questions

My back really hurts! What's going on? What can I safely do to help alleviate this pain?

Lower back pain or discomfort is a common pregnancy symptom for many women. As you gain weight and hormones loosen joints to accommodate the size of your baby, many women will complain of aches, fatigue, or even moderate to severe pain in the lower back.

There are some things you can do to lessen the severity and improve the symptoms:

• Wear comfortable, supportive shoes
• Continue to exercise if you have been doing so
• Sleep on your left side with pillows to provide good spine alignment
• Sit in comfortable, supportive chairs
• Bend your knees when lifting (never lift heavy objects)
• Take acetaminophen as prescribed by your doctor
• Use heat or ice on your lower back
• Have a massage or see a chiropractor (make sure they are trained and specialize in working with pregnant women)

And, yes, you should lie on your left side. Here's why. There is a large vessel that runs behind the uterus called the vena cava. If you lay on your back, this may compress the vena cava, compromising blood flow, which can result in dizziness or nausea. It also decreases the efficiency of blood flow to the placenta. The vena cava tends to shift to the right side of the uterus, so getting on your left side will maximize blood flow and keep you comfortable. If you have always slept on your belly, back or right side, it may feel uncomfortable at first, but you will adjust to this position quickly. Don't panic if you wake up on your back, just readjust and get back to dreamland.

Just because it is an expected symptom of pregnancy, don't take back pain lightly. Constant dull, low back pain can sometimes be a symptom of labor. Severe pain along with other symptoms like dizziness, vaginal bleeding, or rupture of membranes (breaking of water) should be reported to your doctor.

Multiple Madness

Coping with Bed Rest

Bobby McFerrin said (er, sang!) it best: "Don't worry, be happy." If you try hard enough, you'll find many reasons to worry during a multiple pregnancy. But it's in everyone's best interest to let your pregnancy unfold as it will and deal with unplanned events as they occur. Worrying about what may or may not happen is not the best use of your energy right now.

However, it is a good idea to proactively plan ahead. This can be especially helpful when it comes to bed rest, a relatively common multiple pregnancy detour. Some women never experience it, but for those who do, it can be frustrating and stressful. Bed rest may be recommended by your doctor at any time and for a variety of reasons.

So, what can you do to prepare yourself for the possibility of going on bed rest? Try these tips:

The biggest concern women have regarding bed rest is who will care for the other children. Plan in advance and map out a strategy for your older kids. Is there a family member nearby or who could travel to your home and help? Would you need to hire someone? Is there someone in the neighborhood who could lend a hand? Or do you have a daycare facility in the area that you could use on a short-term basis?

It can be hard to lie in bed all day either at home or in the hospital. Find a support system. You can find great online support through the non-profit organization Sidelines, which provides support for families experiencing complicated pregnancies and premature births.

Make this time as positive and productive as you can. Purchase baby necessities online, work on baby albums, assemble quilts, or learn to knit and make some booties.

Bed rest will end. (And you may find yourself thinking a few weeks into parenting twins, "Now what exactly about being stuck in bed all day was so bad?")

For Your Partner

When Something Goes Wrong

Lugging an extra 10 to 20 pounds or more can be terribly exhausting for some pregnant women. Combine that weight with the rigors of day-to-day life, and your spouse's body is now working harder than it ever has before to simply walk from the car to the front door, up and down stairs at the office, or around the grocery aisles. The truth is, pregnancy affects every woman differently, and it is hard—if not impossible—to determine how it is going to affect your partner. If your spouse begins to feel ill at this point in her pregnancy, experiences complications, or is ordered onto partial or complete bed rest, it becomes your job to do everything in your power to help her.

When the unplanned occurs during pregnancy, it is stressful for both you and your spouse. In order to help her, you'll need to be as flexible and creative as possible. She may need to have more food or water with her wherever she goes (equipping her with a Camelbak or other low-weight, ergonomic water carrier can be key). She may need to remain lying down as much as possible (try rearranging areas in your home so she is never far from anything she needs). You can help by setting up a little snack and water tray by the bed or couch. Get her good books to read, videos to watch, or music to listen to.

Remember, taking care of your partner gives her a better chance of carrying to full-term and delivering a healthy baby for you both.

But to take care of yourself, you'll also need to think creatively. You can't afford to be overwhelmed by stress but like many expecting dads, the added stress and worry affects you, too, and you don't want to burden your partner more than she already is. Yet it is extremely important that you find some way to manage your increased stress. Try talking to friends and family, seek out the advice of fathers who have already been through this. Check out resources on the Web to help you feel more connected, less isolated, less alone.

When things get tough, it is even more important that you two find special time together, time where you can push aside the stress and anxiety and remember that it was the love you two have for each other that brought you here today, that your love for each other, your ability to communicate, to share, to love will be what helps you both get through all of this together.

Fun Fact

According to Kisilevsky, research shows that a newborn can discriminate different sounds in virtually all languages. She reports that over the course of baby's first year, she will lose discrimination ability, then only be able to understand sounds within the language she hears daily. "It seems that infants really are set up to learn language, and it doesn't really matter which language it is," Kisilevsky says.

C-section

What is a cesarean section?

A cesarean section, or c-section, is the delivery of a baby through a surgical incision in the mother's abdomen and uterus. In certain circumstances, a c-section is scheduled in advance. In others, it's done in response to an unforeseen complication.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 30 percent of American women who gave birth in 2005 had a cesarean delivery, up from 6 percent in 1970, 17 percent in 1980, and 23 percent in 1990.

 C-section is major abdominal surgery, so it is riskier than a vaginal delivery. Moms who have c-sections are more likely to have an infection, excessive bleeding, blood clots, more postpartum pain, a longer hospital stay, and a significantly longer recovery. Injuries to the bladder or bowel, although very rare, are also more common.

C-section

In addition, if you plan to have more children, each c-section you have increases your future risk of these complications as well as placenta previa and placenta accreta. That said, not all c-sections can, or should be prevented. In some situations, a c-section is necessary for the well-being of the mother, the baby, or both.

Why would I have a planned c-section?

Sometimes it's clear that a woman will need a cesarean even before she goes into labor. Conditions that may require a planned c-section include:

You've had a previous cesarean with a "classical" vertical uterine incision or more than one previous c-section. (If you've had only one previous c-section with a horizontal incision, you may be a good candidate for a vaginal birth after cesarean, or VBAC.If you're not trying for a VBAC, your practitioner will schedule your c-section for no earlier than 39 weeks to minimize the risk that the baby's lungs are still immature.)

You've had some other kind of invasive uterine surgery, such as a myomectomy (the surgical removal of fibroids).

You're carrying more than one baby. (Some twins can be delivered vaginally, but all higher-order multiples require a c-section.)

Your baby is expected to be very large (a condition known as macrosomia). This is particularly true if you're diabetic or you had a previous baby of the same size or smaller who suffered serious trauma during a vaginal birth.

Your baby is in a breech (bottom first) or transverse (sideways) position. (In some cases, such as a twin pregnancy in which the first baby is head down but the second baby is breech, the breech baby may be delivered vaginally.)

You have placenta previa (when the placenta is so low in the uterus that it covers the cervix).

The baby has a known illness or abnormality that would make a vaginal birth risky.

You're HIV-positive, and blood tests done near the end of pregnancy show that you have a high viral load.

Why would I have an unplanned cesarean delivery?

You may need to have a c-section if problems arise that make continuing or inducing labor risky. These include the following:
Your cervix stops dilating or your baby stops moving down the birth canal, and attempts to stimulate contractions to get things moving again haven't worked.


Your baby's heart rate gives your practitioner cause for concern, and she decides that your baby can't withstand continued labor or induction.

The umbilical cord slips through your cervix (a prolapsed cord). If that happens, your baby needs to be delivered immediately because a prolapsed cord can cut off his oxygen supply.

Your placenta starts to separate from your uterine wall (placental abruption), which means your baby won't get enough oxygen unless he's delivered right away.

You have a genital herpes outbreak when you go into labor or when your water breaks (whichever happens first). Delivering your baby by c-section will help him avoid infection.

What happens right before a c-section?

First, your practitioner will explain why she believes a c-section is necessary, and you'll be asked to sign a consent form. If your prenatal practitioner is a midwife, you'll be assigned an obstetrician for the surgery who will make the final decision and get your consent.

Typically, your husband or partner can be with you during most of the preparation and for the birth. In the rare instance that a c-section is such an emergency that there's no time for your partner to change clothes — or you need general anesthesia, which would knock you out completely — your partner might not be allowed to stay in the operating room with you.

An anesthesiologist will then come by to review various pain-management options. It's rare these days to be given general anesthesia, except in the most extreme emergency situations or if you can't have regional pain relief for some reason.


More likely, you'll be given an epidural or spinal block, which will numb the lower half of your body but leave you awake and alert for the birth of your baby.

If you've already had an epidural for pain relief during labor, it'll be used for your c-section as well. Before the surgery, you'll get extra medication to ensure that you're completely numb. (You may still feel some pressure or a tugging sensation at some point during the surgery.)

A catheter is then inserted into your urethra to drain urine during the procedure, and an IV is started if you don't have one already. The top section of your pubic hair is shaved, and you're moved into an operating room.

Anesthesia will be administered, and a screen will be raised above your waist so you won't have to see the incision being made. (If you'd like to witness the moment of birth, ask a nurse to lower the screen slightly so you can see the baby but not much else.) Your partner or husband, freshly attired in operating room garb, may take a seat by your head.

How is a c-section done?

Once the anesthesia has taken effect, your belly will be swabbed with an antiseptic, and the doctor will most likely make a small, horizontal incision in the skin above your pubic bone (sometimes called a "bikini cut").

The doctor will cut through the underlying tissue, slowly working her way down to your uterus. When she reaches your abdominal muscles, she'll separate them (usually manually rather than cutting through them) and spread them to expose what's underneath.

When the doctor reaches your uterus, she'll probably make a horizontal cut in the lower section of it. This is called a low transverse incision.

In rare circumstances, the doctor will opt for a vertical or "classical" uterine incision. This might be the case if your baby is very premature and the lower part of your uterus is not yet thinned out enough to cut. (If you have a classical incision, it's much less likely that you'll be allowed to attempt a vaginal delivery with your next pregnancy.)

Then the doctor will reach in and pull out your baby. You'll have a chance to see the baby briefly before he's handed off to a pediatrician or nurse. While the staff is examining your newborn, the doctor will deliver your placenta and then begin the process of closing you up.

After your baby has been examined, the pediatrician or nurse may hand him to your partner, who can hold him right next to you so you can admire, nuzzle, and kiss him while you're being stitched up, layer by layer. The final layer — the skin — may be closed with stitches or staples, which are usually removed three days to a week later. Closing your uterus and belly will take a lot longer than opening you up, usually about 30 minutes.

After the surgery is complete, you'll be wheeled into a recovery room, where you'll be closely monitored for a few hours. If your baby is fine, he'll be with you in the recovery room and you can finally hold him.

If you plan to breastfeed, give it a try now. You may find nursing more comfortable if you and your newborn lie on your sides facing each other.

You can expect to stay in the hospital for three or four days before going home.

22 Weeks Pregnant: Intimacy and Pregnancy

22 Weeks Pregnant

In this article

• Pregnancy Week 22: All About You
• Pregnancy Week 22: All About Baby
• How Big Is Baby?
• Most Common Pregnancy Questions
• Multiple Madness
• For Your Partner
• Fun Fact

At 22 weeks pregnant, chances are that your lingering morning sickness is beginning to subside. So, are you starting to feel amorous and frisky yet?

Pregnancy Week 22: All About You

You're probably feeling fetal movement throughout the day now that your baby's getting bigger. And as she grows, your body has to make room. Your stomach will have less space to expand, meaning you may suffer heartburn and indigestion, especially at night. Add to that the fact that pregnancy hormones can slow digestion making your tummy troubles even worse. Slight swelling may make your shoes uncomfortable. Your back may also ache with the added weight of your baby bump. Your bladder is also suffering from the space crunch, so expect plenty of potty breaks.

Intimacy and Pregnancy
Some women experience big bonuses along with their pregnancy—larger breasts, glowing skin, and a slight baby bump—if you're part of this group, chances are you feel more attractive than ever. On the flip side, if your pregnancy has been mostly about enduring nausea and fatigue, your libido may have taken a nosedive. No matter what your circumstance, the changes taking place in your body will undoubtedly affect how you and your partner feel about intimacy.

Why you may feel more attractive

Changes in your appearance: One of the first signs of pregnancy is an increased cup size. If you normally have smaller breasts, your new fuller breasts may make you feel more desirable. Couple that with an increased blood flow, which leaves you with rosier cheeks, and you might be downright irresistible.

Fluctuations in hormone levels: Pregnancy hormones may have you craving everything from pickles and ice cream to more intimacy. Keep in mind that the effects of these hormones vary for every woman, and your moods may change daily (sometimes hourly!).

Free of pressure to conceive: Perhaps you've been trying for months to get pregnant. Now that the pressure is off, intimacy may become more enjoyable and less of a task.

Why you may not feel interested

Tenderness: Your breasts and abdomen are going through quite a growth spurt, which may leave you sore. Intimacy may be uncomfortable, especially during your first and last trimesters.

Fatigue and nausea: If you've suffered strong bouts of nausea, intimacy may be the last thing on your mind. Fatigue may further zap any other desires.

Weight gain: As you've watched the scale tip upwards, you may feel frumpy.

Why intimacy is important
Intimacy allows you and your partner to express your love and concern for each other. It's a physical closeness that can reinforce your emotional connection to your partner. A gentle massage, cuddling, and kissing, can help erase some of the day-to-day pains of pregnancy and let you know your partner is there for you.

Worrying about the Baby
"Unless you have a specific medical issues like multiple births, placenta previa, or another high-risk condition, sexual intercourse won't hurt your baby," explains Dr. William Camann, MD, director of obstetric anesthesia at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and coauthor of Easy Labor.

He notes, however, that you may notice some contractions after lovemaking—that's normal. Unless your cervix is already starting to dilate, there's little reason to worry that these contractions will lead to labor.

If you have any unexplained bleeding after intimacy, or sex is extremely uncomfortable, talk to your healthcare provider about your concerns.

Pregnancy Week 22: All About Baby

Your baby's brain is growing daily. Her senses are also starting develop. She can hear the sound of your heart along with your breathing. As she wiggles her fingers, she may touch her face or even suck her thumb. Her lungs are becoming more mature, and she even goes through the motions of breathing. She can also swallow, although she won't have her first real meal until delivery day.

How Big Is Baby?

Your baby-to-be reaches about 10.5 to 11 inches (crown to heel) and weighs in at just over 15 ounces.

Most Common Pregnancy Questions

I've been told I need to schedule a gestational diabetes test. What is it and when should I take it?
A gestational diabetes test (also known as an oral glucose tolerance test or OGTT) is done as a routine screening for all pregnant women. Your doctor will let you know when it is appropriate for you. It is routinely done between weeks 24 and 28 of your pregnancy. This test looks at how well your body copes with glucose (or sugar levels).

Diabetes occurs when your body cannot process circulating sugar in an efficient way. Insulin, a naturally occurring substance produced by your pancreas, helps your cells utilize this sugar to give you energy. When appropriate amounts of insulin are made, this helps to keep the circulating blood sugar at a healthy level. However, for those with diabetes, the amount of insulin produced may not be enough. Over time, high levels of circulating glucose can lead to problems with blood circulation, wound healing, eyesight, and can also cause damage to your organs.

Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that happens when you are pregnant and will usually resolve itself right after your baby is born. Pregnancy hormones make it difficult for insulin to do its job. Most women can produce enough insulin to keep levels stable, but for unknown reasons, certain women's bodies can't keep up with this demand. In the case of pregnancy, one of the risks of being undiagnosed is having a baby who is too large. Babies that are LGA (large for gestational age) can pose problems for mom hoping to deliver vaginally. These babies may also have issues after birth, such as difficulties maintaining their own blood sugar and other complications.

Risk factors for developing gestational diabetes include:

• Race (Hispanic, black and Asian women tend to be at higher risk)
• Prepregnancy weight
• Age (above age 25)
• Family history
• Your history (you are more likely to develop this in subsequent pregnancies)

How the OGTT is performed: You will be given a sweet drink one hour before having some blood drawn. The lab then looks at how much glucose is circulating. If it is normal, then you have no worries. If the levels are high, a second test will be done to confirm the diagnosis. The second test involves fasting over night (this usually means no food after midnight). When you arrive at your OB's office for the test you will again be given a sweet drink. Your blood will be drawn at one-, two-, and three-hour intervals after you drink the solution. If two of the three levels are elevated, then you are considered to have gestational diabetes.

So what does this mean? You will be counseled on dietary modifications. Your doctor may refer you to a nutritionist that specializes in dealing with pregnant women and their nutritional needs. You may also be asked to monitor your blood sugar three to five times a day. Many hospitals have diabetes educators that can teach you how to monitor your blood sugar. Exercise is also an important part of keeping your sugar under control. In some cases, diet and exercise may not be enough and some women need to take oral medication or injectable insulin to keep your sugar in a healthy range. This diagnosis is one that is very manageable for most women. With proper management and monitoring, the end result is a healthy mom and a healthy baby!

Multiple Madness

Getting Intimate
I chuckle when women hint at questions about intimacy during pregnancy because, let's face it, we're not talking about intimacy. We're talking about the other "i" word: intercourse.

Intimacy is easy: Rent a movie, hold hands at the mall, share your deepest dreams over a candlelit dinner as you swallow a strawberry and pronounce yourself full since that's all that will fit in your stomach.

Intercourse is not so easy. If your doctor allows it, and if you allow it, it is possible. According to Dr. Susan Warhus, MD, an obstetrician and author of Countdown to Baby if a woman is on bed rest, she is also on pelvic rest, which means nothing should go into the vagina. This means no intercourse, tampons, douches, etc.," says Dr. Warhus. "If a woman is not on bed rest and has been given the go-ahead by her doctor, intercourse during a multiple pregnancy is safe. If, however, it leads to any cramping or spotting, the doctor should be called immediately."

If you have the green light from your doctor, congratulations! Enjoy some alone time together. Some positions work better than others. Obviously, missionary position is almost surely off limits. You will likely have to experiment a bit to find a position that's comfortable. And don't be surprised if it involves unimaginable propping of this limb or that!

Remember, it doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing approach. The most important thing is to keep your connection with your spouse as you await the arrival of your babies.

Whatever activity satisfies both of you is one worth pursuing.

For Your Partner

Staying Connected
Intimacy is a wonderful thing. It is not just about sex, but about physical and emotional closeness between you and your partner. Some men are uncomfortable having sex while their partners are pregnant, but as long as the doctor says it is safe (and usually it is), by all means, enjoy it. These are the last months you will have a chance to be intimate without worrying about another little being in your life, so take advantage of it!

Once your baby is born you will most likely find yourselves too tired and too focused on other things (like Baby!) to make time for sex. But it is incredibly important to remember that intimacy between you and your partner is vital to the health and success of your relationship. While sex certainly can be a form of intimacy, your relationship doesn't always have to include sex. Sometimes intimacy can be cuddling together, talking with each other, sharing your time and experiences, reading together, or indulging in a late morning in bed while doing crosswords or Sudoku together.

They key is to practice and be creative in your intimacy now so when things get chaotic after your baby is born, you'll already know tried-and-true ways to bring you and your partner together, despite all that is going on around you both.

Fun Fact

"Today, twins are born once in every 41 births," according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). With two babies you can expect to gain more weight. With a single birth, women gain between 25 to 35 pounds; with twins that amount increases to 35 to 45 pounds. ACOG researchers have found tall and obese women have a higher incidence of conceiving fraternal twins.

24 Weeks Pregnant: Keeping Your Body Healthy

24 Weeks Pregnant

In this article

• Pregnancy Week 24: All About You
• Pregnancy Week 24: All About Baby
• How Big Is Baby?
• Most Common Pregnancy Questions
• Multiple Madness
• For Your Partner
• Fun Fact

At 24 weeks pregnant, it is important for both you and baby to keep busy and healthy. Find out what you can do to stay in tip-top shape!

Are you exercising? Eating well?

Don't forget to drink lots of water during pregnancy. It can prevent some early labor symptoms, help you stay energized, give your skin a healthy glow, and nourish your baby. Speaking of skin ... you may begin getting stretch marks and forming a linea negra, the dark line between your belly button and pubic bone. (The linea negra will disappear and the stretch marks will eventually fade.)

Pregnancy Week 24: All About You

You may find tying your shoes and bending over are more difficult as your baby bump grows bigger. Your unborn baby's growth spurt means you may have itchiness and soreness as the skin stretches to make room. Your joints will loosen as pregnancy hormones soften them to accommodate your baby and to prepare your body for labor.

Prenatal Exercise
You may be discouraged to see the scale inching (or jumping!) upwards. Pregnancy is not the right time to try to lose weight or begin a rigorous exercise regime, but regular exercise can be beneficial and ease some of your pregnancy pains.

Benefits of Prenatal Exercise
Here are some pregnancy woes that exercise can lessen.

• Backaches: Walking and prenatal yoga can improve your posture, which has probably been suffering under the weight of your expanding belly.
• Edema (swelling): Exercise can boost your circulation explains Dr. William Camann, MD, director of obstetric anesthesia at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and coauthor of Easy Labor Better circulation can prevent or at least ease some of your swelling.
• Stress reliever: Nothing clears your head and energizes like a brisk walk around the block.
• Labor preparer: Regular exercise strengthens your muscles for delivery day. "Exercising can help you feel more confident about labor," says Dr. Camann. And if you've kept yourself in reasonable shape, chances are losing weight post-pregnancy will be that much easier.

How to Get Started

Always talk to your healthcare provider before beginning an exercise program (even if you were a star athlete pre-pregnancy). Your healthcare provider may be able to recommend a prenatal class in your area. Many hospitals and health clubs offer prenatal exercise classes. Exercising with other women in similar circumstances will help keep you from becoming discouraged about weight gain and provide support. Many hospitals and health clubs offer prenatal exercise class, such as yoga and swimming. If you haven't been exercising walking is a great way to begin during pregnancy, suggest Dr. Camann. Try walking 20 minutes several times a week to keep yourself in labor-ready condition.

Exercises to Avoid
"There are several exercises that you should avoid while pregnant," advises Dr. Camann. "Any hard contact sports like skiing, tennis, or sports that require you to make rapid changes, like in high-impact aerobics can be harmful." If you have any questions about a particular sport, ask your healthcare provider. Dr. Camann says that over his many years in practice he's seen it all—"No, you shouldn't be jumping on a trampoline when you're pregnant!" Remember, your goal is not to lose weight but to stay fit. After all, your body won't respond to exercise in the same way while you're pregnant. Along with the added weight (25 to 35 pounds total), your heart is working harder to pump twice the blood through your system, and many of your organs—your lungs included—have less room.

Pregnancy Week 24: All About Baby

In your 24th week of pregnancy, your baby is filling out. Part of your weight gain goes straight to helping him gain weight, too. Since he's still on the scrawny side, his skin wrinkles on his body, but he looks like a miniature version of what you'll see on delivery day. His face has formed, ears are in place, and eyes are complete (although his lids are still closed). He has eyelashes, fingernails, and may be growing hair. Rapid eye movements (REM) are beginning, too.

How Big Is Baby?

This week your baby weighs around 1 1/2 pounds and measures almost 11 to 12 inches (crown to heel).

Most Common Pregnancy Questions

I'm in my second trimester and have this dark line running down my tummy. What's going on?
Linea negra (or linea nigra) literally means "black line" in Latin. This line is a dark, thin, and straight verticle streak that may appear sometime in the second trimester. It runs from just above the pubic bone, through your belly button, and can go as high as your lowest rib (though for many women it stops right around the belly button). The linea negra is usually about one centimeter wide (a little less than one-half inch).

Some women may notice linea alba (a white line) surface before the darkening occurs. The line usually appears more brownish than black, but can be quite dark for some women. This darkening is as a result of the increase in a skin pigment called melanin. Darker skinned women will be more likely to have linea negra than fair skinned woman.

Generally several months after delivering your baby the line should fade and disappear (although for some women it may fade, but not disappear). If you're feeling self conscious of this line, you're not alone. But keep in mind in many parts of the world; this line is worn as a proud badge of motherhood!

In order to minimize the darkening, some women try the following:

• Avoiding exposure to the sun (which may further darken it)
• Increase folic acid intake
• Use make-up concealer to cover it up

Multiple Madness

Keeping Your Body Healthy
As you continue to grow, it might seem easy to eat healthy simply because you can't manage to ingest more than 500 calories a day (there's just no room!). But the truth is, it's important to consciously care for yourself for the remainder of your pregnancy so that you enter mommyhood as strong as possible.

• Continue to eat healthy. Many obstetricians suggest five to six small meals throughout the day as opposed to three main meals. Smaller meals are easier to digest and will keep your blood sugar at a more even level throughout the day.
• Continue to walk or swim if your doctor permits it to reduce edema and maintain your energy level.
• Moisturize your skin— especially around your belly—not only to reduce stretch marks but to prevent your skin from itching as it stretches (which it will do a lot with twins!).
• Spend time in the evening (and afternoon if your lifestyle permits it) with your feet up to reduce swelling. Keeping your feet elevated also helps if you are battling varicose veins.
• Don't neglect your emotional health during this time. Keep life as stress-free as you can. If allowed by your doctor, get outside each day or in the evening after dinner. Weather permitting, indulging in some fresh air while moving your body will feel wonderful. When you feel yourself getting anxious, play soothing music.
• Begin to line up support in terms of housework and errands, if possible. Have fun preparing your home for the arrival of your babies. They will be here before you know it!

For Your Partner

Your Body, Yourself
As crazy as it sounds, many guys experience sympathetic pregnancy aches and pains right along with their partners (this is called Couvade's syndrome). This empathetic experience may include, among other things, a hearty weight gain. And often after the birth of Baby, parents experience even more weight gain, in part because they are sleeping less, are stressed out, and subsequently don't eat and exercise as healthfully or regularly.

Remember, pregnancy lasts for nine months—you've got time to get prepared. Before your life becomes too hectic, begin eating and living healthier in preparation for your baby's arrival. Establishing healthy lifestyle habits now will give you a better chance of maintaining some of those habits after Baby comes. For instance, you can take a walk with your partner, a stroll through the neighborhood after dinner. Not only will that be good exercise for you both, but it will be nice time where you can catch up on all that is going on with each of you, building your connection even stronger for when Baby arrives. If you haven't historically helped with meals, this is a good time to begin to participate more by making sure more vegetables and other healthy food make their way onto the table. This will be invaluable when things get a little crazy after your baby is born.

Because, of course, your partner's health is vital; she's carrying and supporting your baby, but your own health is crucial, too! You need your strength just like she does. Think of this as your own Spring Training: You need to practice now so when Baby comes you will be in great shape for the real thing.

Fun Fact

During pregnancy all of your body's organs are working harder. For example, your lungs have to work to provide you with enough oxygen. According to the Mayo Clinic, you use 20 percent more oxygen while pregnant!

25 Weeks Pregnant: Pampering Yourself

25 Weeks Pregnant

In this article

• Pregnancy Week 25: All About You
• Pregnancy Week 25: All About Baby
• How Big Is Baby?
• Most Common Pregnancy Questions
• Multiple Madness
• For Your Partner
• Fun Fact

With all that's going on with your baby-to-be, don't forget to stop and take a few moments to relax and schedule some quality alone time. But don't forget your partner! Make a date for the two of you to share some time together, too.

I hope you're doing your Kegel exercises! Kegels strengthen the pelvic floor and tone the vaginal and perineal area. To do a Kegel, tighten the muscles around the vagina and anus and hold for eight to 10 seconds. Confused? Practice stopping a stream of urine when you're on the toilet. These are exercises you don't have to get to the gym for! Try doing Kegels in the car at every red light.

Pregnancy Week 25: All About You

You may start to notice aches and pains in some unusual places as your pregnancy progresses. For example, you may experience moments of shooting pains in your legs. There are several possible reasons for leg cramps, although doctors are still uncertain about the exact cause. According to the March of Dimes, changes in your circulation, pressure on nerves and blood vessels, even staying in the same position for too long can lead to cramping. Your groin may also ache with the added pressure of your baby-to-be. And chances are, some of the regular pregnancy nuisances—like frequent potty breaks, indigestion, and itchy skin—are still bothering you.

Sleeping in Pregnancy: Why It's Tough to Get Enough Zzzs
Next to nausea, fatigue is one of the top complaints during pregnancy. While getting more rest seems to be the easy solution, sleeping will become more difficult as you get further along in your pregnancy.

Physical Reasons for Sleep Trouble

Belly bump: Your baby bump can make it challenging to find a comfortable snoozing position. If you slept on your back or stomach pre-pregnancy, you'll have to adjust to sleeping on your side. In fact, the American Pregnancy Association (APA) advises sleeping on your side, or SOS—as the healthiest position for you and your baby. The APA goes on to say that you should sleep on your left side to put your body's internal organs in the best position for blood to circulate, replenishing your body—and your baby-to-be's—with oxygen and nutrients while you sleep.

Breathing issues: Your expanding belly not only dictates your sleep position, but also how much air you'll breathe as you snooze. As your uterus expands and pushes your internal organs aside, your lungs have less room to expand, meaning you're taking shallower and more frequent breaths than in your pre-pregnancy days.

Potty breaks: Your growing baby-to-be puts added pressure on your bladder, which is working overtime along with the rest of your body to flush out any impurities in your blood supply, which jumps 50 percent during pregnancy. Don't be surprised if you have to wake up at least a couple of times in the night to use the bathroom.

Indigestion: Along with your lungs and bladder, your stomach is getting squished as your belly bump grows. As your stomach is pushed up closer to your esophagus (the tube through which food travels from your mouth to your stomach), you're more likely to experience heartburn. Pregnancy hormones, which tend to slow digestion, can also cause food to sit longer in your stomach.

Mental Reasons for Sleep Trouble

Stress: It may not be just your body keeping you up at night. You may lose sleep worrying about your baby's arrival, stresses of work, or about becoming a mother.

Dreams: Researchers also note pregnant women have more vivid dreams compared with non-pregnant women. "We're still not sure why this happens," says Dr. William Camann, MD, director of obstetric anesthesia at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and coauthor of Easy Labor. Some theories are that pregnancy hormones play a part. "It may also be that you're waking up more often so that you're recalling more of what you were dreaming."

Simple Solutions for Sleep Trouble

Try these helpful strategies to ensure you get some much-needed rest.

Pillows, pillows, and more pillows! While there are plenty of pregnancy sleep pillows on the market, you can also fashion your own pillow system by placing several smaller pillows at your sorest points. Try adding one behind your lower back for support and placing one between your legs.

Relaxation strategies: If pillows aren't enough, try to find some ways to relax before you go to bed. Make yourself a glass of tea, do breathing exercises, and/or let your partner give you're a massage. Find what triggers your body to unwind and practice it before bed.

Drinking smarts: You should never limit the amount of water you drink, but you can limit when you drink it. If you've had one too many midnight bathroom breaks, avoid drinking an hour or two before bed. Make sure, though, when you wake up in the morning and throughout the day you drink enough to keep your body hydrated.

Sit up: Propping yourself up at night can ease heartburn. You may also try avoiding acidic foods such as tomato sauce or citrus fruits.

Have your baby: After weeks of uncomfortable sleep positions and aching body parts, you'll be amazed at how quickly you'll find yourself snoozing again once your baby arrives. You may still find yourself waking up in the middle of the night, but it won't be because you need a bathroom break—instead it will be your little one who may need a snack or a changed diaper.

Remember to ask your healthcare provider before taking any over-the-counter sleep aids.

Pregnancy Week 25: All About Baby

Your baby-to-be's lungs are developing rapidly, although she'd probably need a little help breathing if she were born at this point. Her respiratory system continues to develop, her nostrils are open, and she can breathe—but she won't take her first breath of air until delivery day. By your 25th week of pregnancy, her reproductive organs are formed (in boys, the testes have descended). Her skin is translucent and wrinkled, and she can hear your stomach when it gurgles and your voice when you sing. Your baby is becoming more aware of how she can move—she's wiggling her fingers and toes!

How Big Is Baby?

Your baby has grown to about 1.5 pounds, she's around 13.5 inches long (crown to heel). She's about the size of a loaf of bread.

Most Common Pregnancy Questions

What is "the mask of pregnancy" and how can I manage it?
Here is another pregnancy skin change that's caused by your fluctuating hormones. The increase in hormones occurring during pregnancy has an effect on your body's melanin production, and this increase in melanin manifests itself as small brownish patches or darkened areas on the skin. (The melanin increase is also responsible for the darkening of your nipples and labia.) The dermatological term for the "mask of pregnancy" is melasma or chloasma.

A large percentage of women will experience this skin change to varying degrees. The reason it is called a "mask" is because it is most commonly seen on the cheekbones, nose, and forehead. It can also be seen on the forearms, hands, and other parts of the body that are exposed to sunlight. Women with darker pigmented skin may be more prone to this than women with lighter skin pigment.

For many women, these brownish patches will fade after childbirth; however, some women may not see them completely disappear. Skin bleaching or lightening can sometimes be effective to improve the appearance of the skin. But never use these products while pregnant (here is a look at what skin products are safe during pregnancy).

Give your body time after the baby is born to see what will happen with your skin. Check with your doctor or a dermatologist for the best method of lightening any remaining discoloration.

Use these pregnancy skin-friendly tips:

• Always wear sunscreen (this may help prevent the spots from getting too dark)
• Use moisturizer
• Drink plenty of water (at least eight glasses per day)
• Make sure you're getting enough sleep

Multiple Madness

Pampering the Three of You!
During the final stage of your pregnancy it's important to take time to pamper yourself. You'll be spending plenty of time caring for not just one, but two little ones in the coming months. It's wise to get into a pattern of self-care now. That way, it will be easier to continue nurturing yourself after the babies are born (when you really need it).

Schedule a massage to help your stretching ligaments and sore muscles. Take a warm shower at night. Spend time with friends shopping, having lunch, or going to the movies.

I realize it's been said that pregnancy is not the time to try a new haircut, but on a day when you aren't feeling too crazy, invest in an easy-to-style "'do" that makes you feel great without requiring ninety minutes to get it in place.

If your doctor permits it, investigate a water aerobic class for pregnant women. The weightlessness will feel tremendous on your joints and muscles, and the workout will be great for every inch of you.

Many women believe that caring for themselves, especially after the babies arrive, is selfish. But the fact is it's not. It's essential that you take care of yourself. After all, you can only best care for your family when you've got the energy and sanity to do so. So pick up the phone and schedule some you time!

For Your Partner

Taking Care of Yourself and Your Spouse
Life for you and your partner may get a little crazy when your baby is born. Now, before your newborn arrives, is the time to pamper yourselves. You most likely won't have the chance to again until months (or years!) after your Baby enters the world.

Does your partner like manicures and pedicures? How about massages or getting her hair styled? Maybe even a spa treatment? These make for great treats and can help your spouse relieve stress and feel special—just how you want her to feel.

Try scheduling an appointment for her or look for gift certificates so the experience is worry-free. If family and friends ask you what they can get her as a baby shower gift, these make for great suggestions (especially if they come with a "babysitting" service along with them for after your baby is born).

While pampering your loved one, don't forget about yourself! Dads-to-be deserve massages and spa treatments, too. Or how about a professional shave? What are the things that make you feel good and special? Be sure to schedule some of these things for yourself as well. The healthier you and your partner are, the better able you'll be to manage the stresses and chaos of having a newborn.

Fun Fact

You may have noticed your baby has bouts of hiccups. Unlike when you have hiccups from swallowing in air, your baby-to-be's hiccups come from taking in small amounts of amniotic fluid. No worries, the amniotic fluid won't hurt her—in fact it contains beneficial nutrients.