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Week
11/15/2008 - by Anne Marie Nielson
Pregnancy Week
15
You're Pregnant! Week
15
If the care giver you go to does a routine ultrasound in the
middle of the pregnancy, chances are you'll be scheduled for
one soon. If you want to know what sex your baby is, you'll be
able to find out during the ultrasound unless baby is being
shy. The ultrasound is usually done to measure baby's growth,
the amount of amniotic fluid your uterus contains, and to take
a peek in case anything unusual is going on. Some places will
provide you with photos of your little one from the ultrasound,
or even a video. Of course, not everyone finds out the sex of
their baby before the birth. Sometimes, the baby just doesn't
cooperate, and some parents choose to be surprised. While your
relatives may prefer to know if they should buy pink or blue,
if you choose not to find out, just tell them a little mystery
in life is a good thing.
YOUR BABY
Your baby can hear starting this week. Your voice, your
heartbeat, the sounds of the rest of the family… all becomes
familiar to your little one as the weeks progress. Your baby's
movements are most likely strong enough to be felt by this time
if you haven't been able to up until now. Your baby begins to
lay down some fat layers. Your baby doesn't need to go on a
diet! This fat is important… it will help keep him or her warm
after they are born. Your baby weighs about five ounces and is
about five inches long this week.
YOUR BODY
Speaking of weight, you've probably noticed you've put on a few
pounds. This weight gain is important for you and your baby.
Most care givers recommend that the average woman gain between
25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. While that may seem like a
lot, remember that very little of that is fat, and the small
amount that is will be needed to help your milk supply after
the birth. If you add it all up, those pounds are all accounted
for.
7 to 9 lbs for baby
2 lbs for the placenta
2 lbs for the amniotic fluid
4 to 5 lbs for increased blood volume
2 lbs for the uterus
3 to 4 lbs for extra fluid in mom's tissues
1 lb for breast growth
The rest is made up for in maternal fat stores for
breastfeeding and energy for labor.
You won't believe how much weight drops off as soon as the baby
is born. You'll have lost the baby's weight, the placenta, the
amniotic fluid, a good portion of the uterine weight as it
shrinks down and some of your extra blood. That's quite a bit
to lose in such a short amount of time. If you breastfeed, the
rest will come off much faster than if you don't. It is very
important to keep eating sufficiently and to keep doing so
after the baby is born as well. In fact, breastfeeding moms
need more calories than pregnant moms do.
At From Pregnancy To Baby, we try
to provide you with all of the latest information about going
through your pregnancy from your first trimester to the first
years of your new babies life. We also provide the highest
quality books and products to help you through that time.
Source: http://www.frompregnancytobaby.com/pregnancy-week-14.html
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