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11/15/2008 - by Anne Marie Nielson
  
Pregnancy Week 6

You're Pregnant! Week 6

At this point, some women may have known they were pregnant for several weeks, while others may just be finding out. No matter which group you fall into, at some point you'll be thinking about how to break the news to your friends and family. There are a lot of cute ways to break the news. To let your partner in on the new arrival, you can plan a meal with a baby theme, like baby peas, baby shrimp, tater tots… you get the idea. Another idea, especially if it is near a holiday like Valentine's Day, is to wrap up the positive pregnancy test as a gift and present it to your partner. Other ideas may include putting sibling shirts on your older children if you have any, or having your partner get the "bun in the oven."

Many people like to wait until the first trimester is over to tell extended family. The chances of miscarrying lessen at this point, and sometimes it works out well with the holidays, making them even more special. However you decide to break the news, your life is already beginning to change.

YOUR BABY

By the end of this week, your baby's arms and hands are much better developed. The beginnings of the outer ear can be seen and pigment makes the eyes very obvious. Your baby's head is the largest part during this week, and it curves down over the heart. Already, the embryo will react to touch. The skeleton is beginning to form and muscles continue to grow. All four chambers are now found in the heart and groups of red blood cells are circulating. The upper lip has formed, as well as the nasal cavities. Lung buds are making their first appearance. Embryonic sex glands are being formed, although the sex of the baby cannot be told yet.

Your baby is about half an inch long, or slightly larger than the diameter of a dime.

YOUR BODY

You may feel tender around your belly, even if you are not showing yet. Looser clothing feels more comfortable. You may also start that famous pregnancy "glow," though you may not feel at your best between the morning sickness and the fatigue.

If you're still waiting for your first prenatal visit, write down the date of the first day of your last menstrual period. Your care giver will use this to calculate an approximate due date. If you chart your cycle and know for sure you ovulated before or after the 14th day of your cycle, be sure and let them know, as this may change your due date enough to be significant in some cases. Tests that may be done at your prenatal visit may include blood work, a pap smear, cultures for gonorrhea and Chlamydia, urinalysis and assessment of your heart, lungs and thyroid. They may do an internal exam to check your uterus and cervix. If they measure your pelvis at this point, it really has no bearing on whether your baby will fit through or not, since pregnancy hormones will help relax your pelvis during birth to accommodate the baby's head.

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-6.html