You are 34 Weeks and 6 Days 36 days to go…
It’s never too late to improve your fitness and whatever you do now will stand you in good stead for labor.
Your baby today
The placenta, shown in red above the baby’s green profile, is
now receiving half a liter of blood each minute from your circulation.
In order to accommodate this increase your blood volume expanded
dramatically in the first few months of the pregnancy.
You might be in the final few weeks
but you still need to stay active. Exercising regularly and
consistently will enable you to reap the rewards of your efforts:
increased fitness, higher self esteem, and much more energy.
Find activities
that you enjoy: swimming and walking are often favored by pregnant women
in this late stage. As well as helping improve fitness, both of these
activities will help you relax and unwind.
It is difficult to put an
exact figure on how long you should be exercising for, but bear in mind
that this will be determined by how hard you exercise—the two are
linked. Consider the difference between a sprint and a marathon—each
will have their own energy needs, one is short and has a very intense
need for energy, while the other needs slow and sustained energy.
Always listen to your
body and stop if you’re in danger of overexerting yourself. It’s
important to eat plenty if you’re exercising: choose snacks that will fuel your body, especially given that the third trimester is the most demanding in terms of your baby’s nutritional needs.
If you go for a daily walk you will feel energized and it will be good preparation for all those strolls you’ll be doing with your baby.
… Doctor
| Q: |
Why are some babies born prematurely?
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| A: |
There are certain factors that may increase a woman’s
likelihood of having a premature baby. These include a previous
obstetric history of prematurity of either themselves or a mother or
sister; illness during pregnancy; the state of a woman’s health prior to
pregnancy; having a multiple pregnancy; fetal problems, such as reduced
growth, which may be due to lifestyle factors such as smoking, and
other fetal disorders.
|
Kangaroo care
If your premature baby goes into a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
you may be able to take care of him using a method called kangaroo
care. You will be asked to hold your baby on your chest between your
breasts with his head turned so that his ear is next to your heart.
Developed in
Bogota, Columbia, in response to a lack of incubators, kangaroo care is
shown to have many benefits for NICU babies—mainly that their heart and
breathing rates regularize quite quickly, allowing them to sleep for
much longer periods. The baby’s temperature is regulated by the
temperature fluctuations in your breasts, meaning he doesn’t have to
expend energy keeping himself warm.
This, in addition to
the extra sleep, preserves his energy for other vital functions, such as
brain development and weight gain. Breast-feeding is also more
successful and some kangarooed babies lose none of their birth weight.
You are 35 Weeks Exactly 35 days to go…
The reality of being a mother will begin to hit you in these final weeks, and you have everything to look forward to.
Your baby today
Your baby’s brain continues to mature. This ultrasound image
shows that the folding pattern overlying the cerebral hemispheres has
now developed giving rise to the familiar folds and grooves on the
brain’s surface. The bright reflections are from the bony skull.
Before the birth, it can be difficult to imagine having a relationship with your baby, even though you may feel a close bond during pregnancy.
Fortunately, bonding
is a chemical process in your brain when you give birth. Other people’s
babies may leave you feeling cold, but it’s highly likely that your own
baby will spark all kinds of feelings that you never even knew you could
experience. It’s normal to worry about being a mother—coping with the
responsibility, taking care of a helpless baby, being “good enough,” and
making lifestyle changes. However, when your baby is born, your
priorities will become abundantly clear, as will your
affections—although bonding may not always be instant.
In some cases, postpartum depression, or even the short-term baby blues , can interrupt the natural progression of feelings a mother has for her newborn baby.
… Doctor
| Q: |
Will I be able to breast-feed my twins?
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| A: |
Yes, but if possible, arrange for a lactation consultant with
experience in feeding twins to be available after birth. If you get the
positions correct and know how to latch on your babies at the outset, you’ll feel much more confident continuing on your own.
Many moms of twins
find that feeding them simultaneously, using a specially designed
breast-feeding pillow, is the easiest way to manage. This is something
you may want to buy now. There is a variety of effective breast-feeding
positions for twins that the consultant or a midwife can show you.
|
… Your body
Pamper yourself
You may not feel particularly lovely, but that’s all the more reason to pamper yourself. There’s unlikely to be time for beauty rituals once the baby is born.
If you’re keeping a photographic record of your belly,
you’ll want it to look as good as possible. Gently exfoliating and
moisturizing will ensure the skin is as smooth as possible. It won’t,
unfortunately, prevent stretch marks but it will improve the appearance
of the skin.
Treat yourself to a manicure, but don’t have nail extensions for when your baby is born—sharp implements and babies don’t mix.
Indulge in a facial: it will make you feel good and help you relax.
Have your hair cut
since it may be some time before you get to the hairdresser again. It’s
a good idea to opt for a style that will be easy to manage once your
baby arrives.
If you have aches and pains, book a massage with someone who specializes in pregnancy.
Have a pedicure a week or two before the birth. You’ll be thrilled once your belly has gone and you’re able to see your feet again.
