Your baby
Your baby is now growing about two centimetres a week, and is currently about as long as a toothbrush. Although the eyes are still closed, your child can tell light from dark straight through the eyelids. So if you lie in bright sunshine with a bare bump, he or she will certainly notice. Those eyes have now grown tiny lashes and eyebrows as well.
The fingers and toes are developing further. There are already twenty minute nails to be counted. And on the fingers a fingerprint is forming that is unique and that your child will keep for life.
You
The blood supply to your whole body is better, and that includes your sex organs. As a result you may become aroused more easily and have more appetite for sex than usual. On top of that, your rounder breasts and gently rounded abdomen may leave you feeling wonderfully attractive — another reason why you may feel more like making love.
There is no need to fear that making love will harm your baby. If you have a painful feeling in your abdomen or back after an orgasm, do not be alarmed. It is caused by the womb contracting and pulling on the surrounding muscles and ligaments. It does no harm and the pain soon passes. You may have a few drops of vaginal bleeding, because your cervix has a richer blood supply and surface vessels can burst on contact with the penis.
If you are worried about vaginal bleeding, contact us.
Stretch marks
Because your breasts and abdomen stretch considerably during pregnancy, you may get stretch marks: small tears in the skin. You recognise them as pink or blue lines under the skin, irregular in shape. After the pregnancy they usually take on a pearly colour, but they never go away completely.
Preventing stretch marks is hard, particularly if you are still fairly young and your skin is firm. There is no proof that oils and creams prevent them, but rubbing them in does keep your skin supple and feels pleasant. Beyond that, good posture, plenty of exercise and a firm bra help keep your breasts and abdomen in good condition.
Sport during pregnancy
You can simply carry on with sport and fitness. Staying in good condition is important. But do not overdo it: do not push yourself to the limit and stop when it stops feeling good. The hormone progesterone has slackened your ligaments, so you can pick up injuries more easily. The pregnancy sports par excellence are cycling, swimming and walking.
The pram
Start looking for a suitable pram in good time. Before you buy, think about what you will mainly use it for — that makes the choice easier.