Your baby
Around this time your baby's eyelids open. Your child could already tell light from dark, but whether he or she can see anything more than that is not known.
Your child's movements are becoming clearer. Where at first you only felt them lying quietly in bed and concentrating hard, now you feel them while waiting for the bus or in the middle of a meeting. That can make it hard to keep your mind on things. There is no rule for how often you should feel your child. If it happens to be less for a while, there is no need to worry straight away — sometimes you are simply too busy to notice. Only if the movements clearly change is it wise to mention it to your midwife.
This week brings another milestone: from now on your baby is considered viable. But it would still be very hard to keep such a small person alive with outside help. From 28 weeks your baby's chances are much better, though even then there is a long road ahead.
Whether a baby would pull through depends on the weight and on any complications. A baby born too soon has little resistance to infection and the lungs are not yet mature enough for life outside the womb. So it is far from the intention that your child should be born now.
You
Stress, and chronic stress above all, is never healthy, but especially not now. Being very stressed produces physical reactions in you, such as prolonged palpitations or sweating. The result can be that your blood vessels — including those of the placenta — tighten and carry less blood. That is not good for your baby, who can fall behind in growth as a result.
So if things are very busy at work, ease off in good time. If there are problems, or things you worry about a great deal, try to talk them over with your midwife.
Getting the nursery ready
When does the nursery have to be finished? First of all: a newborn baby does not necessarily need a room of its own. Your baby can perfectly well sleep in your room for the first few months. You may like the reassurance of having your child so close at night, and it is handy if you are still doing night feeds.
But if you would like to give your baby a place of its own — if only to make him feel welcome — it is best to start getting it ready in good time. At the end of your pregnancy you should not be lifting and carrying. And you probably do not want to risk the room being unfinished if the baby arrives a little early. Do you know how you want to decorate it? Gather ideas you like and make some first sketches.
When painting, choose water-based paint. The fumes from chemical solvents in paint are not good for your unborn baby — or for you. New furniture, curtains and carpets can contain harmful substances too. Make sure they can air out: ventilate the nursery well before the birth.
Second trimester
