still growing!

Week 15/16:Baby

Bones are visible and hardening beneath the skin. the sex of the baby can now be determined ny ultrasound or amniocentesis. Because the baby is getting larger and stronger, the  mother may now be able to feel the movement of the baby inside the uterus.


Mommy
At this point mom should feel a variety of new things physically and emotionally. Her uterus is rising above the hip about now. The blood volume of the mother has increased because of the pregnancy  and her heart is working harder to support the baby. Ligaments and joints are under stress from the mothers weight gain and her abdomen will most likely be a little sore from the pressure of the baby's weight.

More baby :)

Week 13/14: baby
These weeks come with some pretty exciting changes including frowning, grimacing,squinting,peeing,and sucking the thumb. The  baby is now stretching out, it should now be about three and a half inches long and weigh one and a half ounces. Soon the fetus will be cover in lanugo, a thin layer of hair to protect it. The liver will start making bile, and the spleen will produce red blood cells. Even though the mother cant feel the fetus moving yet, it is becoming more active.

What is placenta previa?

Placenta Previa is when the developing placenta is setting in the lower part of the uterus and covering part and/or all of the cervix opening.


There are 3 types of placenta previa. The first is marginal placenta previa, in this form the placenta is touching the cervix but is not covering it at all. The second is called partial placenta previa because the placenta is covering only a part of the cervix. The final type of placenta previa is known as complete placenta previa because the placenta is completely covering the cervix opening.

Placenta previa occurs in 1 out of every 200 pregnancies and is common in women who have: abnormally formed uterus's, many previous pregnancies, multiple births (twins or triplets etc).or scarring of uterus from surgery or abortion.


The greatest most recognizable symptom of placenta previa is sudden,painless, bright red vaginal bleeding.


The treatment of placenta previa depends on the amount of bleeding that occured, the development of the fetus or embryo, the type of placenta previa, the number of previous births, the position of the baby, and the labor staus.
Treatment of placenta previa includes reduced activities,bed rest,pelvic rest, blood transfusion,medicine to prevent premature birth, or if the baby is 36 weeks or more developed it can be delivered.


The risks to a mother with placenta previa depend on the type but mostly include death, major bleeding, and toxic shock. Unfortunately placenta previa is not preventable.

Miscarriage

What is a miscarriage?
Miscarriage is the spontaneous,unexpected loss of an embryo or fetus. Ten to twenty-five percent of miscarriages are of clinically recognized pregnancies, and  the other fifty to seventy-five percent occur soon after implantation, when the mother doesn't know she is pregnant.


Why do miscarriages occur?
Miscarriages can occur because of severe hormonal imbalances in the women that prevent fetal growth. Extensive smoking,drinking,drug use, or radiation exposure greatly increases the chance of miscarriage. Finally, some older bodies simply cant handle the physical stress of carrying a baby in the womb for nine months.


4 main types of miscarriage
Inevitable miscarriage
Complete miscarriage
Missed miscarriage
Recurrent miscarriage


Major signs of miscarriage 
An immediate sign of miscarriage is severe back pain (worse than menstrual cramps). Weight loss of 5 pounds or more is also a typical symptom.Very painful contractions or painless, bright red vaginal bleeding are serious signs of a miscarriage. If you experience ANY of the signs, contact your doctor and/or go to a hospital immediately.


Prevention of Miscarrying
Regular exercise and a healthy diet are key to preventing miscarriages. Managing stress levels helps the body maintain focus on the fetus. To avoid miscarrying or hurting the baby, avoid drinking,smoking and contact sports. Many doctors recommend taking a daily Folic Acid supplement to strengthen the body for baby development.

And the journey continues with yet another baby post!! :)

Week 9:baby
Congrats! Your embryo is now strawberry size!! It's arms and legs are getting longer, and its fingertips are expanding. The movements that the baby is now making can be detected by an ultrasound!!



Mommy
There still isn't any noticeable changes on the outside, but the uterus is still expanding. Mommy might be experiencing slight,but hardly noticeable weight gain. She may now begin to have increased cravings,nausea,bloating and mood swings.




Week 10:baby
At this phase the baby is officially called a fetus. It is about the size of a medium shrimp,and weighs about 2/10 of an ounce. Every day the fetus will move more and more and become more complex.



Mommy
Energy and attitude may begin to change about now, and the lower pooch on the stomach is probably beginning to grow a bit. Pregnancy may still be a mystery to onlookers.




Week 11:baby

This week is a very exciting one for many moms, because this is the week the first ultrasound heart beat can be heard!! The fetus is about the size of a large lime and weighs about 3/10 of an ounce. Fingernails and genitals are now clearly visible. More movement is noticeable through ultrasound and the baby may begin swallowing this week as well!!


Mommy
Mom's uterus is still growing and is almost big enough to fill the pelvis completely. Some changes in weight,hair,skin and finger nails may be noticed this week. Mood swings may be getting increasingly worse.




Week 12:baby
The rapidly growing fetus is now the size of a tennis ball!! All of the limbs are getting bigger and stronger. Baby even has teeth buds forming already. From now on the risk of miscarriage drops drastically. 

Mommy
Due to sudden hormone changes- nausea,headaches,dizziness and fatigue will most likely increase. The mother might now be growing the infamous "baby bump" on her lower belly. Appetite is also going to noticeably fluctuate.  

BABY UPDATE

Week 5:baby

 baby at 5 weeks

At this point in the pregnancy the embryo is buried deep inside the uterus and is growing rapidly,it is about the size of a sesame seed. The baby is now made up of three layers: the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the endoderm. These 3 layers are the base of all the baby's tissues. The brain,spinal cord, nerves and backbone will develop from the top layer, or the ectoderm. The ectoderm will also help with the development of hair,nails,skin, and tooth enamel. The mesoderm is responsible for the heart and circulatory system. The mesoderm will form muscles,cartilage, bone and skin tissue. During this week the heart will divide into chambers and begin pumping blood. The third layer,the endoderm, will create the lungs, intestines, urinary system, thyroid, liver, and pancreas. During this time the placenta and umbilical cord are delivering nutrients to the baby.


Mommy
At this stage of the game many women notice the symptoms of pregnancy such as: soreness, fatigue, nausea and frequent use of the bathroom. At this time mothers are encouraged to start an exercise plan to manage oncoming  "baby weight" and help prevent some joint soreness that comes with pregnancy. Walking and swimming are good activities for pregnant women. So far there is no noticeable changes to the mother's body. Now is a good time to begin searching for your midwife who will be with you every step of the way.




Week 6:baby
Welcome to the embryonic period!!! The baby's facial features are visible and the eyes have a retina and lens.The digestive system is now forming, beginning with the stomach and the intestine.There is small indentations in the head and the jaw is growing and buds of limbs are beginning to form.


Mommy
Not many physical changes have occurred since last week, but the HCG hormone is increasing in the body. A mother at this stage maybe feeling anxious and irritable due to hormone imbalances and mixed feelings that accompany pregnancy.




Week 7:baby
Congrats!!! Your baby is now the size of a blueberry! The baby's brain cells are rapidly developing at 100 cells per minute. The mouth and tongue are now visible. Baby's kidneys are almost formed and are preparing to function.




Mommy
On the outside not much has changed,although a mother may notice a small fat deposit on her lower belly. A mother may begin to have increased morning sickness and headaches may become frequent. A woman is especially libel to start craving certain foods due to hormone imbalance. Frustration over sickness and mind set and anxiousness over health are common at this stage. It is not not uncommon for a mother to become overly emotional and hypersensitive because her body is changing so rapidly.


Week 8:baby
Baby Einstein is on the way!! Just kidding, but baby's brain development is rapidly increasing now. Baby even has a visible nose bud!! The lungs and lung tubules are beginning to form,but wont be fully functional until the very end of pregnancy. Something pretty amazing at this stage is the viewing of you baby's elbows that newly formed out of limb buds.


Mommy
Morning sickness may begin to increase at this point and the same with fatigue levels. The uterus is beginning to expand and may cause back pain due to pressure. The only noticeable physical change may be enlarged breasts and the woman may feel a lot of tenderness.

Somethings fishy about these tomatoes......Should G.E foods be labeled?

Imagine yourself eating a fresh tomato salad. Now imagine someone telling you that your tomato salad is swarming with fish DNA. Chances are that hasn't happened to you,thats because many genetically engineered foods aren't properly labeled,therefore millions of people are unaware that that the food they're eating everyday isn't in its complete, nature intended state. For many reasons G.E foods should be labeled.

    Lack of labeling on G.E foods raises questions of health, ethics, and religion. Some proven health issues from G.E foods include increased carcinogen levels in the body, resistance to antibiotics, allergic reactions and many other serious problems that are still being researched. There are no long term tests of the effects of G.E foods on humans. If there are no labels on G.E foods, people have no way of avoiding them because they can not distinguish them from other foods. 

    There are many religious vegetarians, such as Buddhists, that wish to be able to locate foods with animal,human or bug DNA in them so that they may avoid them, without labels this would not be possible and they could be in danger of violating a religious law.

    The Food and Drug Administration has a job that is defined as: ensuring that food is safe and wholesome.  If the FDA was carrying out their job to the fullest G.E foods would be exposed through proper labeling.

    By not labeling genetically engineered foods, the health and morals of people are being violated There is a right to information for American citizens, and not properly labeling G.E foods is violating it.  Do what is right, establish and enforce G.E labeling laws.