Your Body
What to expect
You may be feeling excited as your due date approaches, or quite nervous! You can get breathless. Sleep is problematic because of leg cramps and needing to go to the toilet frequently. You are also prone to urinary tract infections. You may find it difficult to maintain your balance and stumble. You may also have quite leaky breasts.
Baby size
What to expect
Your baby is the size of a large Cauliflower (roughly 38 cms and 1.2 Kilos).
Your Baby
What to expect
Your baby is well formed. He/she is getting fatter and his/her organs are maturing. The bones are hardening and muscles are getting stronger. There is lots of activity and movements. He/she has begun to smile, mainly in sleep.
Taking care
Tips
- Avoid standing or sitting for long stretches to avoid varicose veins.
- Carry on eating high fibre foods to prevent constipation.
- Know what infections to avoid in pregnancy.
- Lear and know more about what happens during labour and birth. Learn what happens when you get to the hospital and how you need to be prepared.
- Talk, talk and talk to share your emotions – you will have a range of feelings and can get quite sad and emotional about loved ones, especially those who have passed away.
Ask your doctor
Questions
- I am very emotional most of the time. What should I do?
- Are my baby’s movements’ okay? What should I expect when I go to the hospital to deliver? Are there any injections I need to prevent getting infections in pregnancy?
- When I go to the bathroom it burns; I get lower-abdominal pain and dark foul-smelling urine. I don’t feel good. Please help.
Your to do list
Action points
- Find out what injections you need to prevent infections in pregnancy.
- Book an antenatal appointment with your doctor.
- Discuss and plan with your husband what happens and how to prepare for labour and birth.
- Speak to your mother and best friend to talk about how you feel and the emotions you are going through.