Your Baby
At this stage, cells within the blastocyst start to take on different roles. The placenta has started to develop, and three distinct layers of cells form in the embryo. The first layer will form the digestive system, liver and lungs of your baby. The second will form the heart, muscles, kidneys, reproductive organs and bones of your baby. The third will form their nervous system, hair, skin and eyes. Two major processes occur during this week, firstly the neural tube, which is the precursor to your baby’s brain and spinal cord, forms from the ectoderm layer. Folic acid is vital in this process, and this is why pregnant women are advised to take a antenatal supplement which contains folic acid. Secondly, a tiny two-chambered heart has formed, and it has even begun beating at the very end of this week, although it will still be too small to see or hear. Your baby is developing rapidly.
Your Body
If it hasn’t happened already, now might be the time that you begin to have morning sickness. If you’re carrying twins, the symptoms may be even stronger. Though the name is morning sickness, the symptoms can happen at any time of the day or even during the night. Your uterus is growing and pressing on your bladder and sending you to the bathroom to pee more often. The tenderness in your breasts is increasing as the milk glands that will feed your baby are multiplying. It can be hard to get the calories you need when you’re feeling nauseous, but it’s important to remember that an average expectant mother only needs approximately an extra 200 calories a day during her third trimester.
Health & Tips
If tiredness is getting you down, that’s totally natural. If you need support, ask your partner, a friend or family member to help you. Otherwise, most things can wait until you have more energy again! Try to ignore unhealthy cravings and instead opt for health snacks. It’s important to eat a nutritious diet so that your baby is as healthy as possible. You’re creating a new life, so try to give your little one the best start possible by eating a healthy and balanced diet. Being in top health could help you have an easier labour, too. If you haven’t seen a doctor yet, you shouldn’t put it off any longer as it is important for you and the baby to have proper antenatal care.
## Partner’s info
Cravings are probably the most joked about side effect of pregnancy. It’s normal for mum-to-be to experience sudden urges for specific, and sometimes unusual, foods. Help her find healthy alternatives that satisfy her craving, while at the same time staying on track nutritionally. Is she craving ice cream and chocolate? Find a sweet fruit that will appease her appetite while keeping her healthy. Keep in mind aversions to certain foods or smells is extremely common in pregnancy, too. She may now turn her nose up at the snack she absolutely loved just days ago.
## Twin/multiples info
These days, twins are more common than they used to be. This is because women are having children later (which increases the chance of twins because of the greater likelihood of multiple eggs being released during ovulation), and an increase in fertility treatments, which also raises the potential for multiple births. Your chances of having identical (one egg that splits in half) twins? Better than playing the lottery - about one out of every 250 twin births results in identical twins. The odds of non-identical twins, resulting from two eggs fertilised by two sperm, is often a matter of genetics and luck.
