You may have given a passing thought to what the new member of the household will be like (and by "passing thought" we mean obsessive rumination). Will she be a good sleeper? Will he draw on the furniture with a Sharpie? Get an inside scoop by pumping your own parents for information on how you and your partner were as kids: how much you weighed at birth, your first words the first time you cut off all of Barbie's hair. ... Your parents will get misty at the memories and you may, too. Maybe out of hope for the future, maybe out of fear for your leather sofa.
Your Body
Your health care provider probably sent you for some blood tests early in your pregnancy. One thing blood tests measure is the Rh factor, a substance found in the red blood cells of most people. If you don't have it (if you're Rh negative) but your baby does (is Rh positive), there is potential for your baby to have health problems, such as jaundice and anemia. Your doctor can prevent these problems by giving you a vaccine called Rh immune globulin at 28 weeks and again after delivery.Woohoo! You have hit the third trimester mark, so add another notch to your belt (both figuratively and literally).
If your early blood workup showed that you are Rh negative, you'll need to get a shot of RhoGAM, or Rh immunoglobulin, this week. The shot prevents potential complications in a future baby you may carry if that baby is Rh positive. Your Rh status doesn't matter when it comes to this baby, but you'll want to get the shot in case you're planning on having more bambinos.
If your baby is born with Rh-positive blood (because Papa chipped in an Rh-positive gene), you'll be given another dose of RhoGAM after you deliver to make sure everything will be good to go for any future pregnancies.
If your glucose screening test came back positive, your doc will probably want to give you a glucose tolerance test some time soon. The test—for gestational diabetes—involves some dietary changes in the days leading up to it (more carbs!) and a longer visit to the doc on the day of the test (it's a three-hour test instead of the one-hour one you took the first time). And it's another chance to load up on that yummy glucose cocktail—shaken, not stirred! If you do end up testing positive for gestational diabetes, your doctor will probably put you on a super-healthy diet for the remainder of your pregnancy.
Your Baby
Your baby now weighs about 2 pounds, 2 ounces (1,000 grams) and measures about 10 inches (25 cm) from crown to rump. At your next prenatal appointment, your health care provider may tell you whether your baby is headfirst or feet- or bottom-first (called breech position) in the womb. Babies who are in the breech position may need to be delivered by cesarean section. Your baby still has 2 months to change position, though, so don't worry if your baby is in the breech position right now. Most babies will switch positions on their own.
The folds and grooves of your baby's brain continue to develop and expand. In addition, your baby continues to add layers of fat and has continued hair growth.
As the Big Day nears, your baby is getting ready to go towards the light at the end of the tunnel (the tunnel being the birth canal, the light being the one the doctor is shining directly into it so she can see what the heck she's doing). Other highlights this week:
Your baby's eyes are partially open now and can blink. Truly superior babies can actually wink. (OK, there is no way to prove that, but it's fun to imagine, no?) Your baby can also now become a shiny, happy person as she has begun having rapid eye movement (Get it? REM? Shiny, happy person?? We'll be here all week.)
Her eyes have color now, too. It may not be the color she ultimately ends up with, especially if they're light gray or blue. The eyes typically don't settle on a final hue until nine months after baby is born. So when your mother-in-law says that the baby has her eyes, you can politely inform her that they'll most likely change soon. Sorry.
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