MamaMagic Milestones Winter 2014 | Page 15

Week 16 Week 18 Week 20 This week your baby is as big as a pear. Length: 11.6 cm Weight: 100 g Perfect little finger and toe nails will have formed by now. An ultrasound might tell you if it is a girl or a boy, but it is still early in the pregnancy so you might want to wait a little longer to be absolutely sure. Your baby is about the size of a bell pepper. Length: 14 cm Weight: 180 g His tiny fingers now have unique fingerprints! Meconium is a baby’s first faecal matter and it has a sticky, tar like texture from the amniotic fluid consumed. In week 18 the meconium is starting to be produced by the digestive system and will accumulate in your baby’s bowels. Your stretched out baby at this stage is as long as a banana. Length: 26 cm Crown to Heel (CH)* Weight: 290 g You have probably seen how wrinkly babies are when they are born. They would be even wrinkly if not for Vernix Caseosa. This cheesy white substance forms all over baby’s body in week 2 to protect him from the long period of exposure to amniotic fluid. Week 17 Your baby resembles a small avocado. Length: 12.7 cm Weight: 140 g (more than the placenta weighs at this stage) Your baby has started to respond to loud noises; slamming doors or mom sneezing can startle him, but he quickly gets used to these sounds. Mom: Your expanding womb may make you feel off-balance, so this is a good time to ditch the heels for flats. Week 19 From crown to rump baby is now the size of a gem squash. Length: 15 cm Baby’s Weight: 230 g Your baby is now developing permanent teeth buds behind his existing milk teeth buds, which developed a few weeks ago. Week 21 Your baby is the same length as a carrot by week 21. Length: 27 cm Weight: 360 g Your baby’s skin now responds to touch; if you put pressure on your belly, he’ll likely move away or push back. * All length measurements from now on are Crown to Heel (CH) Week 7 Week 4 Week 10 First Trimester Your baby is called an embryo and is the same size as a poppy seed. Second Trimester Week 19 Week 22 Week 13 Your baby is now as long as a pea pod. 13 Third Trimester Week 25 Week 31 Week 28 At the start of your third trimester, your baby is likely to be the same size as a pineapple. Week 34 Week 39 Netcare Mulbarton Hospital has a beautiful 20 bedded maternity unit with a dedicated Caesarean Section theatre, as well as birthing baths for midwife deliveries as an alternative birth option. In order to form a strong bond between mom and baby, ‘rooming in’ is encouraged and this also helps to promote breastfeeding. For added peace of mind, there is an eight bedded neonatal ICU for babies that require specialised care.The gynaecologists, paediatricians and staff are highly qualified and dedicated to render excellent care to you and your baby. Gynaecologists & Obstetricians: Dr G Anyetei 011 867 0599 Dr G O Mathlaga 011 682 4474 Dr P Phakoe 011 682 4474 Available for download on iOS and Android operating systems. Scan this code to get the free Netcare Pregnancy App on your smartphone Dr N Dwarka Dr K Mensah Dr N Rashid 011 682 4437 011 432 0334 011 680 7082 Dr M Malebane Dr P Naidoo Dr F Saayman 011 682 4407 011 682 4373 011 432 4929