This week, your little one has grown to about nine inches in length, and has passed the pound and a half mark!!! Under his skin, capillaries are forming and filling with blood! Along with the capillaries under his skin, the air sacs develop in his lungs (these are also filled with capillaries to supply blood to the lungs) these air sacs will get his lungs ready for the first breath he will take, moments after birth. While those lungs aren't anywhere near ready to work yet, they are developing surfactant, a substance that will help them expand after birth. In keeping with the breathing theme this week, your babies nostrils are starting to open up and his vocal cords are developing. All of these put together mean he is getting everything in line to keep you up all night! ;)
Last week I mentioned constipation as a common pregnancy symptom, and gave some basic methods to help ease the discomfort. If you did find yourself straining to go you may have ended up with hemorrhoids. Don't get down on yourself, more than half of all women experience the swollen, itchy veins, in the rectum. While they won't hurt you or the baby, they are painful, so try to avoid them by not straining while you 'go', eating right, and doing your trusty Kegel exercises. Kegel's will also help to keep your pelvic floor strong, which in turn may make effective pushing during labor more likely which then could result in quicker delivery and a reduced chance of hemorrhoids or hernias occurring during delivery. Also, if you have a strong pelvic floor before you give birth, you're more likely to "bounce back" quicker after delivery and not have any or as much "leakage" when you laugh or jump after delivery.
Week 24
Week 26
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