Penguin RushTickle here, touch there, whisper here, massage there..
Surah An-Nahl (verse 78)
It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when ye knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affections: that ye may give thanks (to Allah).
Here's fetal development according to http://www.babycentre.co.uk/ during weeks 24 to 28:
Your fetus weighs more than 1.3 pounds/ 600 grams. Though s/he still has little body fat and his/her skin is thin and fragile, s/he's now well-proportioned. His/her brain is growing rapidly, and s/he is starting to fill the space in your uterus.
If people are telling you that you look smaller or bigger than you should at this point, remember that all women and their babies grow at different rates. What's important is that you see continuous growth and change, not how fast or slow it is.
Your baby is also responsive to touch now. You can have fun with him/her by trying to tickle his/her foot when s/he kicks you or by lying on your back and rolling from side to side, to see how s/he reacts. His/her eyelids open around now and his/her heart is beating so strongly, it may be heard with a stethoscope.
The second trimester contains both highs and lows. A surge in hormones may make you feel sexier, but your growing baby can squash your stomach and trigger heartburn. You may suffer from constipation, too!
These complaints are common features of this stage in pregnancy. Progesterone slows down the emptying of food from your stomach, which is becoming constricted by your growing baby, so digestive acid is pushed upwards. To reduce the effects of heartburn, eat small meals. This gives your body time to digest small amounts of food. Also avoid spicy and fatty foods and fizzy drinks. Not lying down after a meal and wearing loose clothes can also help to alleviate heartburn and indigestion.
Your baby's eyes begin to open around now. Response to sound grows more consistent toward the end of the seventh month, when the network of nerves to the ear is complete. S/he also continues to take small breaths and although s/he's only breathing in water and not air, it's still good practice for when s/he's born. Since your baby is now growing so fast, and brain development is so intense at this stage, your nutrition is very important.
His/her eyes open and close, s/he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals and s/he may suck a finger or thumb. Sweet dreams, little baby! Some experts believe that babies begin to dream by the 28th week. What do they dream about? No one knows for certain but the brain is active this week as well. The characteristic grooves on the brain's surface start to appear and more brain tissue develops.
By this week (28), your baby can open his/her eyes and turn his/her head in utero if s/he notices a continuous, bright light shining from the outside. His/her fat layers are forming and his/her fingernails appear.
Get ready for the third trimester which typically starts at week 29 and lasts until week 40 and sometimes even beyond. (Don't worry -- 42 weeks is the maximum! After that, a woman usually is induced to give birth.) Most women gain an average of 11 pounds/ 5 kilograms during this trimester.
You're probably vacillating between feeling as if you've been pregnant forever and being nervous about labour and birth. Checking off things on your to-do list can help. Start selecting possible baby names and begin thinking about your life and the child's life after birth as well.
Meantime, on a personal note, I feel extremely delighted everytime I read our baby a bedtime story. We can feel our baby moves and responds to our voices and massages. Sometimes, we can even feel parts of the baby's body as the baby moves or stays in a rather awkward position.
Beginning with a salam, I tell each story with much enthusiasm, to be enjoyed by all three of us - be it an English fairy tale, or a Malay folklore or a lesson on The 20 Attributes Of The Self Of Allah (the attributes of Allah that are obligatory to believe in are confirmed to Him).
Soon, I will try singing him lullabies and nursery rhymes, reading some Qur'an verses and 'teaching' our baby the 99 names and attributes of Allah (Asma'ul Husna), Insha' Allah....
Labels: My Children, My Families
posted by The Pisces Man @ 10:58 pm
4 Comments:
Hello An-dad (as opposed to an-mum).
U mustve been reading/following/studying quite a lot of issues related to pregnancy kan. U cud be just a tad bit lower than an OnGist and definitely far ahead than any other 1st dad known around. Keep up the doting father role u've been playing so far.
When my time comes to be a mummy, i'll look for u for some "matter-of-fact" advices...
I'm returning your visit
salam..
Hello future An-Mum...
Hmmm.. an-dad, that's an interesting name. OnGist, you had me searching thru the net looking for the definition of OnGist. The best hit was on some fantasy story. I thought you were referring to that (to my puzzlement of course) until my wife told me OnGist is actually an Obstetrics & Gynaecology.. Hahaha..
Sure, Insha'Allah I'll be able to help a future mum :-o
Hi Typhoon Sue, thanx for visiting... :)
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