My Baby
Your baby's skin is now covered with vernix, a slippery white coating that protects her birthday suit from getting chapped or scratched. This week, the motor neurons in baby's brain -- the nerves that control muscle movement -- continue to develop, which means if you haven't felt those first kicks yet, you will soon! There's so much going on these days, you may even be able to spot your baby's gymnastics during a mid-pregnancy ultrasound -- usually administered between weeks 18 and 22. This checkup assesses your baby's growth (the technician will begin to ID and measure the bones in her little body), lets your doctor confirm or adjust your due date, and can reveal the million-dollar question: Boy or girl? (If you don't want to know, make sure your doctor and the ultrasound technician are well aware of it in advance!) Bring your partner or best friend -- it's amazing to see baby kick, wave, and even somersault for the camera. You might also catch her sucking her thumb or hiccupping. Plus, you'll get pictures to bring home for the brag book. (Scan these ASAP so you don't lose them!) You may have gotten pics at previous ultrasounds, but now your baby's got clearly identifiable features. This time, you may not need the technician to point out what you're looking at.
Your baby's skin is now covered with vernix, a slippery white coating that protects her birthday suit from getting chapped or scratched. This week, the motor neurons in baby's brain -- the nerves that control muscle movement -- continue to develop, which means if you haven't felt those first kicks yet, you will soon! There's so much going on these days, you may even be able to spot your baby's gymnastics during a mid-pregnancy ultrasound -- usually administered between weeks 18 and 22. This checkup assesses your baby's growth (the technician will begin to ID and measure the bones in her little body), lets your doctor confirm or adjust your due date, and can reveal the million-dollar question: Boy or girl? (If you don't want to know, make sure your doctor and the ultrasound technician are well aware of it in advance!) Bring your partner or best friend -- it's amazing to see baby kick, wave, and even somersault for the camera. You might also catch her sucking her thumb or hiccupping. Plus, you'll get pictures to bring home for the brag book. (Scan these ASAP so you don't lose them!) You may have gotten pics at previous ultrasounds, but now your baby's got clearly identifiable features. This time, you may not need the technician to point out what you're looking at.
My Life
Smack-dab in the middle of your pregnancy may feel too early to start buying nursery furniture, but trust us, it's not. If you have any intention of getting furniture online or from a specialty store, you'll need to start your search soon, since big items like cribs or rockers with custom fabric can take six to 12 weeks. Some things to keep in mind: All of the big crib makers conform to general safety standards -- no need to tote along your tape measure to check the distance between crib slats. Think about the future before you buy, though. Will you want to transition your crib or rocker to baby #2? (If so, make sure it's not too girly or masculine, because you never know what you'll have next!) If not, know that lots of cribs transform into toddler beds, a great way to get more than a couple years out of it. And while you should definitely browse for styles you like online, make sure to go to the store before you actually order. Cribs are big, and you'll be looking at this one for at least the next two years. You want to be happy with your choice.
Smack-dab in the middle of your pregnancy may feel too early to start buying nursery furniture, but trust us, it's not. If you have any intention of getting furniture online or from a specialty store, you'll need to start your search soon, since big items like cribs or rockers with custom fabric can take six to 12 weeks. Some things to keep in mind: All of the big crib makers conform to general safety standards -- no need to tote along your tape measure to check the distance between crib slats. Think about the future before you buy, though. Will you want to transition your crib or rocker to baby #2? (If so, make sure it's not too girly or masculine, because you never know what you'll have next!) If not, know that lots of cribs transform into toddler beds, a great way to get more than a couple years out of it. And while you should definitely browse for styles you like online, make sure to go to the store before you actually order. Cribs are big, and you'll be looking at this one for at least the next two years. You want to be happy with your choice.
One last shameless self promotion: We have baby registries at Target and at Babie's R Us. If you want links to either of them, please e-mail me and I will send them to you!
No comments:
Post a Comment