Week 6
Mum:
Does every nice smell make you want to dash for the bathroom? If so, it sounds like morning sickness. Nausea affects one third to one half of all pregnant women and usually abates by the start of the second trimester. It may be caused by a higher level of estrogen, as well as the rapid expansion of the uterus. It is called morning sickness, however for many women it is really a 24-hr nausea so the term morning sickness might not really fit in with what you are feeling.
There is no one cure for morning sickness; however the following tips might help at times:
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- As soon as you wake up nibble on some crackers and wait for about 20 minutes before getting out of bed.
- For breakfast, limit fats and have fruit or juices at the end of the meal.
- Try having some ginger, either snacks with natural ginger, biscuits or ginger tea.
- Eating a high-carbohydrate diet seems to help alleviate nausea.
- A high-protein diet, which includes soy, milk, cheese and fish, also may help.
- Most important, eat frequent small meals and always keep an emergency snack of a banana or crackers in your purse so you aren’t caught empty-handed.
- Remember, stress makes morning sickness much worse, so take this opportunity to relax and dedicate more time for yourself, meditate and sleep. Your body needs all the help it can whilst it is working overtime to nourish and sustain a new life.
During this week your breasts may become more tender, feel heavy, and the areola may become darker. Avoid changing cat litter for there is a risk of toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis can cause problems in pregnancy in the newborn, but most women who have cats have already had toxoplasmosis, and just believed it to be the flu. So don’t get rid of the cat, just let someone else change the litter.
Baby:
This is another busy week for your baby. The placenta is rapidly developing; however, it will not take over hormone production until about week 12. The heart is bulging from the body and blood circulation is well established. Upper and lower limb buds will appear this week. The kidneys and liver are growing fast, and the neural tube, which connects the brain with the spinal cord, closes. The brain is also forming three separate parts, the forebrain, the midbrain and the hindbrain. By the end of this week your baby would be about 3-5mm long!
Dad:
You might feel helpless to see the mum-to-be in your life feel ill. Be supportive and do whatever you can to help around. Sometimes the slightest gesture like a neck rub or a cool face cloth for her face works wonders. Be sure to nourish her and prepare her frequent snacks to help her regain her energy.
