How your baby is growing this week
Avocado size — 4.6 inches, 3.5 oz. The heart pumps about 25 quarts of blood a day. Back and neck muscles are strengthening, so the head straightens out. Arm and leg movements are now coordinated — the source of those first flutters.
What your partner is going through
Quickening — the first faint flutters — can show up between now and Week 20, easily mistaken for gas or hunger. Lower back pain sets in as the growing uterus shifts her center of gravity and hormones loosen the ligaments. Appetite is usually back in full.
What to focus on this week, dad
- 01FSA/HSA: maximize pre-tax contributions for hospital bills
- 02Employer Leave Policy: request FMLA and parental leave handbooks from HR — there are deadlines