How your baby is growing this week
Carrot size — 10.5 inches crown to heel. Digestive system practicing with amniotic fluid. Bone marrow making blood cells. Eyebrows and eyelids fully formed. Baby can taste sweet vs. bitter.
What your partner is going through
Stretch marks may appear on belly, breasts, hips, and thighs — affects 50-90% of pregnant women. Varicose veins risk from blood volume increase. Skin is stretching faster than collagen can keep up.
What to focus on this week, dad
- 01Compression Ops: buy her graduated compression socks (15-20 mmHg). Varicose veins and swelling ramp up now as blood volume peaks; they help on long days and any travel. Knee-high, put on before she gets out of bed
- 02Apply for the hospital pre-registration paperwork. When labor starts you do not want to be filling out insurance forms. Most hospitals let you pre-register online starting mid-pregnancy
Connect with your partner
Buy cocoa butter, Bio-Oil, or a belly butter without being asked. Offer to apply it for her nightly. It is a small ritual that says "I see what your body is going through and I care."
Source: AAD
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