Overview of that week

You will know your baby’s routine by now. You can maintain a schedule to know when your baby sleeps and is the most active so that you can get a proper sleep when your baby is also sleeping. 

It probably wasn’t an easy journey but you have now made it to the 6th month of your pregnancy and only have about 3 more to go. Now that you understand your baby even more and have somewhat a way of communicating to each other, it might get easier in some way. 

Baby development

Right now you have a baby that is a foot long from head to bottom and weighs about 600 grams. The heartbeat of your baby is around 130 beats per minute and has a fully developed lungs. But these lungs aren’t yet fully capable of sustaining your baby outside of the womb. It will take your baby a couple of more weeks to fully develop this ability. 

Your baby has body hair at the moment but all of it lacks pigment. At the moment all of their hair is white. Slowly over the weeks, they will gain pigment in their hair making it their natural color.

Body changes and symptoms in mother

Gestational diabetes

Hormones necessary for a baby’s growth might increase the production of glucose. This increases the chances of gestational diabetes. Your glucose screening is performed to check for gestational diabetes. Having the right blood sugar level is crucial to ensuring a normal weight and a healthy heart in the baby.

Snoring

Has your partner been complaining about your snores lately? Even though you are someone who never snores, during pregnancy it is common for women to snore. This might be because of the stuffy nose due to some nasal congestion. In that case you can use a humidifier to help with the sleep. 

You can also rinse your nose with saline solution before sleep. If you are uncomfortable during sleep, try to sleep on the side that you feel comfortable in and use a pregnancy pillow to keep your legs. Keep your bedroom cool and dark so that your sleep isn’t disturbed during the night. 

Swollen hands

You have heard about swollen feet but you might be surprised if even your hands start to swell up a bit during this week. Your body might retain excess fluid in the body. For the same reason as your swollen feet, your hands might swell up towards the end of the day. Your hands and fingers might also tingle and feel numb. Make sure to keep yourself hydrated to avoid it from happening. 

What should you do and don’t

• Maintain a simple and easy workout routine.
• Visit your doctor for a test of gestational diabetes.
• Maintain a clean diet if your blood pressure and blood sugar levels are elevated during pregnancy. 
• Once you start noticing your baby movements, keep a track of the fetal movements and contact your doctor if you notice anything unusual like if your baby stops moving at the same rate.
• Write things to your baby in the journal that they might read and appreciate later when they grow up. 
• It is recommended that you sleep on your left side to avoid any difficulty in breathing. Use pregnancy pillows and avoid keeping unnecessary things on your bed that disturb your sleep.