the9months

Sleeping comfortably

As your pregnancy progresses, finding a restful position in which to sleep may become difficult. Extra pillows placed at your back, against your stomach, and between your knees will make you comfortable. Your doctor or midwife may encourage you to sleep on your left side, rather than on your right, as well. While there’s no harm to sleeping on your right side, lying on your left may help your kidneys empty more efficiently. When your kidneys are working well, you are less likely to have swelling in your ankles, feet, and hands. Sleep on the side that is most comfortable for you, however, unless told otherwise by your caregiver. As your uterus and your baby grow, sleeping on your back will become less comfortable. Putting the full weight of your uterus on your spine, back muscles, intestines, and veins can give you a backache or hemorrhoids, as well as impaired breathing and circulation. If you’re a back sleeper, try to sleep on your side until after the baby is born. As the weight of the baby and your uterus increases, you may find that side sleeping is far more comfortable than sleeping on your back in any case.

Pregnancy and sex

Making love when you are pregnant is limited only by your energy and desire. Many women find that their second trimester brings greater pleasure in sex. Unless your doctor says otherwise, it is safe to have sex, as long as you are comfortable, right up until your baby is born.

Hiccups

Have you felt a light, repetitive thump thump thump in your belly yet? Soon you may feel the odd sensation of your baby having hiccups. When babies swallow a little amniotic fluid, they sometimes get hiccups as a reflex. Some babies hiccup a lot during the second and third trimesters, often daily, while others do so only once in a while. Both are normal, and a charming reminder that yes, there really is a baby in there.

Your Baby’s Development

* Blood vessels develop in his lungs, and her plugged nostrils begin to open.
* By this week, his hearing will be developed enough to respond to outside sounds and voices, and she may jump at sudden noises.
* Capillaries are starting to develop underneath her skin, giving her a more pinkish color.
* Her hiccups will become stronger and more frequent in the coming weeks. They do not bother his in any way or cause her discomfort.

Courtesy: University of Virginia Health System

Tags: hiccups, pregnancy and sex, sleeping, week 23

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 at 6:56 AM and is filed under Week by Week. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.