Week 31 of your Pregnancy
Planning for the first moments of your baby’s life
Before your baby is born, talk to your doctor or midwife about what will happen right after the birth of your new baby. In uncomplicated births and cesarean sections, it is usually possible and helpful for new parents to spend a quiet hour or more holding and getting to know their new baby. If a mother can hold her newborn skin-to-skin during this period, on her chest with a light blanket over both mother and baby for warmth, research suggests that the benefits are even greater. In one new study, full-term newborns who were allowed 70 to 80 minutes of undisturbed skin-to-skin contact with their mothers right after birth slept more, cried less, and were less stressed overall than infants who were held briefly (for 15 to 20 minutes) by their mothers, then taken for washing and dressing. Also, if a baby nurses during this time, it tends to be easier to establish breastfeeding. Another new study has shown that if a mother is not able to hold her baby skin-to-skin after delivery, being held in the same way by the father or another adult offers many of the same benefits.
By the way, if you have not yet written a will with your partner, it is wise to have one drawn up-and select a guardian for your child-before your baby is born.
Your Baby’s Development
* His skin color changes from dark red to pinkish as the fat underneath his skin increases.
* His fingernails have reached the end of his fingertips. He may have scratches or marks on his face at birth from his fingernails.
* The hair on his head and his eyelashes and his eyebrows grows longer.
Parenting Q&A
Q:“When does a fetal heart develop?”
A:Your baby’s heart develops in the first trimester and is fully developed by 20 weeks. It has four chambers, functioning valves, and its beats can be heard with a stethoscope. It continues to grow with your baby.
Courtesy: University of Virginia Health System
Tags: breastfeeding, cesarean, fetal heart, skin-to-skin