By this week, your baby is close to twelve inches long and weighs almost one and a half pounds. The lungs are developing more branches and air sacs, and the walls of the lungs are starting to produce a substance called surfactant, which helps the air sacs inflate easily. Creases have appeared on the palms of your baby’s hands by this week. Your baby’s movements are getting stronger, and muscle coordination is also improving. You may even be able to notice a pattern in your baby’s sleeping and waking cycles.
Your baby’s kicks may be strong enough at this point for other people to feel. The prenatal movement of you baby is an enjoyable event to share if you are comfortable with friends and family touching your belly. For the next few weeks, the baby still has enough room to wiggle around, so you will probably feel quite a bit of activity. You may also notice different parts of the baby pressing out different parts of your belly. Many women report that during this time of their pregnancy, the baby is the most active when they sit down to rest or try to sleep at night. (At this point, you are probably feeling better than you did in the first trimester, but likely live with nagging issues such as constipation and heartburn. For help with lingering problems, read: “Pregnancy Problems Solved.”)
Hot Topic: Travel
During this time of pregnancy, traveling is usually fine, as long as you have no complications. Sarah Maddison, MD, an experienced obstetrician from Raleigh, North Carolina, says most airlines discourage travel for women pregnant at thirty-seven weeks. Maddison advises her patients not to fly past thirty-five weeks. “We restrict travel for our patients at thirty-five weeks. Flying doesn’t hurt anything assuming you are in a pressurized cabin, but it sure is an inconvenient place to have an obstetrical emergency!”
Here are some things to consider when traveling:
- Whatever your mode of travel, avoid sitting for long periods of time; get up and walk around every hour or so
