FOR MOTHERS

You are in your third week following your latest menstruation period. Anything related with pregnancy has already started to develop rapidly. 
To Do List: 
• Select a health professional (a specialist doctor)   • Check the pregnancy dictionary   • Calculate your date of birthn 

You may start to suspect that you are pregnant during these days.
To Do List:
• Create a routine exercise program. • Increase your take of folic acid. • Have your doctor or midwife check all of your medicines.  

A significant infrastructure is developed during this early stage of pregnancy. Many women have started to suspect that they are pregnant at this point and can prove this suspicion by applying a pregnancy test for home use. If the test is positive, contact your doctor and midwife to arrange the first appointment. Consult your doctor with respect to all medicine you are taking whether prescribed or purchased from the pharmacy without prescription. Ask to take a folic acid supplement before your first check-up.
To Do List:
• Select a few good books on pregnancy. • Consider your nutritional requirements.

You may still not feel that you are pregnant at this point; however, your embryo’s heart which is not larger than a poppy seed has already started to beat. The embryo is approximately 0.625cm long and looks more like a baby frog than human. All other principle organs including kidneys and liver have started to develop and the neural tube (combining the brain with the spine) is now closing. The physical sensations with respect to pregnancy have already started or are just starting (such as nausea, feeling of tightness in chest, exhaustion, frequent urination). Since the first prenatal visit is between weeks 6 and 10, you must apply to an obstetrician or your midwife.
To Do List:
• Acquire more information on sex during pregnancy. • Start or proceed with your routine exercise. • Plan how you will announce your pregnancy to your family and friends.

In this week, the emryo is approximately 0.873 cm long and at the size of a bean. If you could see the inside of your uterus, you would see a large head compared to a tiny body, black spots where the eyes and nose holes have begun to develop, concavities indicating ears and protruding buds that will turn into arms and legs. The hands and feet of the embryo are shovel-shaped, but the fingers have started to develop. The heart is divided into left and right chambers and pulsating at a rate of approximately 150 beats (twice the rate of adult heart). The pituitary gland has also started to develop.
To Do List: 
• Inform your doctor or midwife on the medicine you are taking. • Choose healthy foods. • Drink plenty of water.

You may still not feel or look pregnant, but your uterus is widening in order to adopt to the nestling of the baby. Also, your uterus which is frequently the size of a closed fist is now at the size of an artichoke. Your baby is now 3.125cm long approximately (at the size of a grape) and has visible slighly webbed toes and fingers. The baby’s veins can be easily seen through his/her skin at the fineness of a parchment.
To Do List: 
• Get more information on Chorionic Villus Sampling (cvs) test. • Learn your maximum exercise capacity. • Plan when to inform your manager.

With so many changes taking place during this week; the emryo is now called the fetus. The embryonic tail has started to disappear. During the following few weeks, the fetus will be continuously moving although we are unable to feel the fetall movement. All of the organs, muscles and nerves are in place and have started to function. As the hands and feet are developing, fingers and toes start to lose their shovel-like appearances. The touching pads on the fingers are developing. You may not be aware of these fetal differences, but by now, you must have felt that your breasts have prominently enlarged to the extent that a larger bra size would be required.
To Do List: 
• Search the stress relaxation techniques that suit you. • Find out about the laws on maternity rights. • Take your vitamins. 

Are you feeling uneasy? During the 10th week of pregnancy, many expecting mothers are affected by insignificant events which would not normally affect them. Since this can be irritating, please keep in mind that this is totally normal and will probably continue during your entire pregnancy. In the mean time, your fetus looks approximately like a medium-size shrimp in terms of both shape and size and weighs between 3 to 9 grams approximately. The eyelids are shot and will remain so until week 37. Although we still cannot identify the gender of the fetus, the baby’s genitals have started to develop. During this week of pregnancy, the plasenta has developed so as to support most of its hormon production duty. It is now the right time to have the Chorionic Villus Sampling (cvs) test performed as it is frequently conducted during weeks 10-12.
To Do List: 
• Check your calory intake. • Review your pregnancy dictionary. • Prepare to tell your family if you still haven’t told them.

Your baby is busy with sucking and kicking although he/she is only 5 cm long approximately and weighs less than 14 grams. The vital organs have fully developed and the head is approximately half of the entire body length. More tiny details such as finger nails and hair at the thickness of peach fuzz have started to become visible each day. Starting from this week, you may start to hear the rapid heart beat of your baby mistaken by a happy mother for the sound of kicking by means of a hand-held sound wave stethoscope called doppler. Your uterus now is the size of a bunch of grapes. Although you won’t probably need any pregnancy clothes during the next couple of weeks, you must have already realized that your waistline is expanding.
To Do List:
• Start to sleep on your side.• Drink plenty of water. • Plan how to inform your manager on your pregnancy if you still haven’t told. 

The end of the first trimester is approaching. Your baby of 6 cm has fully developed from tooth buds up to toe nails. Fingers and toes have separated and some of the bones have started to harden. The baby’s duty for the next 6 months is to grow and become stronger until he/she can survive on his/her own outside of the mother’s uterus. During this week, you are probably aware that your nausea is about to disappear and you feel less exhausted and more energetic. A vertical black pigmentation line called linea nigra may appear on your belly. Meanwhile, you must feel relaxed; the risk of miscarriage has significantly decreased after week 12 since many critical developments have been overcome.
To Do List: 
• Perform family planning. • Develop an exercise regime.
• Make sure that your spouse acquires more information on pregnancy via internet. 

Although your baby is only 7.5 cm long and weighs 28 grams, his/her face has started to look more like human. Eyes which have started to develop at the sides of the face have now moved to the center of the face so as to become closer. The ears are now closer to their standard positions at the side of the head. The liver is producing bile juice and the kidneys are releasing urine to the urinary bladder. Although you still cannot feel the movement, your baby squirms when you slightly touch your abdomen. The top of the uterus (called fundus) can be felt at the bottom part of the abdomen.
To Do List: 
• Learn your maternity rights. • Start to shorten the baby name list. • Use your prenatal vitamins. • Plan a holiday before your 3rd Trimester (as it may be an extremely long period of time before your next holiday). 

Welcome to the second trimester. Like many women, you may think that this trimester is great. Many side effects of the early pregnancy stage have diminished. The birth is not too soon and although your uterus has grown to the size enough to enable others to understand that you are pregnant (and have not put on weight) , it is still not big enough to be on your way. In the mean time, your baby is 8 cm long and weighs a little over 42 grams and at the size of an aquarium. The baby’s personal finger prints have already developed. Although the birth will occur months later, your breasts may start to produce colostrum, this is the liquid that will feed the baby for the first couple of days before lactation.
To Do List: 
• Ask questions to your specialist on AFP test. • Remember to sleep on your side. • Check your diet twice in terms of both food balance and adequate calorie intake. 

At this point, the skin of your baby at the thickness of parchment is covered with lanugo which is the extremely thin hair that frequently disappears before birth. Although the baby’s hair has started to grow and the eyebrows have started to become visible, both the quality and color of this hair may change after birth. The triple maternal serum scanning test (performed in order to measure the levels of alpha-fetoprotein, hCG and estriol) is performed between weeks 15-20. Amniocentesis which is frequently advised for births above the age of 35 or for women with birth defects background is generally performed around weeks 15-18.
To Do List: 
• Decide on pregnancy clothes, get a few catalogues • Stick to your exercise schedule.  

Although you are not aware, your baby is frequently sneezing. Sneezes which develop before breath taking do not make any sounds as the baby’s trachea is filled with water instead of air. Many women realize that they need pregnancy clothes. Although you have gained a couple of kilograms, your baby weighs only 154 grams and is slightly longer than 12.5 cm from head to sacrum and very sensitive to light. Many mothers start to feel their babies’ movements at a time between weeks 16-20. What you feel as stomach rumble may be baby’s little kicks. This is one of the real excitements of pregnancy. Now you can really feel the life growing within you. Note this somewhere and tell your doctor at your next appointment.
To Do List: 
• Get information on amniocentesis. • Read the ultrasounds • Watch your weight gain. 

The baby is 12.5cm long (from the top of the head down to the hips) and weighs 162 grams; now, he/she is approximately the size of an avocado. The circulatory system and urinary tractus have developed and started to function. The lungs of the baby inhale and exhale the amniotic liquid (the baby breathes in and out). The baby has started to put on a little weight (probably minimum 270 grams) and you might have gained 4-5 kilos. If you still haven’t informed your work colleagues, now is the right time to do so.
To Do List: 
• Review sex during pregnancy. • Decide whether you want to learn the gender of your baby before birth. • Drink plenty of water. 

Although you have felt that you have always been pregnant until now, you are nearly at midway of your journey by this week. Now, your baby is 13.75 cm long and weighs 196 grams. The baby’s skeleton is more of a rubbery cartilage, it will harden later. If you haven’t had amniocentesis performed until this week and you need to have it performed, now is the most appropriate time. A nice side (probably the only good side) of the test is its providing the first glance to your baby by the use of ultrasound.
To Do List: 
• Review the pregnancy dictionary. • Plan for the changes in the financial status of your family. • Start to search the places providing training on child birth and select a method of your preference. 

A mid-pregnancy ultrasound is frequently performed between weeks 18-22 in order to evaluate the fetal growth and development, check for certain defects, check the plasenta and umbilical cord and detect whether the gestational age is correct. During this examination, you may see that your baby is kicking, relaxing, reaching, rolling or even sucking on his/her thumb (there may be some images which your spouse may want to keep). If your baby is in a position revealing his/her genitals and if you want to know, it is possible to determine your baby’s gender. If it is a girl, her vagina, uterus and fallopian tube has fully developed.
To Do List: 
• Start to think about your birth conditions. • Use relaxation techniques to reduce stress. • Examine the hazards at your work place and try to avoid them. 

You are halfway to your pregnancy period! Now, the top of your uterus is reaching your belly and will weekly grow by 1 cm approximately. No doubt that you are feeling the kicks of the baby growing inside of you. Your baby is 15 cm long and weighs 252 grams.
To Do List: 
• Reduce the sound level in your life. If you are working at a noisy environment, arrange to be transferred elsewhere. • Rest, the exhaustion you feel will disappear. • Select a course providing training on child birth and be enrolled. 

To Do List: 
• Review the list of curious events you need to ask to your doctor or midwife. • Learn the back pain exercises. • Plan your final trip, holiday and take it. 

Your baby now weighs 340 grams approximately and is 18.75 cm long. Eyebrows and eyelids have fully developed. The nails cover the finger tips. Your baby can sense the sounds of a talk through the uterus. If you are talking, reading or singing to your baby, it is logical to hope that he/she can here you. According to the findings of some studies, while you are breastfeeding your newborn baby after birth, if you read from a book which he/she has frequently heard you reading before while he/she was in uterus, the baby will suck more strongly (when compared to a book he/she is not familiar with).
To Do List: 
• Always wear your seat belt while driving. • Do not quit the exercise program. • Find out about the early enrollment to school policies in schools. 

The baby now weighs 454 grams and is 20 cm long and has the proportions of a newborn baby despite being a weaker version. Starting as of this moment, you will start to put on weight more regularly; you will gain approximately 250 grams a week. You may feel strong urges for certain foods and realize the increase in the vaginal discharge.
To Do List: 
• Do not exercise while lying straight on your back, it may affect your circulatory system. • Make a list of questions for your next doctor or midwife appointment. • Check the symptoms which you think are normal. 

Your baby now weighs a little over 454 grams. Hearing has fully developed and your baby may sense a corrupted version of your voice, your heartbeat and stomach rumbles. Strong sounds iteratively heard within the uterus such as the barking of a dog or the sound of a vacuum cleaner will probably not disturb your child in the future when he/she hears the same sound within the house. The blood veins within the lungs are developing in order to prepare for breathing. Although the baby is swallowing, he/she will not normally defecate until after birth. You may feel awkward, resentful or swollen, blood may come out while brushing your teeth. Your belly once inside may protrude.
To Do List: 
• Keep your legs up while working. • Make sure that you have enrolled in a course on child birth and training. • Ask your spouse to take care of things. 

Your baby weighs over 680 grams and is approximately 202 mm long. Although his/her body fat is still low and skin is thin and fragile, the baby is now properly proportioned. The brain is rapidly growing and the baby has started to fill the space within your uterus. Sulfactant, a substance which enables the easy inflation of the air sacs in the lungs has started to develop. This is the reason why the babies born after the 24th week of pregnancy have more than 50% chance to live. However, if your possibility to give birth during this week arises, many health personnel will make every endeavor to cease the preterm birth event in order to provide that the baby continues to grow. Another typical development in week 25 of pregnancy is that the silver colored, pale lines on your belly and breasts which are the signs of stretching become distinguishable. The creams are useless, but wearing a supporting corset may aid in preventing the formation of such lines. They will wear off in time. Also, your eyes may become sensitive to light accompanied with a sense of stinging and dryness in the eyes which is a completely normal pregnancy symptom known as dry-eyes. Use “artificial teardrops” in order to reduce discomfort.

Your baby now weighs 680 grams approximately and is 22 cm long. The baby performs breathing activities but there is not air in his/her lungs yet. You will probably take a glucose tolerance test to determine whether you have gestational diabetes.
To Do List: 
• Continue to assess family planning. • Be careful during walking or exercising (your balance might have shifted). • Do not be affected by terrifying dreams (which are frequently encountered at this stage).

Your baby now weighs a little over 900 grams and is approximately 27 cm long when the legs are stretched. As the retinas are still under development, an optical problem called retinopaty of prematurity may ingenerate in babies born during this stage.
To Do List: 
• Reduce your exercise program but do not cut back completely. • Make a birth plan. • Examine the birth medication possibilities. 

The baby is 30-37 cm long and weighs approximately 1135-1362 grams. The baby has started to fill in the space available in your uterus. His/her eyes are opened and closed. The baby sleeps and wakes up at regular intervals and may suck his/her fingers, especially the thumb. Although still immature, the baby’s lungs are able to survive by means of a ventilator and other facilities in case of a premature birth. Your uterus is now near your rib cage. Starting as of now and during the last 3 months of pregnancy, you may feel discomfort due to leg cramps, hemoroids, varicosis veins and belly scratch. If it was detected that you are Rh negative at the beginning of your pregnancy, you will probably be tested to Rh antibodies during this week or the week after.
To Do List: 
• Decide whether you want a pediatrician or family physician and start searching. • Start shopping for your baby. • Arrange the car that will take you to birth. 

These months are nerve-shredding. The final trimester typically starts this week and continues until week 40 and sometimes later on. Many women put on an average of 5 kg during this trimester. You are probably struggling between two feelings: “I will always be pregnant” and “Help me, I’m not ready yet”. Now is time to start seeing pediatricians for the follow-up of your child’s health and decide whether you want to breastfeed. Approximately around this time, your baby may open his/her eyes and turn his/her head within the uterus to find a constant, bright source of light. Layers of fat continue to develop and the nails burst into buds. If you haven’t still done, you will probably start visiting your doctor once every two weeks until the 8th month and visit once a week afterwards.
To Do List: 
• Get more information on c-section and discuss with your doctor. •Learn the signs of labor. • Get information on gender in 3rd trimester. • Search money saving plans for your baby’s education (you are mistaken if you think it’s too early.)

The baby now weighs approximately 1350 grams and 50 cm long. In baby boys, the testicles start descending in their paths towards the scrotum along the groin from their positions near the kidneys. In baby girls, the clitoris is relatively apparent as labiums are still small and unable to cover the clitoris yet (which will take place within the few weeks right before birth). The baby’s head is extending and brain development at this stage is very fast. You may start to feel that the baby is progressively moving downwards. This is called alleviation or engagement and you may have all kinds of senses from increase of pressure at the bottom parts of the abdomen to dashing out of the baby. Although it is now easier to breath and eat, walking may be discomforting and you may feel the urge to urinate continuously.
To Do List: 
• Prepare your baby’s room. • Start looking for car seats. • Pay attention to your exhaustion and discontinue the exercise program. • Assess the coverage of your health insurance. 

Your baby can see within the uterus and differentiate between light and darkness. The baby can also blink and close his/her eyes. Approximately around week 37, you may feel as if you are unable to breathe or get adequate amount of air until the baby moves down (but until birth for second or subsequent pregnancies). This is due to your extremely grown uterus pressurising your digestive organs and diaphragm, the large flat muscle assisting breathing. Now is the time to enroll in a hospital and create your birth plan (what you ideally want to be performed during labor).
To Do List: 
• Finalize your birth plan. • Get information on Braxton Hicks contractions and false labor. • Inform your doctor in case of new symptoms. 

You may notice a change in your baby’s movements. They may appear to be less frequent and less stronger. The baby is so grown, it is now fully filling the inside of your uterus. The baby is moving less as there is not enough space to move. A fat layer has developed underneath the skin. If your doctor became suspicious in the first glucose test, such scanning might be repeated between weeks 32-34. Do not neglect to perform the breathing and relaxation exercises and review your course notes on child labor periodically.
To Do List: 
• Review your labor conditions, it is now time to decide. • Check the inventory suggested for babies and get prepared. • Arrange a suitable car seat, you will soon need it. 

The baby now weighs 2040 grams and is approximately 47 cm long. The baby practices breathing by inhaling the amniotic liquid in order to activate the lungs. In many baby boys, the testicles have descended to the scrotum. However, sometimes one or two testicles fail to descend to their positions until after birth; these undescended testicles frequently readjust themselves after the first day of labor. You are now gaining 500 grams a week roughly half of which goes to the baby during birth. The baby also puts on more than half of its birth weight during the following seven weeks, growing fat for his/her life outside of the uterus. Due to this fat storage, the baby’s skin thickens and grows pink.
To Do List: 
• Stop driving and always wear a seat belt. • Be romantic, spend time with your partner. 

The baby now weighs 2270 grams and is approximately 47.6 cm long. The baby has probably by now taken its upside-down position. Many babies do so at this stage, however, the baby may continue to change his/her position. Bones in the head are still considerably soft and not fully joint in order to facilitate the baby’s exit through the relatively narrow birth channel. You may realize that your feet, hands, face and ankles have become significantly swollen and this water retention gets worse in warm environments and on the advancing hours of the day. Your body needs this fluid for your baby and kidneys. Therefore, drink water and inform your doctor if any apparent swelling is observed during the night as it may be a sign of pre-eclampsia. Start preparing your birth bag. It is better to be ready than forgetting something when urgently going to the hospital at the last minute.
To Do List: 
• Be prepared for the hospital (and know how to quickly access your doctor.) 

Your baby now weighs more than 2500 grams and is probably nearly 50 cm long. 99% of the babies born at this stage survive, many do not develop any apgar issues. The lungs are frequently fully developed and respiratory problems which were once the cause of death for babies born before week 35 or premature babies are more easily solved. You will be tested for group B streprococcus bacteria between weeks 35 and 37. Many women will also start to feel a sense of rash or numbness in the pelvic area due to the pressure applied by the baby on the legs and the nerves within the pelvis. Unfortunately, this feeling will not go away until the baby is born. If it is too discomforting, make sure that you have informed your doctor.
To Do List: 
• Select and see a pediatrician or family physician for your baby. • Make sure that the hospital is covered by your health insurance.
• Select some items to take with you so that your room feels more homey.  

Do you feel ready to give birth to your baby? Your baby now weighs approximately 2750 grams and is probably longer than 50 cm. Your doctor will probably want to see you once a week until your labor. Your uterus has expanded to 1000 times of its original volume and you may feel like you have no space left. The uterus is probably underneath your ribs. You have probably put on around 12 to 15 kg and your weight gain has cracked the top. You will gain a very little amount of weight or no weight as of now until the time of birth. The uterus has become so comfortable that many women can feel that the baby is not moving a lot.
To Do List: 
• Make a list of what to take to hospital. • Check which baby doctors your health plan includes.
• Learn to differentiate between real and fake labor.

Congratulations! Your pregnancy will come to an end by the end of this week; your baby can be born any day now. Your baby now weighs approximately 3 kg and 52 cm long. At your weekly check-up, your doctor specifies and may want to check whether dilation and evacuation has commenced and which state your baby is in and how far the baby is from the birth channel.
To Do List:
• Learn how to differentiate between the three stages of labor. • Plan how to inform your partner and doctor when the time comes.

Your baby now weighs over 3 kg and is approximately 52 cm long. Most of the hairy lanugo layer covering the baby has disappeared and the cheese-like layer called "vernix caseosa" has also disappeared (some may remain at birth). Both will be swallowed by the baby along with other secretions and kept in the bay’s intestines. They will form the black-colored feces we call the “meconium” evacuated by the first bowel movement of the baby.
To Do List:
• Find out about the apgar scale. •Buy and read a book for your baby’s first year.
• Make sure that you have everything you want to take to the hospital. • Talk to your doctor about your new symptoms.

An average born mature weighs 3200 to 3500 grams. Boys are slightly heavier when compared to girls. You may feel huge and irritated. Do not bother, this may be your last discomfort for quite a long time.
To Do List:
• Learn to breastfeed. • Talk to your doctor or midwife with respect to relieving your pain during labor.
• Provide care facilities for your other children, if any.

You won’t have to wait very long to hold your sweet little baby now. However, do not panic if your time of birth is exceeded. Only 75% of babies are born on the actual date of birth. Many doctors and midwives wait for 2 more weeks before considering that the time of pregnancy has been exceeded and inducing labor. When a pregnancy exceeds 42 weeks, it is considered to have exceeded its normal time.