Pregnancy calendar - week #33

Pregnant mothers - week #33

You've come a long way, mama!

Pregnant women today have heaps of medical, psychologial and social resources available to them. Pregnancy classes, support groups, ultrasounds, prenatal screenings, baby showers, epidurals...the list goes on and on. But have you stopped to think about the history of pregnancy? Humans have been procreating forever, without doctors, pain killers or Lamaze classes.

Here's a sampling of pregnancy throughout history:

In Medieval times:

• Labor pains were thought to be a result of Eve's sins.
• Most babies were delivered by a midwife.
• Women would lie in recovery position for up to a month.

In the 18th century:

• Doctors took on more responsibility, and they saw economic opportunities in pregnancy and birthing.
• The use of forceps to deliver a baby became common.
• Many wealthy families hired nurses to care for baby during first month.

In Victorian times

• Pain relief gained popularity.
• In America, pregnant women would retreat from the social scene during pregnancy.
• Doctors avoided looking at genitals during birth: They relied on touch.
• Women would wear a corset throughout half of their pregnancy to hide their weight gain.
• In 1904, the first maternity clothes were made.
• Only in the 1920's did hospital births become popular.

Now what does all this information have to do with you? Medical technology has come a long way, and now is a great time to give birth. Our grandmothers and mothers probably experienced a much different delivery than we will, and for this, we should be grateful.

Throughout pregnancy, and especially in the last trimester, there's a small chance of getting oligohydramnios. This condition affects about 8 percent of pregnancies. In oligohydramnios, there is too little amniotic fluid. This can affect the pregnancy by causing birth defects and raise the risk of pregnancy complications. Because the causes of this condition are unknown, it's important to go to all your prenatal appointments.

Baby and fetal development - week #33

Immunity challenge.

Baby now weighs around 4 pounds, and is 17 inches long--and she's not stopping there! Over the next few weeks, baby will gain about a half a pound each week. Yes, that means you will also gain some weight. By now you've probably adopted the attitude, 'What the heck? Bring the extra weight on!' That's probably the best attitude you can have right now!

Another developmental preparation: Baby's immune system is getting stronger and stronger. Now that all the organs are developed (except for finalization of the lungs) the body is focusing on the immune system. After birth, the immune system continues to develop, especially from antibodies found in breastmilk. After all, it's a dirty world: better safe than sorry!

Pregnant dads - week #33

Feel her pain.

Perhaps you've heard of the 'sympathy weight' sometimes gained by fathers during and after their partner's pregnancy. Although there is no scientific explanation for this phenomenon, many fathers do report gaining weight during this time.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta talked about this phenomenon on CNN's 'Housecall.' Some of the possible explanations were:

• A combination of increased eating and decreased movement, usually experienced in accordance with mother during last weeks of pregnancy.
• Couvade syndrome--the presence of pregnancy-like symptoms in men, during their partner's pregnancy. An estimated 90% of men experience this.
• Fluctuating hormones (specifically prolactin and cortisol.)
• Bonding with baby (and mother.) Testosterone levels go down more than 30% during the first weeks after delivery, improving the father's nurturing capabilities.

If you are a victim of sympathy weight gain, never fear. You could just get one of those, 'I'm not fat, it's sympathy weight' t-shirts. No one will think twice about it!