Your baby now weighs about 5 pounds and is approximately 19 1/2 inches long ¡X a little more than 12 inches crown to rump. Your baby should already be getting ready for delivery by turning upside-down ¡X his head should be pointing down. Your doctor or midwife will be paying careful attention to your baby's position in the coming weeks ¡X some babies do decide to turn back around.
Your baby's skull is still quite pliable and not completely joined, in part so he can ease out of the relatively narrow birth canal. But the bones in the rest of his body are hardening. Your baby's skin is also gradually becoming less red and wrinkled.
If you're a first-time mother, your child's head may move into the pelvis this week and press firmly against your cervix. (This happens forabout half of all first-time mothers.) If you're a second-time mom, you can expect this to happen a week before labor ¡X and for some this won't happen until the start of labor.
You may notice that your feet and ankles are quite swollen toward the end of the day. Water retention, also known as edema, is often worsein warm weather and late in the day. Surprisingly, keeping hydrated helps reduce water retention. Your body ¡X particularly your kidneys ¡X and your baby needplenty of fluids, so drink up. If you suddenly feel swollen or puffy in your hands or face, however, call your doctor ¡X it may be a sign of preeclampsia.
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