At the end of this week, baby looks more and more like a newborn child. He even has tiny nails. All of the major organs are already in place. The nervous system is still evolving, while the lower intestine continues to grow inside the belly. Many organs begin to function autonomously - for example, the thyroid starts to produce hormones.
If the first few weeks of pregnancy have been tough for you (you have been suffering from tiredness, nausea, drowsiness...), the unpleasant symptoms should gradually disappear during this period. It turns out that pregnancy not only affects the physical state, but your subconscious as well. So, if you have been having weird dreams lately such as, for example, that you gave birth to a little animal or that you forgot about your baby, there’s nothing to worry about. Have you already thought about your decision on finding out your baby’s sex? At some point, the doctor will be able to determine it, but the final decision is up to you and your partner. Yet this could help choosing the name or layette for your infant. Moreover, if you already have one baby, you can start preparing it for a new brother or sister. However, not knowing your infant’s sex is always a little thrill of excitement and a pleasant reason to wonder about in the company of your loved ones. It’s also a good way to tease a bit the impatient family :-). If you are a working future mum, you probably wonder how to tell your boss you are pregnant. Some women want to keep their news under wraps until the second trimester, as in the first trimester there may be a slightly higher risk of miscarriage. Others are neither able nor willing to wait, since constant tiredness and nausea are rather hard to hide and they want to explain their condition as soon as possible. And yet other women choose to delay as long as they can, because they are not exactly sure about the state of their job nor whether they can still build a successful career after a break. If you decide to continue working during pregnancy, here are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, stay hydrated! Remember to sip on water regularly throughout the day. More water also means more frequent toilet trips. Doctors remind that holding in your pee for too long is not the best idea and may cause infections. When you go to work, always grab some healthy snacks to minimise nausea. Wear comfortable and loose clothes as these must not restrict your movements.
Future dad at work. Perhaps it’s time to consider how the birth of your child will affect your work, both now and in the future. Do you work overtime? Will you still stay longer at work? How do you get along with your boss? How does he or she treats other parents? You can decide when to tell your boss that you and your partner are expecting a baby. Nevertheless, you shouldn't leave things until the last minute. You’ve got to have time to hand over the responsibilities to your coworkers when you’ll get a call from your wife saying “Honey, my water just broke”. Though you still have a lot of time, maybe it’s time to think a little about whether to take advantage of paternity leave or, quite the opposite, work longer in order to provide for his family. Also, you should be prepared that your partner will definitely need you more in the first weeks of your newborn child’s life. All in all, it's important to find out what works best for you!
Soon, the following labelling will appear on the packaging of many hygiene products, such as sanitary pads, pantyliners, tampons or wet wipes: