Your baby is now developing their immune system with natural antibodies passing from your blood stream to them through the placenta. Your baby is now capable of coordinating a suck and swallow action, needed to drink milk after being born. However, this reflex does not fully mature until about 34 to 36 weeks. Your baby may look around and is capable of distinguishing light from dark and tracking movement.
Physical changes
Rib pain
Your uterus eventually starts encroaching on your ribcage, often causing pain and discomfort due to strain on the muscles between the ribs. Sitting more upright and giving your baby a gentle ‘push down’ with your hand may help take the pressure off.
Leg cramps
Nearly 50% of pregnant women experience leg cramps in their feet, calves or thighs, generally during the last few months of pregnancy. Leg cramps often occur at night, jolting you awake (and perhaps your startled partner), adding to insomnia and tiredness.
If you are waking at night and unable to get back to sleep you may wish to try a relaxation visualisation.
Other considerations
When to stop work or study
If you are currently working and/or studying, you may be making plans for when you will stop. Depending on your circumstances, this may be several weeks before your baby is due, or perhaps as close to the due date as possible. If you are feeling well and coping (or even thriving) with your commitments and the pregnancy is progressing normally, when you stop will essentially come down to your own personal choice. However, bear in mind that sometimes health concerns (for yourself or your baby) could mean finishing earlier than anticipated. Also, your planned ‘2 weeks off’ may turn out to be a couple of days if your baby decides to come early! Try to be flexible and factor in these unforeseen circumstances.
Natural therapies and pregnancy
Hypnosis and Hypnobirthing
Hypnosis uses repeated instructions to bring the person into a state of deep relaxation. Once in a relaxed state, the person’s subconscious is believed to be free to explore psychological or emotional problems, being open to suggestions from the therapist. The hypnotised state aims to address emotional and behavioural problems, as well as bodily functions and addictions to restore them to a normalised balance.
Hypnosis is used for pain control and is becoming a popular method for pain relief in labour. Hypnobirthing and similar techniques use positive thinking, relaxation, visualisation, breathing and auto-suggestion learned during pregnancy to help attain a ‘pain-free labour’.
