What to expect when you're expecting (100 page)

Accentuate all the positives. Think of making love as good physical preparation for labor and delivery—especially true if you remember to do your Kegels during intercourse. (Not many athletes have this much fun in training.) Think of sex as relaxing—and relaxation is good for all involved (including baby). Think of the roundness of your pregnant body as sensual and sexy. Think of every embrace as a chance to get closer as a couple, not just a chance to get closer to closing the deal.

Get adventurous. The old positions don’t fit anymore? Look at this as an opportunity to try something new (or a lot of somethings new). But give yourselves time to adjust to each position you try. You might even consider a “dry run”—trying out a new position fully clothed first, so that it’ll be more familiar (and you’ll be more successful) when you try it for real. See the box on the facing page for ideas.

Keep your expectations within reality’s reach. Pregnant sex presents plenty of challenges, so cut yourself some slack in the sack. Though some women achieve orgasm for the first time during pregnancy, other women find the big “O” more elusive than ever. Your goal doesn’t always have to be mutual fireworks. Remind yourself that getting close is sometimes the best, and most satisfying, part of getting it on.

Don’t forget the other kind of intercourse (talking, that is). Communication is the foundation of every relationship, particularly one that’s going through life-changing adjustments. Discuss any problems you’re facing as a couple openly instead of trying to sweep them under the bed (and instead of taking them to bed). If any problems seem too big to handle by yourselves, seek professional help. There was never a better time to work on your twosome than now that it’s about to become a threesome.

Good, bad, or indifferent, remember, too, that every couple feels differently about sex during pregnancy, both physically and emotionally. The bottom line (whether you’re on top, on bottom, side to side, or not doing it at all): What’s normal, as is almost always the case when you’re expecting, is what’s normal for you and your partner. Embrace that, embrace each other—and try not to sweat the rest.

N
O DOUBT ABOUT THOSE TUMMY
moves these days: They’re all baby, not gas (though you’re probably still having plenty of that, too). And as those little arms and legs start to pack more of a punch, these baby calisthenics—and sometimes bouts of baby hiccups—will become visible from the outside and may even entertain those around you. This month marks the last of the second trimester, which means you’re almost two thirds of the way there. Still, you’ve got a ways to go, and a ways to grow—as does baby, who’s a relatively light load compared to what you’ll be carrying around in a month or two. Take advantage—and while you can still see your feet (if not touch your toes), kick up your 2-inch heels a little.

Week 23
A window into your womb would reveal that your baby’s skin is a bit saggy, hanging loosely from his or her little body. That’s because skin grows faster than fat develops, and there’s not much fat to fill that skin out yet. But don’t worry—the fat is about to start catching up. Beginning this week, your baby (who is around 8 inches long and just over a pound in weight) begins to pack on the pounds (which means you will, too!). In fact, by month’s end, your baby will be double the weight he or she is now (fortunately, you won’t be).
Once those fat deposits are made, your baby will be less transparent, too. Right now, the organs and bones can still be seen through the skin, which has a red hue thanks to the developing blood veins and arteries just underneath. But by month 8, no more see-through baby!

Your Baby, Month 6

Week 24
At a weight of 1½ pounds and a length of about 8½ inches, your baby has outgrown the fruit references and is now the size of a standard letter (but would take a lot more than a standard stamp to mail). Baby’s weekly weight gain is now about 6 ounces—not quite as much as you’re putting on, but getting a lot closer. Much of that weight is coming from accumulating baby fat, as well as from growing organs, bones, and muscle. By now, your baby’s tiny face is almost fully formed, and achingly adorable—complete with a full set of eyelashes and eyebrows and a good sprinkling of hair on that head. Is your baby a brunette, a blond, or a redhead? Actually, right now, he or she’s snow white, since there’s no pigment in that hair just yet.

Week 25
Baby’s growing by leaps and bounds (and inches and ounces), this week reaching 9 inches in length and more than 1½ pounds in weight. And there are exciting developments on the horizon, too. Capillaries are forming under the skin and filling with blood. By week’s end, air sacs lined with capillaries will also develop in your baby’s lungs, getting them ready for that first breath of fresh air. Mind you, those lungs aren’t ready for prime-time breathing yet—and they have a lot of maturing left to do before they will be. Though they’re already beginning to develop surfactant, a substance that will help them expand after birth, your baby’s lungs are still too undeveloped to sufficiently send oxygen to the bloodstream and release carbon dioxide from the blood (aka breathe). And talking about breathing, your baby’s nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are starting to open up this week. This enables your baby to begin taking practice “breaths.” Your baby’s vocal cords are functioning now, leading to occasional hiccups (which you’ll certainly be feeling).

Week 26
Next time you’re browsing through the meat department, pick up a 2-pound chuck roast. No, not for dinner—just so you can get a sense of how big your baby is this week. That’s right—your baby now weighs a full 2 pounds and measures in at 9-plus inches long. Another momentous development this week: Your baby’s eyes are beginning to open. The eyelids have been fused for the past few months (so the retina, the part of the eye that allows images to come into focus, could develop). The colored part of the eye (the iris) still doesn’t have much pigmentation, so it’s too early to start guessing your baby’s eye color. Still, your baby is now able to see—though there’s not much to see in the dark confines of his or her uterine home. But with the heightened sense of sight and hearing that your baby now possesses, you may notice an increase in activity when your baby sees a bright light or hears a loud noise. In fact, if a loud vibrating noise is brought close to your belly, your baby will respond by blinking and startling.

Week 27
Your baby graduates onto a new growth chart this week. No longer
will he or she be measured crown to rump, but rather from head to toe. And this week that head-to-toe length is a full 15 inches (more than a foot long)! Your baby’s weight is creeping up the charts as well, coming in at just over 2 pounds this week. And here’s an interesting fetal factoid: Your baby has more taste buds now than he or she will have at birth (and beyond). Which means that not only is your baby able to taste the difference in the amniotic fluid when you eat different foods, he or she might even react to it. For instance, some babies respond to spicy foods by hiccupping. Or by kicking when they get that spicy kick.

As always, remember that every pregnancy and every woman is different. You may experience all of these symptoms at one time or another, or only a few of them. Some may have continued from last month; others may be new. Still others may be hardly noticed because you’ve become so used to them. You may also have other, less common, symptoms. Here’s what you might experience this month:

A Look Inside

At the beginning of this month, your uterus is around 1½ inches above your belly button. By the end of the month, your uterus has grown an inch higher and can be felt approximately 2½ inches above your belly button. Your uterus is the size of a basketball now, and you might even look like that’s what you’re carrying around in your belly.

Physically