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How the baby develops Week 30 ACTUAL SIZE HEAD TO BOTTOM ABOUT 33 CM but it can be difficult to find the right place. The baby is now covered in a white, greasy substance called ‘vernix’. It is thought that this may be to protect the baby’s skin as it floats in the amniotic fluid. The vernix mostly disappears before the birth. At 24 weeks, the baby is called ‘viable’. This means that the baby is now thought to have a chance of survival if born. Most babies born before this time cannot live because their lungs and other vital organs are not well enough developed. The care that can now be given in neonatal units means that more and more babies born early do survive. At around 26 weeks the baby’s eyelids open for the first time. The eyes are almost always blue or dark blue. It is not until some weeks after birth that the eyes become the colour they will stay, although some babies do have brown eyes at birth. The head to bottom length at 30 weeks is about 33 cm. WEEKS 31–40 The baby is growing plumper, so the skin, which was quite wrinkled before, is now smoother. Both the vernix and the lanugo begin to disappear. By about 32 weeks the baby is usually lying downwards ready for birth. Some time before birth, the head may move down into the pelvis and is said to be ‘engaged’, but sometimes the baby’s head does not engage until labour has started. 32
4 Deciding where to have your baby The choice you have about where to have your baby and how you are cared for will depend to some extent on where you live, e.g. in Northern Ireland there are no GP units. But what should be the same everywhere is that the care and the place should feel right for you. It’s important for you to make informed choices about the sort of care you would like and where you would like to give birth. Try to get information from as many sources as possible. You can go and look round the local hospital, where there will probably be information leaflets about the services on offer. Midwives and your GP’s surgery should also be able to tell you about the different options for care available in your area. Don’t hesitate to ask questions if you don’t understand something or if you think that you need to know more. Midwives and doctors are there to help and support you. They want to make you feel as comfortable as possible with all aspects of the care you receive, both while you are pregnant and when you have your baby. When you find out (or think) that you are pregnant, you can go either to your GP or direct to a midwife to discuss and arrange your care. Once you have found out what’s available locally, talk things over with your GP or midwife. They will be able to offer you advice based on your medical history and any previous pregnancies you may have had, but remember, the choice is yours. Don’t forget, if you make your choice and then think that some other sort of care would be better for you and your baby, you can change your mind. Your basic options will be to have your baby: • in a hospital (a specialist unit with consultant obstetricians); • at home; or • in a GP/midwife unit (currently there are no GP units in Northern Ireland. Any midwifeled unit is adjacent to a consultant-led unit, but standalone Community Midwifery Units are under consideration). SEE YOUR MIDWIFE OR DOCTOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IF: • you are currently being treated for a chronic disease, such as diabetes or epilepsy; • you are over 35, so that you can be offered additional tests for abnormalities in the baby; • you are a teenager – there may be services specifically for your age group; • you have previously had a baby with spina bifida or Down’s syndrome, or you have a family history of a genetic disorder, such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease – additional tests will be offered to you; or • you have previously had an ectopic pregnancy – you may be able to have an ultrasound scan to check that the pregnancy is in the womb. 33
Page 1 and 2: Pre the nancy gbook Your complete g
Page 3 and 4: Pre the nancy gbook Your complete g
Page 5 and 6: 11 LABOUR AND BIRTH Getting ready f
Page 7 and 8: Your pregnancy at a glance 16-20 we
Page 9 and 10: Introduction Every parent is differ
Page 11 and 12: Your health in pregnancy • Eat pl
Page 13 and 14: Your health in pregnancy VEGETARIAN
Page 15 and 16: Your health in pregnancy S MOKING W
Page 17 and 18: Your health in pregnancy P HYSICAL
Page 19 and 20: Your health in pregnancy Foot exerc
Page 21 and 22: obstetrician. If you do catch toxop
Page 23 and 24: 2 Conception To understand about co
Page 25 and 26: Conception T HE WOMAN’ S MONTHLY
Page 27 and 28: Conception T HE BEST TIME TO GET PR
Page 29 and 30: Conception K NOWING THAT YOU’ RE
Page 31 and 32: How the baby develops WEEKS 4-5 Wee
Page 33: How the baby develops WEEKS 15-22 T
Page 37 and 38: Deciding where to have your baby HO
Page 39 and 40: Deciding where to have your baby B
Page 41 and 42: 5 Feelings and relationships From t
Page 43 and 44: Feelings and relationships WORRYING
Page 45 and 46: Feelings and relationships FAMILIES
Page 47 and 48: Feelings and relationships C OPING
Page 49 and 50: 6 Mainly for men Some pregnancies h
Page 51 and 52: Mainly for men PRACTICAL SUPPORT Yo
Page 53 and 54: 7 Antenatal care and antenatal clas
Page 55 and 56: Antenatal care and antenatal classe
Page 69 and 70: The feeding question B REASTFEEDING
Page 71 and 72: The feeding question Support contac
Page 73 and 74: The feeding question HOW OFTEN AND
Page 75 and 76: The feeding question B OTTLE FEEDIN
Page 77 and 78: The feeding question The temperatur
Page 79 and 80: 9 Problems Your body has a great de
Page 81 and 82: Problems FEELING HOT IN PREGNANCY D
Page 83 and 84: Problems can empty it properly. The
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Problems VAGINAL DISCHARGE Almost a
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10 What you need for the baby This
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What you need for the baby O UT AND
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11 Labour and birth This chapter de
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Labour and birth PAIN RELIEF IN LAB
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Labour and birth • your contracti
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Labour and birth AT THE HOSPITAL Go
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Labour and birth • The heartbeat
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Labour and birth You can have your
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Labour and birth treatment takes ab
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Labour and birth A vaginal breech d
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When pregnancy goes wrong been due.
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13 The first days with your new bab
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The first days with your new baby c
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The first days with your new baby b
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Babies who need special care I NCUB
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The early weeks: you L OOKING AFTER
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The early weeks: you T HE ‘ BABY
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16 The early weeks: your baby The b
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The early weeks: your baby Sadly, w
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The early weeks: your baby CHANGING
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The early weeks: your baby WASHING
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The early weeks: your baby W HERE T
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as green, leafy vegetables and brea
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Rights and benefits How much is it?
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Who gets it? Pregnant women and new
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Rights and benefits You must have n
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• your baby is born before your M
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Rights and benefits (MAT B1 form),
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Rights and benefits Giving notice f
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Rights and benefits If you return t
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• state that this is an applicati
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USEFUL ORGANISATIONS Some of these
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In Northern Ireland: Northern Irela
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INDEX A abnormalities tests to dete
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The Pregnancy Book “It contains e
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