25 Weeks

25 Weeks: 5.1.12

How your baby's growing

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga

but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

How your life's changing

Your baby's not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It's not that you're growing more hair, but thanks to hormonal changes, the hair that you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. Enjoy the fullness while you can — the extra hair will fall out after you give birth.

You may also notice that you can't move around as gracefully as before. Unless your caregiver has advised you otherwise, it's fine to continue to exercise, but follow a few safety rules: Don't work out when you're feeling overly tired and stop if you feel any pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Don't lie flat on your back and avoid contact sports as well as any exercise where you're apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods.

Relaxation tips to ease labor pain

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When you have your glucose-screening test at 24 to 28 weeks, a second tube of blood may be taken at the same time to check for anemia. If blood tests show that you have iron-deficiency anemia (the most common type of anemia), your caregiver will probably recommend that you take an iron supplement.

Have you started thinking about baby names yet? Choosing a name is an important decision, but it should be a fun one, too. You may want to consider family history, favorite locations, or cherished literary or film characters. Check out a couple of baby-name books to help you brainstorm, too.

Update:

- Another fairly low key week without a whole lot going on.  We ordered the glider for your room on Sunday..and we are hopefully going to Cousin Emi's on Sunday to pick up your crib.

- I'm feeling pretty good today as a wicked day of sickness hit the day before.  So hopefully I am going to use this extra energy to get some much needed projects accomplished.

- I am starting to get slightly winded.  When grandma was in town last week, we checked out a few model homes in the neighborhood, and I was definitely tired after climbing a few flights of stairs.)

- I think we have finally decided on your name.  Daddy and I have been tossing it around and it has kind of stuck.. but we are still working on a middle name.

-The dining room has been completely taken over with stuff for you.  Clothes, animals, activity center, jumper, stroller, car seat..it's amazing how much stuff you will need..and this is only the beginning of it.

- Also last week, mom's friend Kristin's mom sent me a "Push" pillowcase" I love it, and it has arrived just in time for me to start adding extra pillows to my sleeping routine.