Your baby is now slightly more than 13 inches long from head to rump (about 20 inches from head to toe) and weighs about 5 ½ pounds. Numbers like these wouldn’t look out of place on a birth announcement. If she were born today, she would most likely have the size and the strength to thrive.

She still has some growing to do, though. If she can stay where she is, she’ll start putting on weight faster than ever before -- as much as three-quarters of a pound every week.

Don’t be alarmed if she seems to be moving a bit less than before. Her living space is getting cramped, and she can’t squirm and wiggle as much as she used to. As you’ve noticed, she can still get off some good kicks -- and you still should be able to detect them frequently.

You should feel your baby kick at least four times over a one-hour period. If your baby ever seems unusually still, you may want to eat something and lie quietly on your side, paying close attention to her movements. If you notice fewer than ten movements in two hours, contact your doctor right away: The baby may be in distress.

If all is well as far as your health and the baby's, you can still travel. Unless your doctor says otherwise, you can safely fly until the 36^th week of pregnancy. You may have to stay grounded if you’re severely anemic or have a high risk for a premature delivery. Since some airlines don’t allow passengers who are past their 36^th week of pregnancy, you should carry some documentation that verifies your due date. (On international flights, the cutoff can be as early as 32 weeks.) Check with your doctor before taking any flight. Once in the air, be sure to walk around every half hour, drink plenty of liquids, and wear your seatbelt low on your pelvis.

At this stage of your pregnancy, know the phone numbers to call in an emergency as well as where to go. You should talk with your doctor about what to do if you detect decreased fetal movement, if you think you have ruptured membranes, if you have sudden bleeding, or if you start to have contractions.

-- Chris Woolston, M.S., a health and medical writer with a master's degree in biology, is a contributing editor at Consumer Health Interactive. He was a staff writer at Hippocrates magazine and has also covered science issues for Time Inc. Health and the Chronicle of Higher Education.

References

First published July 25, 2005
Last updated March 6, 2008
Copyright © 2005 Consumer Health Interactive

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