Good news: Maternity clothing offers chic choices that will compliment your growing figure. Specialty shops and department stores offer items that are reshaped versions of styles you have in your closet. Here are some guidelines to help you put together an attractive wardrobe for the coming months.
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In most cases, the best advice is to go to the top first. Sometime during the second trimester—before you "show"—tell your boss you’re pregnant.
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Nutrients from breastmilk have a great impact on your baby. Some of the major components of breastmilk are digestible fatty acids, which are very important to your baby’s healthy growth and development.
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Throughout your second trimester, you’ll continue to visit your doctor once a month—as long as your pregnancy progresses normally. Each appointment probably will begin with you stepping onto the scale.
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Common sense tells us that what a woman eats during pregnancy is important for her health and for the health and development of her baby.
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Be sure to get these 12 important minerals for your and your baby’s health. You can meet many of your daily mineral needs by eating a well-balanced diet.
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Many pregnant women experience digestive tract problems, from constipation to hemorrhoids, at some point during their pregnancy. These problems can be minimized or eliminated by having enough fiber in your diet from foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dried peas and beans, nuts, and seeds.
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Gestational diabetes can develop in nondiabetic women during pregnancy. It affects about 5% of all pregnant women, but it can be more prevalent among certain groups.
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Incorporating high fiber foods into your diet helps keep you healthy and regular throughout your pregnancy.
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A great way to help keep track of your food choices is to use a food diary.
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A growing number of women delay motherhood until later in life. There are great benefits to having a baby when you’re more mature, prepared, and experienced. Still, although many women in their late 30s and early 40s have healthy babies some problems increase in frequency as you get older.
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Whether you're a vegan, vegetarian, or just restricting meat and dairy, you can easily meet the nutritional requirements of pregnancy.
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Exercise is an important part of staying healthy during your pregnancy.
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Expectant parents who are pet owners can't hide what's happening from their pets. Dogs can sense the changes that are going on—preparing a baby room, baby showers, and celebrations that precede a baby's arrival.
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Are you thinking of becoming pregnant? If so, your shopping list should have fortified cereal, beans, peas, and spinach.
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Exercising when pregnant is important, but some activities are better than others for moms-to-be. Talk with your doctor about which exercises are safe, and together, you can create your pregnancy activity plan.
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Sex during pregnancy isn’t harmful for most women. In a normal pregnancy, the fetus is well protected by the walls of the uterus and the cushion of amniotic fluid. Plus, a thick mucus plug seals the cervix and fends off infection.
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As your pregnancy progresses, it’s likely you’ll be uncomfortable with your changing body.
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Whether yours is a desk job or you’re on your feet all day, there are a few easy moves to make your workday more comfortable.
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This week your baby begins to develop hair. Soft, peachfuzz-like hair begins to appear on her head, although by delivery day its texture and color may change. Lanugo (very fine, downy hair) continues to grow over your baby's body to protect her delicate skin. Fine, soft eyebrows are also appearing.
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Now about the size of a softball, your baby is developing a complete skeletal system and muscles too.
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You're not the only one who's smiling! Your baby can now make facial expressions because of the development of her facial muscles. This week she can squint, smile, and frown. This is probably not an indication of mood but may be linked to random impulses in the developing brain.
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Your baby is now almost 5 inches long and weighs about 4 or 5 ounces. She’s firmly anchored via the umbilical cord to the placenta, which continues to grow with her. The placenta, which is now more than an inch thick, contains thousands of blood vessels that exchange nutrients and oxygen from your body to your baby.
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By now the bones of your baby's inner ear and the nerve endings from the brain have developed enough so that your baby can probably detect sounds clearly. Experts believe that one of the most comforting sounds she hears is Mom’s heartbeat.
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A waxy substance begins to coat Baby’s skin to protect it from her surroundings. This coating will remain with her throughout your pregnancy.
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Your little one now weighs about 9 to 12 ounces and has grown to about 6 to 8 inches in length. She's come a long way since her first days as a microscopic collection of cells but has a lot more growing to do. The average newborn is 18 to 21 inches long and weighs 6 to 9 pounds at birth.
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Beginning this week, your little one's sleep begins to settle into identifiable patterns. You might be able to tell when she is sleeping if you notice that her movements slow down dramatically.
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Your baby weighs almost a pound now and is 7 to 8 inches long. Although she's filling out, her body still appears wrinkled because she lacks a significant layer of fat beneath her skin.
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Your baby continues to grow and by the end of the week will measure about 8 to 9 inches long. By week 23 your baby is taking on the shape of a full-term baby, but her bones and organs are still visible beneath a thin layer of translucent skin.
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Your baby still has a lot of growing to do. At 1.2 pounds and 8 to 9 inches, she should add at least another 5 pounds before birth for optimum health.
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During this week your baby is spending more time preparing for life after birth. Nerves around the mouth and lip area are becoming more sensitive, preparing her for that all-important task of finding a nipple and getting nourishment.
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Between now and week 29 your baby will have a growth spurt and gain another pound. As your baby grows, space gets tighter inside the womb. Your baby now measures about 12.8 inches tall and probably weighs almost 2 pounds.
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There are many things you can do to prepare for the delivery of a healthy baby. One of the most important things is eating right to gain the extra weight you’ll need to support another life.
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