You have that famous "pregnancy glow"!

By now the tip of your uterus should be above your belly button and be approximately the size of a soccer ball. Imagine that! You look pregnant and have the famous “pregnancy glow”. This attractive blush is due to increased blood volume and circulation under the skin.

Don't despair if the scale is getting increasingly scary to step on. You're carrying the weight of 2 human beings. So long as you are adopting a healthy lifestyle and diet, you'll be able to lose those extra pounds in a flash and return to your pre-pregnancy state rapidly.

A note about Braxton Hicks contractions

Braxton Hicks contractions are also known as false labour pains that do not cause the opening of the cervix. Refer to week 28 for details about how to tell them apart from actual contractions.

Lung development

Although your baby's lungs are beginning to develop surfactant as mentioned last week, his lungs are still immature and are not fully functional. In other words, your baby’s lungs are unable to efficiently send oxygen into the blood stream and release carbon dioxide upon exhalation.

However, your baby can take “practice breaths” in the surrounding amniotic fluid. This is because its previously plugged nostrils are gradually beginning to open.

Ref: L20

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