Week 29:I'm spleen-tastic!
Fetal development in pregnancy week 29
15.3 in | 38.8 cm
2.5 lbs | 1.1 kg
If you’ve been feeling weird little fluttering butterflies in your belly, it’s not just your run-of-the-mill pre-birth performance anxiety.
Actually, it's your amazing baby with a case of the hiccups: a fairly common occurrence at this point, due to them practicing breathing for their big birthday.
In addition to getting a round of butterfly-like hiccups, your little swimmer has arduously managed to accumulate enough baby fat to account for nearly 3.5% of their overall body weight.
Yeah, compared to we lardy adults, it’s not very impressive, but considering they used to have NO fat, it’s certainly a healthy (and body-warming) accomplishment in its way.
Another fantastic life-critical accomplishment: your baby's spleen is now in charge of hematopoiesis — the 10 dollar name for the process involved in building up certain important blood components.
Share your baby's development on Facebook!
Last week we covered 10 reasons why you want to breastfeed, now we're going to cover why it's a challenge which ends in formula-feeding for a small percentage of women.Some women have issues with their milk supply due to poor nutrition, being away from their newborn too often, and/or stress, which often leads them to opt for formula rather than making simple diet and life changes that're more "milk-positive"
At first glance, it seems pretty obvious: pull out breast, attach child and voila! You and your newborn snuggle into one of the sweetest (literally - your milk is sweet!), most vital things you'll ever do for your infant.
Unfortunately for some women, this flow-chart breaks down at the "attach child" phase due to issues with latching - most frequently because the infant is "tongue-tied", which makes them unable to successfully latch on the mother's nipple. There is some dispute on the practice of tongue-clipping and its necessity for successful breastfeeding.
Other women have issues with their milk supply due to poor nutrition, being away from their newborn too often, and/or stress, which often leads them to opt for formula rather than making simple diet and life changes that're more "milk-positive".
Some women choose not to breastfeed because they are taking medications which're potentially risky to their infant.
The reality is: the majority of women who fail to breastfeed beyond the first month do so because they lack critical knowledge about breastfeeding and receive little active support from their partner and/or family in the process.
Either way, it's not a major tragedy if you're forced to choose formula, but many women still feel badly about their inability to breastfeed.
If you make an honest effort to breastfeed and fail due to circumstances which're truly beyond your control, you did your best - modern life isn't particularly infant-friendly, especially when it comes to breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding Basics
WARNING: The first months of breastfeeding are going to be a boot camp experience.
Your newborn will want to be at your breast virtually all of the time and not in a way you can schedule into your planner. This phase lasts about two months and becomes more regular and predictable by the third month.
Non-stop breastfeeding in newborns is instinctual. Respect mother nature's design by feeding whenever your infant cries with a dry diaper.
There is no such thing as an empty breast. Seriously, as long as you're baby's suckling contentedly, everything is fine - besides, their suckling stimulates milk production!
Breastfeed exclusively for the first six weeks without pumping.
Use lansinoh oil if your nipples chap or crack.
What you eat goes into your milk, so eat lots of veggies, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and stay away from junk food, fast food, fart-inducing foods, citrusy things, onions and cabbage.
Learn to slow yourself down, shut off your phone (as your supply and let-down are directly impacted by stress), clear your mind and focus on your body's interaction with your child and their well-being.
The healthier and happier you are going in, the more likely you'll be to successfully breastfeed your infant into toddlerhood.
Breastfeeding creates a uniquely intimate bond with your infant, which enables you to build a gentle healthy relationship with your child as they grow into toddlerhood.
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