Week 16: Pregnancy Week by Week

Week 16: Dealing with powerful emotions

Everything becomes possible by the mere presence of someone who knows how to listen, to live and to give of himself.

-Elie Wiesl

What's Happening in Your Body?

You may begin to notice a dark line, called the linea nigra, in between your belly button and the pubic region. This normal pigment change will fade after the baby's birth.

What's Happening with Your Baby?

Your baby is beginning to make breathing motions and can turn her head. She is also beginning to make facial expressions such as squinting, frowning, and even smiling. The baby drinks the amniotic fluid and begins to pass urine. She weighs about 3-4 ounces. If you are having a boy, it may be possible to detect the baby's penis in an ultrasound examination.

Dealing with Powerful Emotions

First you may feel like you can conquer the world, handle all your relationships with ease, or hike the entire Appalachian Trail. Then you may feel like a wet, wrung-out dishrag: large, incompetent, and vulnerable. While you might normally be easygoing, reading the evening news may now make you weep uncontrollably, and a stolen parking space might cause an outburst of rage. Learn how to Deal with Powerful Emotions.

Nourish Yourself

Sometimes you must indulge. Try our recipe for Truly Citrony Lemon Bars and treat yourself.

Body Wise

You may not exactly feel like a ballerina right now, but doing a few grand plies can nonetheless strengthen and tone your upper thigh and buttock muscles.

Stand with your feet about three feet apart, hands on your hips. Turn both legs out so that your toes are pointing out at a forty-five degree angle or a bit more. Try to rotate the entire leg, starting from the hip joint and not just the feet.

Now bend deeply at the knees, tracking the knees directly over the feet. It is important not to allow your bottom to stick out behind you, the way you would if you were doing a squat. Keep your back straight and don't bend forward. Think of your entire trunk going up and down, perpendicular to the floor.

Continue to bend slowly up and down about 10 times. You can increase this amount over time. You can also experiment with finding the place in the bend where you feel your muscles working the hardest and holding that position for 10 seconds. If you prefer, you can hold onto the back of a stable chair for added support while doing plies.

Natural Soothers

Indigestion can be a daily issue for many pregnant women. To soothe heartburn and stomach acidity, try drinking herbal tea, especially after a meal. Chamomile, lemon balm, meadowsweet or peppermint teas are all good choices. Argent Nit is a homeopathic treatment that can help with heartburn and gas. Another homeopathic treatment to try is Nux Vomica, which is also useful for any nausea you may feel as well as with indigestion.

Higher Ground

Using Pregnancy Affirmations
An affirmation is a positive thought that you consciously introduce into your thinking. You do this so that your thoughts will support you and not undermine your confidence. Visit this link for affirmations to write down and read or say aloud. You can make audiotapes of the affirmations you like or make up your own affirmations to listen to as well. Notice that the affirmations progress from pregnancy to birth.

Image by Durga Yael Bernhard

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