Days 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 and 66

Day 61

The colored portion of the eye will begin to develop over the next three days.  Over the next two days, the eyelids will meet and temporarily fuse shut.

Child birth in other cultures...In sweden, all births take place in hospitals managed by highly trained midwives.  Prenatal care is free and provided for every woman.  Absence of prenatal care is unheard of.

Day 62

Ossification centers are established in the skull; those in the long bones continue to develop as the baby becomes more solid.  The baby's bones and muscles are growing rapidly.  The baby's developing body begins to attain proportions more like a newborn baby's.  Although weight gain fluctuates from week to week, my average weight gain is about a pound per week.  

Today was another measurement day...my waist size is 26 1/2 inches and my weight is 124.  So far so good.  :-)

Day 63

The skin has become thicker and less transparent.  The vagina is beginning to develop in females.  The penis is now distinguishable in males.  The baby has now attained a more upright posture.  In one short week, the baby more than doubled its weight, to between 1/4 and 1/3 of an ounce.  Every baby shows a distinct individuality in behavior by the end of the third month.  This is because the actual structure of the muscles varies slightly from baby to baby.  

Childbirth Then and Now...The first attempt to make newborn feedings follow a schedule was based on Dr. T. S. Southworth's observations in 1906.  He recommended ten nursings a day for the first month, and eight a day in the second and third months.  TOday, nursing more frequently (8-18 feedings per day in the first weeks) improves milk production and reduces nipple soreness. 

Today was a day to chart how I am feeling.

Mood: Normal, slight annoyance.  I'm finding my patience running very thin.

Energy:  Normal (Finally not dragging butt anymore.)

Appetite: Normal (Finally not eating everything in sight anymore.)

Morning Sickness: None (That was gone long ago.)

Cravings:  Chicken and Beef Burritos; Red Grapefruit 

Day 64

Sometime during the next three weeks, the urine that is formed by the baby's kidneys will be excreted into the amniotic fluid.  The urine is sterile and is carried away in the regular replacement of the fluid.  By late pregnancy, about a half liter (a little over 2 1/4 cups) of urine is added daily.

Day 65

Over the next three days, the baby's fingernails will begin to grow from the nail beds.  The baby's skin is sensitive all over.  Any type of touch causes the baby to move.

Did you know...Good skin tone, good nutrition, hydration to encourage skin elasticity, and gradual wight gain can precent or minimize stretch marks.  

Day 66

The baby's brain now has the same structure it will have at birth, but it's just a smaller size.  Between now and week 16, the mechanism that enables the baby's senses of smell (the olfactory system) is developing.  The thyroid, pancreas, and gall bladder will complete their development during the next three days.  With rate exceptions, I wont feel the baby move yet.  The baby's newly formed muscles are weak and the baby is so small that the womb has barely expanded and is still contained within the framework of my hips.

This has been another installment of "A Pregnancy Journal, By A. Christine Harris, Ph. D.

I must say, this week has been largely uneventful.  No more morning sickness, appetite back to normal and I've even resumed my normal sleeping schedule with very little tiredness during the day.  It almost feels like I'm not even pregnant.  I've read that this feeling is normal as I approach the second trimester.  Most soon to be moms see nearly all of their symptoms diminish before they begin to have visible signs of pregnancy.  Since I had very few symptoms to begin with, I've begun to have these feelings (or lack of symptoms) a little sooner.