Here is some information I thought you may find interesting. I havebeen asked for updates but If you want to be removed from this mailing let me know as I will be updating about once a week. Or as often as I remember.
WEEK 10 (measured in 40 gestational weeks)DUE DATE: August 7, 2007We have had one ultrasound where we saw the babies heart beat. We are headed back on January 19, 2007 for our next appointment.
Your Baby: The embryo reaches a developmental milestone at the end of thisweek--it has achieved its basic structural form, and will be known as a fetus (Latin for "offspring") from now until it reaches full term. Because the fetus is still curled up in a snug position in the uterus,it's hard to measure an exact length including the legs. For this reason, health professionals use the crown-to-rump measurement, or the distance from the top of the head to the buttocks. Your baby's crown-to-rump length is now about 1 1/4 inches, and she weighs less than half an ounce.
Your Body: When you ask your doctor why you're either laughing, crying, or going after someone with a frying pan, she'll say, "It's hormones." But what are your hormones actually doing? According to doctors at theTexas-based Methodist Health Care System, several hormones play majorroles in pregnancy. These include human chorionic gonadotropin hormone(hCG), which prevents the release of additional eggs from the uterusand stimulates the production of the hormones estrogen andprogesterone; estrogen, a group of hormones responsible for thedevelopment of female sexual characteristics, which is also produced by the placenta to ensure fetal health; and progesterone, which is responsible for placental functioning. During pregnancy, the levels ofthese hormones skyrocket and then drop precipitously as the need forthem ebbs and flows. And in many cases, the emotional hills andvalleys of pregnancy correspond closely to these hormonal highs andlows.
