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MyPregnancy JournalPRECIOUS ADDITIONS

Congratulationson your pregna n c y !

As part of your enrollment in Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey’sPRECIOUS ADDITIONS program, we’ve provided you this pregnancy journalcontaining a week-by-week guide to your baby’s development and the changesyou’ll experience during this special time in your life.You can also use this pregnancy journal to keep track of your doctors’appointments, write down important information and store the keepsakes andmemories of your time as a mother-to-be, all in one place.We hope you find this pregnancy journal and the PRECIOUS ADDITIONS programvaluable.First Trimester Week 1During the first couple of weeks of pregnancy, conception has not even occurredyet. You will likely not experience any hormonal changes at this point, but thatshouldn’t stop you from taking important steps for a healthy pregnancy, such as: Take 400 micrograms of folic acid each day to help prevent birthdefects. If possible, you should begin taking 400 micrograms of folicacid daily at least one month before becoming pregnant. Stop smoking and drinking alcohol. Talk to your health care professional about any over-the-countermedications, including herbal and dietary supplements, you are taking. Maintain control of any chronic condition,such as asthma, diabetes or obesity. Check with your health care professional tomake sure that you are up-to-date on all ofyour vaccinations.My PREGNANCY JOURNAL2

Week 2Whether or not you have begun to notice symptoms such as weight gain, moodswings or constipation for a few weeks, you should know that discomfort maydecrease as you get further along in your pregnancy. Some women have nodiscomfort during pregnancy.Week 3Although you will not notice any big changes in yourself at thispoint, your egg and your partner’s sperm have joined to formthe embryo. Though it’s still only about the size of the head ofa pin, the embryo will begin growing rapidly as its cellsmultiply. It’s important for you to keep brushing and flossingeach day to support good oral health. Hormonal changes you havewhile pregnant may cause your gums to bleed. It’s also recommended that you seeyour dentist during pregnancy.Week 4Be ready to make changes to your daily routine to manage your pregnancy andsome of the symptoms that accompany it. You may find it necessary to eat smallerand more frequent meals, as well as, go to bed earlier. Gaining weight gradually ishealthier for your pregnancy. Although some women develop stretch marks duringthis time, slow and steady weight gain may reduce their appearance.Week 5You will have already missed your period by week five, confirming that you arepregnant. You should make an appointment to see your health care professional assoon as you suspect that you are pregnant. At the appointment, be sure to askabout nutrition, exercise and any recommendations your health care professionalmay have for your pregnancy. A number of the embryo’s vital parts, such as theheart, brain, spinal cord, muscles and bones, are now developing.3My PREGNANCY JOURNAL

Week 6Around this time, you begin having early symptoms of pregnancy, such as nausea(“morning sickness”), a more frequent need to urinate, and a tingling or sore feelingin your breasts. Your baby’s brain, spinal cord, bones and muscles are growingmore and the heart has started pumping blood. If your stomach is feeling uneasy,try to avoid having an empty stomach. You can break up your daily meals into anumber of smaller ones and keep a few snacks with you to prevent feeling queasy.Week 7While you’re still not visibly pregnant, you may begin feeling other changes to yourbody, such as weight gain in your legs and breasts. Your baby remains about thesize of a pencil’s eraser this week. It has begun developing a recognizable face withdistinct nostrils and eye lenses, and paddle-shaped arms are emerging.Week 8By now, your baby is about the size of a grape. Its face is developing morefeatures, including a nose and the skin that will eventually make up the externalpart of the ears. Even if you’ve been pregnant before, you may have a differentexperience this time around. You’ll likely begin “showing” earlier and thesymptoms that occur – if there are any – can be completely different from yourprevious pregnancy.Week 9Although you won’t feel it yet, your baby has begun to move.At about the size of a strawberry, your baby is still too small foryou to sense its movement. However, an ultrasound will beable to pick them up.During the first trimester, many women have indigestion andheartburn, because pregnancy slows the movement of swallowed foodfrom the esophagus into the stomach. Eating smaller, more frequent meals, as wellas, avoiding fried foods, carbonated drinks, and citrus fruit, and engaging in regularexercise can all help relieve these issues.My PREGNANCY JOURNAL4

Week 10As your baby’s development continues, you need to makesure to follow your health care professional’s advice oneating and living healthy during pregnancy. Be sure toeat lots of calcium-rich foods, such as cheeses and dark,leafy green vegetables, to provide plenty of the nutrientsfor your baby’s bone and teeth development.Week 11At more than half of your baby’s total weight, your baby’s head is still much largerthan its body. However, around week 11, your baby’s body will begin growing andwill soon catch up with the growth of the head. Your baby’s heartbeat can now beheard, when your health care professional uses a Doppler sound-wave stethoscope.Week 12Hormonal changes in your body could be causing occasional dizziness, headachesor other symptoms, as you reach the end of your first trimester. After the first threemonths of pregnancy, your baby is fully formed. Distinguishable features, such asarms, hands, feet and toes, are formed, and the circulatory and urinary systems arenow working. The baby is about 4 inches long and weighs around an ounce.Week 13For many women, the second trimester is easier than the first. Certain symptomsthat you had during the earlier part of your pregnancy, such as nausea and fatigue,may go away.But, you will likely have new changes to your body during this trimester. As yourbaby continues to grow, you’ll notice that your abdomen will expand significantlyto make room for your developing child.5My PREGNANCY JOURNAL

My MemoriesMy PREGNANCY JOURNAL6

My Notes7My PREGNANCY JOURNAL

Second TrimesterWeek 14It will become increasingly apparent that you are pregnant fromhere on out so, if you haven’t already, now might be a good timeto begin telling your family and friends that you are expectinga child.You may have already started wearing maternity clothingaround this time. Your skin and muscles are beginning tostretch to make room for your growing child.Week 15Constipation can become an issue for pregnant women at this stage. By exercising,drinking lots of fluids and eating fruits and vegetables (raw whenever possible) youcan help relieve any constipation.Week 16During your second trimester, your baby is getting ready for a growth spurt andyou may begin feeling your baby’s first movements, called quickening, over the nextseveral weeks. These first movements can be described as a fluttering feeling or gasbubbles. Also, soon after the fourth month of pregnancy, uterine contractions canbe felt through the abdominal wall. These contractions are called Braxton Hickscontractions. Braxton Hicks contractions are irregular, painless contractions thatoccur occasionally throughout pregnancy.Week 17The swelling in your lower abdomen will be more obvious at this point. Weightgain of between five and 10 pounds is typical now, as is a noticeable increase inyour appetite. Your baby’s weight has doubled to about 3.5 ounces.9My PREGNANCY JOURNAL

Week 18Your baby’s rapid growth will slow down now, but some basic reflexes have alreadydeveloped. For example, your baby can yawn, stretch, and make facial expressions,and will close its eyes when a light shines on your abdomen.You may begin feeling the baby move. It’s a good time to visit your health careprofessional between now and week 22 for a mid-pregnancy ultrasound. Theultrasound may even be able to determine your baby’s gender, if he or she is in afavorable position during your visit.Week 19As your baby grows to around five to six inches from crown to rump, his or her earsare also developing further. Although the skin that will eventually become the earshas been present for weeks, your baby’s ears will now be clearly sticking out of thesides of its head. Your baby will also be able to hear around this time so try readinga book or singing a lullaby.Week 20You’re halfway through your pregnancy and your baby is nowlonger than six inches from crown to rump. Your body willcontinue to change to make room for your growing baby.Being uncomfortable can be normal but if you notice anysudden or extreme swelling of your ankles, fingers or face, or ifyou gain weight quickly, call your health care professional rightaway. Drinking plenty of fluids, elevating your feet and limitingthe amount of salty foods and caffeine in your diet can treatnormal swelling.Week 21As your baby continues to grow, he or she is also steadily gaining fatto keep warm. Buds for permanent teeth are also forming in yourbaby’s mouth and his or her eyelids have finished forming.My PREGNANCY JOURNAL10

Many women may get urinary tract infections during their pregnancies due to theadded pressure of the growing uterus. Drinking six to eight glasses of water a daycan help to ward off infection . and it’s healthy for your baby too!Week 22Your baby is getting stronger and his or her features are becomingmore distinct as time goes on. This week the eyelids andeyebrows are in place. In fact your baby may now have theform of a newborn baby, but will be much smaller. If youhave leg cramps, eat more calcium – and potassium-richfoods such as milk, grapefruits and bananas. And,remember to stay hydrated.You and your partner should sign up for a childbirth class if you have not yet doneso. Class types range from an overview of labor and new parent tips to childbirthrelaxation techniques and tours of the hospital and/or birthing center. Check withyour health care professional or the facility where you plan to deliver to see whatclasses they offer or suggest.Week 23As your baby continues to grow, he or she may weigh almost a pound. Your baby’slanugo (fine hair that covers his or her body) may darken at this point. You mayeven be able to see the lanugo during an ultrasound.Vaginal secretions that are usually clear-to-yellowish with a faint smell increaseduring pregnancy. Check with your health care professional if the color or odorchanges significantly since it could be a sign of an infection. You may still haveaches in the lower part of your back. Lying down, massages and applying a heatingpad to the area can help.Week 24If you haven’t already, you may begin to feel your baby’s hiccups. He or she mayalso respond to your touch. Your baby’s brain development is speeding up and themain branches of his or her lungs are beginning to form.11My PREGNANCY JOURNAL