The first trimester, of a new life, has been completely successfully, now the second trimester begins. Unfortunately, the clothes you have do not fit you well anymore. The baby bump is now slightly visible as the baby inside is growing faster day by day. This is the first stage at which the mother can feel movements of the little one developing in her womb. This is also a good time for the mother to relax and prepare herself for the upcoming months.
The baby inside…
The little one is now growing quickly and so is the mother’s tummy. The head of the baby is comparatively big as compared to the rest of the body as the body is still in developing stage now. After a few weeks, the head and the body will be proportional. The eyes are moving to their position and so are the ears which were present on the neck. Unique facial features and fingerprints have developed by now. The neck grows longer and the chin becomes more noticeable.
Lanugo hairs are present around the baby’s body and eyebrows and hair growth can be observed which have a pattern. The nervous system starts working by the end of the sixteenth week. The baby can now produce his/her own urine and bile, and is now capable of urinating in the amniotic fluid in every one hour or so. Teeth are fully developed but the gender of the baby still cannot be determined.
What mother experiences…
Uterus which contains the fetus has grown to its maximum level and starts moving upward into the abdomen. Weight gain is now quite prominent to everyone present around the ‘would be a mother’. It has been researched that pregnancy hormones relax and calm the bowel so there can be chances of constipation. The skin stretches more during this course of time. In case the mother feels a sudden fluttering movement in her abdomen then it’s actually the movement of the baby.
As the hormones are still under changing mode, one may experience nosebleeds and the veins of hands and legs become more superficial. The problem of rushing to the washroom every now and then gets reduced during this month as the frequency of urination will be considerably reduced. Common symptoms like fatigue, nausea, morning sickness, stretch marks still exist. The skin becomes radiant but bloating can also occur in some parts of the body.
Emotional changes can also be observed which include excitement, irritation, pride, doubts, an outburst of happiness and emotions, etc. The chances of miscarriage reduce to zero if proper care is taken during this month.
How to relax…
Most importantly, it is imperative for the mother at this stage to take a proper diet and drink ample amount of water to curb constipation. Not only diet but exercising appropriately is also very important as it will improve the blood circulation. Sleeping on the left side also helps in reducing the discomfort caused.
