Sunday, September 26, 2010

What To Expect During Your Second Trimester of Pregnancy.

So you survived morning sickness and got more used to that growing belly, now its time for the easiest few months of your pregnancy. This section will overview your second trimester, broken down by the month:

Month Four of Pregnancy:

During the second trimester you’ll notice your body change shape due to weight gain, average weight gain during weeks 14-17 is close to 15 lbs. Even though the nausea that accompanied the last few months should be gone you will start to fell other symptoms. These include: increased appetite, change in body appearance, milky discharge, nasal congestion, heartburn, and trouble sleeping. Your baby is now about the size of a melon, you will also feel a hardening under your bellybutton because the placenta will now be fully formed. Towards the end of this month you should start to feel movement from your baby.

Month Five of Pregnancy:

During the fifth month your pregnancy will become more real, this should be when you start making plans for adjusting your life around having a child and start preparing for the baby. Your belly will become more rounded, making it almost necessary to switch to maternity clothing. You will also be feeling more achy and fatigued, and may experience soreness and backaches. Also, you may get swelling in hands, legs, feet, and face. Doctors visits may become more frequent around this time, and you will also have to decide if you want to know the sex of the child before he is born.

Month Six of Pregnancy:

During month six there will be a noticeable increase in your baby's size and you should be able to feel the baby move on a regular basis. In month six other people may be able to feel the stronger movements or kicks of the baby. This month can get a little overwhelming emotionally after all the overwhelming changes to body and mind in the last 6 months. Prenatal care will be especially necessary now that you're getting closer to your due date so it's good to be comfortable with your physician or mid-wife by now, so that they can give you tips and pointers to making the duration of your pregnancy more comfortable.

You've now reached the last trimester. Good luck!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

What to Expect Durring Your First Trimester of Pregnancy

Once you find out you're pregnant your life could seem like its turning upside down. So, it's a good idea to get some information on what you should expect for the duration of your pregnancy. This article will detail some of the changes you (and your baby!) may experience during your first trimester of pregnancy.

The First Month:
The first couple of weeks during your pregnancy are going to be the easiest on you. You might not even know now that you are pregnant. If it was a planned pregnancy, all you need to worry about for the time being is checking into finding an OBGYN that you like & figuring out how to tell family and friends that you're expecting. Emotionally, you may have feelings of fear, insecurity, or elation. During pregnancy, your body's hormone levels will be changing. Elevated hormones means elevated emotional responses. 

You may also start getting symptoms of morning sickness during this month, call a doctor immediately if you start having severe abdominal issues,vaginal bleeding, headaches or dizziness. You should start thinking about taking vitamin supplements such as folic acid, iron, and calcium. These nutrients are all vital to the babys development--especially in the first and second trimesters.


The Second Month:
During this second month you will start to see more noticeable changes in  your body such as your pants getting tighter or your bra being more filled out. You should be taking prenatal vitamins daily now, and towards the 8th or 9th week you should have your first prenatal visit. Your partner should be with you if possible during this examination because most of the time will be spent answering questions about each of your family histories. 

As far as your body is concerned, you may still have some morning sickness although it should subside around the end of the month. Some other symptoms you may experience this month are swelling of the hands and feet, constipation and indigestion. Your breasts will become heavier and you may get goose bumps on your areola. Also you may get a slight, whitish vaginal discharge.
As far as your baby by the end of this month he or she will have developed their eyes, ears, nose and tongue as well as most of their vital organs. Complete with fingers and toes, your baby at this point will be about an inch or so long.


The Third Month: 
Now you reach the end of your first trimester, with this you may have achieved a new sense of overall physical and emotional calmness. You may start wanting to look into maternity clothing at this point to make yourself more comfortable. During this 3rd month many women experience a change in their sex drive. This could either be increased or decreased sexual desire. If you remain sexually active, you may start getting cramping after orgasm. 

Now something exciting! It is during this month's doctors visit you will get to hear your child's heartbeat for the first time and possibly even be able to determine the sex of the child. Your baby is now about the size of an apple and is technically a fetus now. You only have 6 months left before all this trouble becomes worth it!