You are now coming to an end of the second trimester. In a few weeks you will enter into the last three months of pregnancy. You look forward to the end of the pregnancy because you want to meet your baby. But there are some huge changes to both your physical as well as mental state. As the pregnancy progresses, you will gain more weight. The uterus will continue to grow, as the baby gets bigger.
As time goes on, there won’t be any room left in the uterus because the baby will be full size and that is when you will feel every movement the baby makes. Due to the growing baby and the weight gain, you will start to experience more leg cramps and backaches. You will continue to have frequent trips to the bathroom and some fatigue.
There is still plenty of time to start the prenatal classes. These classes will discuss the remainder of the pregnancy, what to expect during childbirth and what to expect when the baby comes home. These classes are not required but they are very informative. You can start attending them now or some people wait until the 7th month of pregnancy. Check your local hospital for the class schedules.
Baby’s Development
At this week of your pregnancy, they should measure about 11 inches and weigh about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pounds. If you have any concerns about the weight of the baby, now is the time to ask the OB GYN. The baby’s brain and the lungs are quickly starting to develop. The baby’s taste buds are coming along nicely too. The lungs are developing branches so that the special cells will produce the surfactant to help inflate the baby’s lungs.
If the baby was born at this week of pregnancy they may have trouble breathing because the surfactant is not developed enough. Babies born at twenty-four weeks may be born with disabilities and would require long term NICU care. The baby is still gaining weight and developing baby fat. This helps the baby keep in their body heat.
Some new moms to be may experience what is called Braxton Hicks Contractions. These are small contractions that you may feel from time to time in the last trimester. But don’t worry these are not like regular contractions and they will not affect the baby. When you go for your next sonogram, you will see that the baby’s face is now complete with very distinguishable features. The hair on the baby’s hair will continue to grow and the baby’s eyes are still closed. Over the next three months the baby will just continue to gain weight and grow. The baby will also start to practice breathing at week twenty-four of pregnancy.
Changes With Your Body
Now you will be able feel the top of the uterus about 2 inches from the belly. This will continue to grow as the baby grows. You may start to notice some stretch marks on the abdomen and on the breasts. You may want to use moisturizer on these stretch marks or use cocoa butter. You may notice that your eyes are more sensitive to light and they become drier than usual. You can use eye drops or maybe artificial tears to help with the problem.
By now you will physical feel and know when the baby is sleeping and when the baby is awake. It may be a good idea to rest when the baby is resting because the baby tends to be on an opposite sleeping schedule than you right now. You will also be able to feel the uterus or abdomen tighten every now and then. This will happen more in the third trimester.
Some of the other symptoms that you may notice in this part of the pregnancy are breast changes, more trips to the bathroom, constipation, itching and heartburn. You may experience round ligament pain, these are the ligaments stretching as the baby continues to grow. Some women experience very severe round ligament pain and others don’t feel it at all.
You are going to feel like you have a permanent head cold, the increased blood flow puts pressure on the mucus membranes, which causes congestion. Do not take any over the counter medications without speaking to your doctor first. Try some simple saline drops first.
What To Expect
You will be asked to take a glucose test. This test is to check for gestational diabetes. If you are diagnosed with the condition, it can be controlled and will disappear after the baby is born. Some symptoms of gestational diabetes include fatigue, nausea, excessive thirst and frequent urination. Only a small percentage of new moms to be will have GD, only about 2 % to 5%. That is why the screening is so important. The cause is due to the placenta producing too many hormones that relate to insulin resistance.
You will still experience heartburn at this stage of pregnancy. Try to avoid lying down after eating and try taking a walk after a meal. You may want to break up your meals into smaller but more frequent meals during the day. Try to avoid eating anything late at night, if you need to snack on some crackers. If you are already gaining weight at a steady pace, some women at this point may become self-conscious. Never alter your diet to lose weight while you are pregnant. Talk to your doctor if the weight gain concerns you.
Tips/Advice
Keep on following the doctors’ orders. If you haven’t started to already pick up a baby book and see what they have to offer in ways of suggestions on eating and exercise. It is never too late during a pregnancy to start exercising. If you are looking for a low impact aerobic on DVD, check your local video store or retail store like Wal-Mart or target. Stay away from exercises that cause a lot of bumping around like horseback riding.
Source : Pregnancyweeks.us
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