Overview

You are now at the end of the second trimester of pregnancy so enjoy this period while it lasts as the last three months will only involve putting on a lot of weight thus making you uncomfortable and not as mobile as before. The uterus keeps expanding now to accommodate the growing size of the baby. The fetus does not have as much room in the uterus now as space gets tighter. Because of the increasing weight of your body you can experience backaches, bladder problems, and fatigue and sore feet along with nose bleeds in some cases. The baby now has no place in the uterus to do somersaults and cartwheels as the baby is getting plumper and the tummy tighter. This is a good time to ask about prenatal classes being offered in your locality if you have not enrolled as yet. These classes provide with information about how to deal with the problems and difficulties during pregnancy as well as teach you relaxing and distressing methods to make your labor period easier to cope with. Many hospitals offer such classes and one must try to complete the course at least one month before delivery.

Baby’s Development

The baby is growing rapidly now and is 11 inches long with a weight of 1.25 to 1.5 pounds. The baby’s brain is developing rapidly during this period and so are the lungs and the taste buds. The main lungs are developing branches as well as special cells that produce surfactant needed to inflate the air sacs. Babies who are born prematurely have difficulty breathing as these cells have not had sufficient time to develop or produce enough surfactant. The baby will continue gaining muscle weight and deposit of brown fat on the skin which will help the baby later to retain body heat. Babies born in this period might have disabilities and would require long-term intensive care as they have difficulty regulating body temperature as well as coping with their breathing due to immature development of the lungs. The baby will not be affected by the Braxton Hicks contractions that you might experience at this stage. The baby’s face is complete now with the features well developed and in the right place though the eyes are still shut. Hair will continue to grow on the head and the eyelashes are well formed. The baby is now just a thinner version of how he would look when born. The baby will start gaining more weight in the next three months. The baby starts practicing breathing by inhaling the amniotic fluid into the developing lungs.

Changes with your body

You can feel the top of your uterus around two inches from your belly as the stomach keeps expanding. The skin on the breast and abdomen continue stretching making these areas itchy and dry. Using a good moisturizing cream can help at this stage. Your eyes tend to become sensitive and dry but you can reduce the discomfort by using eye drops or artificial tears to keep the eyes moist. You will be more aware of the baby’s waking and sleeping patterns by now so you can try to get rest when your baby is resting. You can feel a tightening of your uterus or the abdomen from time to time which is called as Braxton Hicks contractions which resemble labor contractions but are not the actual thing. The contractions tend to be more noticeable at this stage because the uterus is full.

The other symptoms such as breast changes, frequent urination, constipation, indigestion, heartburn and itching continue with a few more symptoms that occur during this period which is round ligament pain hemorrhoids due to the pressure on the uterus. Round ligament pain can increase as the uterus grows bigger and the ligaments continue stretching to support the weight of the baby. If the pain is unbearable you can consult your doctor however many women and first time mothers might not experience this pain at all. Hemorrhoids or piles as they are commonly called appear during labor in and around the anal canal due to excessive pressure on the pelvic and rectal areas which might be because of constipation which occurs during pregnancy or the strain of pushing the baby out during delivery. You might feel like you have a permanent head cold because of the swelling of the mucous membranes as more blood tends to rush there, this can be reduced by using saline drops to remove the stuffiness in your nose.

What to expect

In the 24th week most healthcare providers will ask you to undergo a glucose test to check for gestational diabetes which tends to occur during this time in a temporary form. The signs and symptoms could include sugar in the urine found by a small test, fatigue, nausea, frequent urination and unusual thirst. Approximately 2-5% of the expecting women develop this type of diabetes and the screening of this is done between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy. This occurs because the placenta is producing a large amount of hormones that may lead to insulin resistance. You might be still experiencing heartburn and can reduce this by eating smaller frequent meals throughout the day. Heartburn can also be reduced by avoiding snacks late at night but not by skipping snacks and meals during the day. Most women are worried about the weight gain at this stage but it is more important to focus on the fact that you are giving your baby and yourself a healthy pregnancy diet and quality nutrition and let the weight do whatever it wants. Indulging in steam showers or using humidifiers can help reducing the stuffy feeling that often trouble pregnant women. As the weight increases try to walk, stand and sit straight because the growing uterus, heavy breasts and shifting of the center of gravity can put a strain on your back exaggerating the curve in your spine. A good posture can help in reducing the aches and pains felt later.