Overview

This is the end of the second month and you are more than half way through the first trimester. This is the period during which subtle changes might be noticed in the external physical structure of the women as she gains slight weight. The internal changes have progressed rapidly and the baby is at the end of its embryonic stage with the beginning of the fetal stage. The chances of having a miscarriage also reduce significantly after this stage. This is the stage when you start all the paperwork required by the government to record your baby officially with the registrar to get a birth certificate after the baby’s birth. The size of the uterus is now as big as a grapefruit and you might have expanded around the waist as the changes are very gradual and slow as yet. You can experience indigestion, heartburn due to acidity or a bloated feeling due to water retention. You can wear loose fitting and comfortable clothes and shoes from this stage to avoid tripping and falling. You must remember to eat small and frequent healthy meals in the entire day to avoid acidity which can increase the morning sickness symptoms if any. In the eight week some women might experience the worst morning sickness symptoms and with external changes in the body this can become extremely uncomfortable and uneasy. Following a good pregnancy diet pattern in combination with a healthy lifestyle can help in reducing the nauseating and vomiting bouts but might not be completely eliminated as yet in some women.

Baby’s Development

The embryo has all the features of an adult human at this stage and the ears are beginning to form internally as well as externally. The bones are developing and the muscles can contract easily. The toes and fingers which are webbed now tend to grow longer and the facial features become more prominent. The eyelids develop further and the tip of the nose can be seen easily. As the baby starts straightening out the embryonic tail start disappearing. The baby’s gender is confirmed by now however the external genitals are still forming and cannot be seen clearly. The embryo is at the end of the embryonic period and is about to start the fetal period. The baby’s framework is made up of cartilage and from the 47th day the first bone cells start replacing the cartilage. The face and jaw is well formed with the teeth and facial muscles developing at this stage. The bones for the legs and arms become hard and joints start developing. All the vital internal organs are well placed by now but are immature and will develop in the further weeks. The embryo is about 1 inch long and roughly the size of a bean. The weight is approximately 3 g.

Changes with your body

The body now starts changing from outside as many changes have already taken place internally. The uterus grows to the size of a grapefruit at this stage. You might not be aware but the blood volume increases by 40% to 50% at this stage. There might be noticeable changes in the breasts as they become more tender and sensitive to touch as the body starts preparing itself for lactation. Dark veins might develop around your breasts called varicose veins due to the increase in the blood supply. The areolas or the skin around the nipples tend to darken due to the changes in the hormones causing pigmentation of the skin. Small glands called Montgomery tubercles develop on the surface of the areolas and the nipples tend to grow in size, some might even discharge a thick yellow liquid called as colostrum. The hormones vary from person to person and the changes might also vary in their proportions. Women with large breasts can buy good supportive cotton bras which prevent rashes and avoid breasts from sagging. You can also apply anti- stretch mark cream at this stage to avoid stretch marks from developing late in pregnancy. You can experience cramping or pain in the lower abdomen as the uterus is now growing. Some women feel tightening or contractions in the uterus and an occasional pain down to their legs called as sciatica nerve pain which can be extremely painful.

What to expect

Some women who had lost weight till now might gain back their normal weight and will henceforth experience a rise in weight. The body has adjusted to the internal changes and symptoms of morning sickness might slow down however in some cases they might worsen depending on the tolerance level of the body. By now you have already enrolled with an obstetrician and might be going for your first prenatal visit. If this is the first visit to the doctor be prepared to spend a long time as you will be required to give details about your medical history, medical problems if any, birth control methods you were using, history of abortions or miscarriages if any, medications you are taking or have allergies to as well as internal examination to check if everything is normal. The doctor can prescribe iron tablets and other vitamin dosages after checking if you have any deficiencies. A medical test with a pap smear might be conducted with an ultra sound test to confirm the proper development of the fetus. The doctor will ask you to undergo some medical tests such as blood test to find the hemoglobin count, Rh factor and blood type, HIV tests, specific tests depending on the patient such as tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis screen, hematocrit levels and more. The healthcare professionals might want to discuss advice concerning diet, exercise, weight gain, miscarriage precautions, environmental hazards, fevers and medications with you. You might also want to ask questions to them regarding emergencies and labor and delivery issues that you are skeptical about. The records are maintained by the hospital as well as a copy given to you to refer. You will be asked to come for monthly check ups to check your weight gain and other progress in the pregnancy.