THE SECOND STAGE OF PREGNANCY

2. The heaviness of the second three months -
This is called the second trimester, which covers between the 14th to the 26th week of gestation. By this time, you can greatly feel the development of the fetus as your abdomen is already protruded and heavy. Although your abdomen is getting heavier, you'll find your pregnancy easier because the discomfort you initially felt (such as morning sickness) is now disappearing.

  • FETAL DEVELOPMENT (Second Trimester)
      • Fourth Month - The fetus begins to develop his muscles together with the limbs and joints. There is vigorous movement inside the womb but this is hardly felt yet by the mother. Lanugo (fine hair) grows all over the fetus' body. Eyebrows and eyelashes begin to grow. Baby's ideal lenght and weight: 6 inches, 4-3/4 ounces.
      • Fifth Month - There are already hairs on the head. Teeth are forming fast on the jawbone. By now vigorous movement of the fetus can be felt. External sex organs are also visible. The baby sleeps and swallows. The baby's length is now 10 inches and its weight is 12 ounces.
      • Sixth Months - The fetus still looks thin. However, it is beginning to suck its thumbs and is now able to cough. Ideal lengh and weight: 13 inches and 1-2 pounds (lb). The eyes begin to open. Fingerprints and footprints are also developing.
  • Your Condition At This Stage
      • Unwanted hairs and different nails - Pregnancy speeds up hair growth. You will notice that at this stage, unwanted hairs begin to grow in unusual places such as your face and stomach. These may be removed or shaved but normally they just disappear after you have given birth. Your fingernails and toenails may become either brittle ( in which case you should be extra careful with your hands) or strong and shiny. They will return to normal after birth.
      • Heartburn - A common discomfort experienced by pregnant women is heartburn - the sensation felt when stomach acid level rises into the esophagus. This happens because the high level of progesterone you produce slows down digestion, thus hampering the movement of stomach acids.
      • Forgetfulness - Some believe that when a woman is experiencing a baby, she tends to become forgetful and clumsy. This is a natural result of the hormonal changes brought about by pregnancy. It certainly doesn't imply abnormality or retardation.
      • Skin Changes - Discoloration, pimples, and other skin changes are due to hormonal influences on the skin pigment cells. Discoloration often affects women who are relatively dark. There is darkening on the part of the face which is called chloasma or "mask of pregnancy" because it looks like a shade that masks your cheecks under the eyes. Chloasma is light brown and may be even darker if you're always exposed to sunlight. You may also notice increased pigmentation around your nipples. The more common is the linea nigra, a brownish line going down from navel to pubic bone. Dark-skinned women develop this line more often than fair-skinned ones do. Another common skin changes are stretch marks due to the expansion of your skin on the abdomen. These lines recede after pregnancy. However, some women find it hard to remove stretch marks when the skin has been wrinkled after birth. Nowadays, there are lotions made especially to minimize the appearance of stretch marks. These can be applied on the skin during and after pregnancy.


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