Second Trimester Of Pregnancy (courtesy : www.encarta.msn.com)
When my friend reached in the second trimester of her pregnancy, she was very anxious to know about her baby’s growth and development. She consulted her gynecologist, and asked her to explain all the details happening in the second stage of pregnancy. The doctor explained as follows:
The second trimester begins with the fourth month, or twelfth week. It is considered to be the most pleasant condition in pregnancy. Your baby gets all her vital organs fully developed, except the lungs and brain that begins to develop. She can hear sounds and recognize darkness and light. She starts to get her senses. Her body is covered with fine hair to keep the temperature under control. At the end of this stage, you should be ready to face her kicks! Ouch!. No problem, because they won’t hurt. You would actually enjoy getting those kicks, as it means your baby is developing normally inside.
In the fourth month, your baby will have change a little bit. The fetus will be around six inches in length and five ounces in weight. Earlier the baby had bones primarily made of cartilage, but now these are forming into hard bones.
In the fifth month, you can actually feel the movements of your child. The heart beats can be felt with the help of a stethoscope. The skin of the baby is covered with a greasy material called “vernix caseosa” and helps to protect the delicate fetal skin from cuts and hardening which could occur due to the exposure to the amniotic fluid. The fetus weighs approximately one pound and is usually ten inches long. It starts getting its facial features. Now it will have eyebrows and eyelids. This is a great time for your baby. This is because it is now filling out with baby fat. At this point, your baby would resemble a human child.
During the sixth month, the baby can feel rapid eye movements and formation of the fingernails. A considerable weight gain occurs during this month. The fetus weighs approximately 1.5 pounds and is around 13 inches long.
She asked the doctor, “Why is it that sometimes I have a strong feeling for sex?”, The doctor then told her, “ During the second trimester of pregnancy, the blood flow to the sexual organs and breasts is increased. This increases the sensation, and reduces the fatigue and nausea, which makes many women enjoy sexual activity more during these months.”
She also wanted to know about her physical changes. The gynec then explained her,
Many noticeable changes can occur in your body. The size of the stomach is increased, and now you cannot hide that fact that you are pregnant. Some women may also encounter annoying or negative health side effects. Few women may experience hemorrhoids during this time. It is very much painful, and needs medical attention in order to fix. Some may also find changes with your sinuses. They may also experience frequent nose bleeds. But no need to be tensed. This is quite natural. Few expected mothers would always feel low back pain, headaches, and something called as round ligament pain caused by stress on the ligaments that support your uterus. Additional changes may include mild dizziness, growing appetite, constipation, and vaginal discharge.
