SECOND TRIMESTER (PREGNANCY ALERT)

 

                                 THE SECOND TRIMESTER

                                 THE SECOND TRIMESTER COVERS THE NEXT THREE MONTHS I.E. FOURTH, FIFTH AND SIXTH MONTHS OF PREGNANCY. THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND ENJOYABLE PERIOD OF PREGNANCY BECAUSE YOU START FEELING YOUR BABY BY THIS TRIMESTER. A SPECIAL BONDING STARTS DEVELOPING BETWEEN THE MOTHER AND THE CHILD. BY THE ONSET OF SECOND TRIMESTER YOU START FEELING MORE ENERGETIC AND FRESH AS MORNING SICKNESS SUBSIDES AND THE RISK OF MISCARRIAGE DROPS NOW. YOUR TUMMY STARTS INCREASING IN SIZE.

                              FOETAL DEVELOPMENT IN 

                                SECOND TRIMESTER

                                        FOURTH MONTH

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•                       THE BABY'S SKIN IS PINK AND SOMEWHAT TRANSPARENT. BLOOD VESSELS ARE STILL VISIBLE. IT IS COVERED BY A FINE, SOFT LAYER OF HAIR CALLED LANUGO. THIS LAYER HELPS TO INSULATE YOUR BABY.
•                      EYEBROWS AND EYLASHES BEGIN TO APPEAR IN THIS MONTH. BUDS ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD BEGIN TO FORM INT THE OUTER EAR.
•                      THE BABY'S FACE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP. THE TAIL DISAPPEARS FROM THE FOETUS AND THE HEAD MAKES UP ABOUT HALF OF THE BABY'S SIZE.
•                       THE BABY'S NECK IS LONG ENOUGH TO LIFT THE HEAD FROM THE BODY.
•                         THE BABY MOVES, KICKS, SLEEPS, WAKES, SWALLOWS, AND PASSES URINE.
•                       YOU MAY START TO FEEL A SLIGHT SENSATION IN YOUR LOWER ABDOMEN (CALLED QUIKENING). THIS FEELS LIKE BUBBLES OR FLUTTERING. WHEN YOU FEEL THE BABY'S MOVEMENT, WRITE DOWN THE DATE AND TELL YOUR DOCTOR. THIS HELPS DETERMINE WHEN YOUR BABY IS DUE.
•                        THE BABY CAN PROBABLY HEAR NOW AND IS COMFORTED BY THE SOUND OF YOUR HEARTBEAT AND YOUR VOICE.
•                       BY THE END OF THE FOURTH MONTH, BABY IS 8 TO 10 INCHES LONG AND WEIGHS ABOUT 6 OUNCES.

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                                             FIFTH MONTH

1.                             THIS IS A PERIOD OF TREMENDOUS FOR THE BABY. THE INTERNAL ORGANS START MATURING. 
2.                          THE BABY'S FINGERNAILS GROW TO THE TIPS OF THE FINGERS. FAT IS NOW BEING STORED BENEATH THE BABY'S SKIN.
3.                      THE BABY IS ALSO GROWING MUSCLE AND IS GETTING STRONGER EVER DAY.
4.                         THE BABY'S GALL BLADDER BECOMES FUNCTIONAL, PRODUCING BILE NECESSARY FOR DIGESTION.
5.                          THE BABY'S FIRST BOWEL MOVEMENT CALLED MECONIUM IS BEGINNING TO ACCUMULATEIN THE BOWEL. IT IS MADE UP OF UNDIGESTED DEBRIS FROM THE AMNIOTIC FLUID AND VARIOUS SECRETIONS OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT.
6.                        TINY AIR SACS CALLED ALVEOLI BEGIN TO FORM IN LUNGS.
7.                        VOCAL CHORDS OF THE FOETUS ARE FORMED, THOUGH IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE BABY TO MAKE SOUND IN ABSENCE OF AIR.
8.                         BODY HAIR, INCLUDING EYEBROWS AND EYELASHES, START TO GROW.
9.                        THE BABY SLEEPS AND WAKES AT REGULAR INTERVALS. SHE IS MUCH MORE ACTIVE NOW. SHE TURNS FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND HEAD OVER HEELS. THE BABY MAY SUCK HER THUMB.
10.                      AT THE END OF THE FIFTH MONTH, BABY WILL BE ABOUT 10-12 INCHES LONG AND WILL WEIGH ABOUT 1 POUND.

  SIXTH MONTH

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• BY THE END OF THIS TRIMESTER THE BABY STARTS RESPONDING TO YOUR TOUCH THROUGH YOUR BELLY WALL. THEREFORE TOUCHING AND PLAYING WITH THE BABY IS POSSIBLE NOW.
•  THE SPINE GETS STRONGER AND SUPPLER TO SUPPORT THE GROWING BODY OF THE FOETUS. IT IS NOW MADE UP OF 150 JOINTS, 33 RINGS, AND SOME, 1000 LIGAMENTS.
•  THE SKIN DEVELOPS FAST AND BECOMES LESS TRANSPARENT.
•  RETINAS BEGIN TO FORM AND HER OPTIC NERVE STARTS WORKING. IF AN INTENSE LIGHT IS SHOWN ON THE ABDOMEN OF THE MOTHER, IN RESPONSE TO IT THE BABY TURN HER HEAD.
•  THE BABY'S BRAIN DEVELOPS RAPIDLY. FATTY SHEATHS WHICH TRANSMIT ELECTRICAL IMPULSES ALONG NERVES ARE FORMING.
•  A SPECIAL TYPE OF FAT (BROWN FAT) THAT KEEPS YOUR BABY WARM AT BIRTH IS FORMING.
•  BABY GIRL DEVELOP EGGS IN THEIR OVARIES DURING THIS MONTH.
•  THE BABY'S BONES BECOME SOLID.
•  YOUR BABY IS ALMOST FULLY FORMED AND LOOKS LIKE A MINIATURE HUMAN. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE LUNGS ARE NOT WELL-DEVELOPED AND THE BABY IS STILL VERY SMALL, A BABY CANNOT USUALLY LIVE OUTSIDE THE UTERNUS AT THIS STAGE WITHOUT HIGHLY SPECIALIZED CARE.
•  BY THE END OF THE SIXTH MONTH, THE BABY IS AROUND 11 TO 14 INCHES AND WEIGHS ABOUT ONE AND A HALF POUNDS.

    

                          WEIGHT GAIN SIX MONTH

                        THIS TRIMESTER WITNESSESS THE MAXIMUM WEIGHT GAIN. IT IS IMPORTANT TO GAIN WEIGHT DURING THIS TIME TO NOURISH THE DEVELOPING FOETUS AND TO STORE UP RESERVE FOR BREASTFEEDING. THE IDEAL WEIGHT GAIN FOR THE SECOND TRIMESTER IS 12 TO 14 POUNDS IN THREE MONTHS. THE IDEAL WEIGHT GAIN BETWEEN 14-20 WEEKS IS 4-6 POUNDS OR 2.5 KILOGRAMS AND BETWEEN 20-30 WEEK IS 10-12 POUNDS OR 4.5 KILOGRAMS. SO KEEP A CLOSE CHECK ON YOUR WEIGHT DURING THIS TRIMESTER.

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                        EXCESSIVE WEIGHT GAIN : IF THERE IS A SUDDEN WEIGHT GAIN OF MORE THAN TWO POUNDS, ACCOMPANIED BY SWELLING OF HANDS AND FACE ACCOMPANIED WITH HEADCHE OR VISUAL DISTURBANCE, YOU SHOULD CALL YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY.

                              LOW WEIGHT GAIN : LOW WEIGHT GAIN DURING PREGNANCY (ESPECIALLY IN SECOND TRIMESTER) IS NOT A GOOD SIGN. IT COULD INDICATE ONE OF TWO COMPLICATIONS. INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION OR OLIGOHYDRAMNIOS (LESS AMNIOTIC FLUID AROUND THE FOETUS). BOTH OF THESE CONDITIONS ARE RELATED IN THE SENSE THAT OLIGOHYDRAMNIOS COULD BE THE CAUSE FOR INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION, OR VICE-VERSA. IF THE INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION IS A RESULT OF POOR NUTRITION, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE MOTHER GETS OPTIMUM NUTRITION AND PLENTY OF REST. IF THERE IS NO WEIGHT GAIN FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE WEEKS, YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR.