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At the beginning
of the second trimester you may wake up to realize that something is
missing -- nausea.
Not only can you down a meal, but your
long-lost energy returns.
Your
uterus is not yet big enough to cause some of the uncomfortable symptoms
that may happen in the third trimester. On the other hand, it may be
depressing that you feel huge and your clothes don’t fit, but no one
seems to know that you are pregnant. Don’t worry, this stage is
short-lived: Sometime during this next month, a total stranger will make
your day by inquiring, "When are you due?"
One reason for the return of your energy is that the arduous work of
fetal organ development is mostly complete. By week 14, your baby is
four and one-half inches long from head to toe and weighs about 45
grams. He or she is quite active, doing somersaults in the amniotic
fluid. You will probably feel these movements as a fluttering sensation
that begins between weeks 18 to 22.
The second trimester of pregnancy may involve test-taking anxiety for
some women. If you are 35, or had an abnormal triple screen blood test
for neural tube defects and Down's syndrome, your practitioner will
recommend an amniocentesis, which checks for such conditions as Down
syndrome. While one in 200 women experience problems as a result of the
amniocentesis which could, potentially, lead to miscarriage, the odds of
having a down syndrome child are higher. By making sure the technician
performing this procedure has solid experience with good results, you
can further lower your chances of complications.
A
common blood test called the Maternal-Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein (MSAFP)
screening, which is offered to women between weeks 16 to 18, is also
used to identify potential problems with the fetus. In some cases,
results can be misleading and cause needless worry: 50 in 1,000 women
will have poor results and only one or two of the original fifty will go
on to experience actual problems. One common reason for unusual results
is that the pregnant women, is in fact, carrying multiple fetus.
However, for many women, test results will bring great relief.
At
about twenty weeks, your uterus will extend beyond the belly button. An
ultrasound can clearly identify gender. If you are carrying a girl, she
already has six million eggs in her ovaries. By birth, the amount of
eggs will have decreased to one-sixth this amount.
By
22 weeks, your fetus weighs nearly one pound, and measures 10 and
one-half inches head to toe. He or she more closely resembles a baby.
Eyebrows and eyelashes begin to grow. And these teeny tiny pair of ears
can actually tune in to mommy’s conversations.
Periodically, some
women may feel their uterus tightening. These contractions, called
Braxton Hicks, are harmless. You will probably continue to experience
them throughout your pregnancy as your body prepares itself for birth.
While Braxton Hicks are completely normal, if they occur more than six
times an hour, call your practitioner. Differentiating between Braxton
Hicks and the real thing is sometimes difficult. It’s a smart idea to
familiarize yourself with the signs of preterm labor so your
practitioner can use medical means to delay labor until a safe time.
By 24 weeks,
rapid eye movement has begun. Does this mean your baby is dreaming of
past lives? Weighing in at one pound, six ounces, and measuring 11 and
one-fourth inches, head to toe, your baby now has a five to twenty
percent chance of survival if born today. By the time your fetus weighs
two pounds, odds of survival soar to seventy percent, although preemies
are more susceptible to a host of problems.
Because of an
increase in maternal estrogen and progesterone, pregnant women are more
susceptible to dental problems. Don’t miss out on your six month
cleaning. Although most practitioners believe that dental X-rays are
safe, it’s probably best to delay them, if possible, until after the
birth.
Between weeks
24 to 28, your baby is at his or her most active. More sensitive to the
environment, your baby can respond to touch now and will jump in
reaction to a loud noise, such as the pan of roast beef you just
dropped. Why so clumsy? Water retention and loosening of joints are to
blame. And forgetfulness can be attributed to hormonal changes.
By week 28,
you’ve reached the end of the second trimester. Your little one measures
13 inches head to toe and weighs two pounds and four ounces. Your baby’s
eyelids, which have been fused shut, begin to open. From this point
forward, your baby will spend much time observing the womb.
The second
trimester has been a great journey. Between your baby’s daily exercise
routine and your burgeoning belly, you have tangible evidence that you
are, indeed, carrying life inside of you. It’s hard to believe that in
just a little over two and a half months, you will be holding that
evidence in your arms!
It is
recommended that towards the end of the second trimester you and your
partner enroll in a childbirth class. These prenatal classes will
prepare you and your partner for your complete birth experience.
Dr. Tara Solomon
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