You are now into your second trimester. At this stage of the pregnancy, a few more changes are going to be taking place in the mom to be. There will also be more changes in the baby as well. This week some count as the middle of the pregnancy and by now you will have completely adjusted to the ever-changing mental and physical state of pregnancy.

As the pregnancy progresses, there is more of a chance to develop vitamin deficiencies more commonly iron deficiencies. That is why is it is more important than ever before to continue taking the prenatal vitamins as well as iron supplement that your doctor can recommend for you. You may also experience some skin problems as well. There may be rashes and brown patches if you are exposed to sunlight for a prolonged period of time.

The baby is growing more and more every week, you will now start to be able to feel the baby punching and kicking as the week’s progress. Fetal movements are how most mothers gauge the normality of their pregnancy. If you believe that something isn’t right, contact your doctor; a sonogram may be needed to calm your fears.

Baby’s Development

The baby’s development will be very specific at this week in time. The baby’s kidneys are now starting to produce urine and the baby will have some hair growing on their head. The baby’s teeth and gums are progressing nicely as well. There are some terrific developments to the baby’s brain. The part of the brain where the brain can control the senses is starting to emerge.

If the baby is a girl, she will have more than 6 million eggs in her ovaries. You will notice that the doctors will have stopped measuring the baby from crown to rump and will now measure in at head to toe. The baby should be about 7-1/2 inches long and will weight about 7 ounces.

The skeleton of the baby will continue to harden and the muscles will become stronger. If you are lucky enough to have started to feel the baby kick you will notice that the kicks can be fast at times. The baby will start to figure out where the womb starts and ends. By now the baby will start sleeping about 20 hours a day. The baby will start moving again when the new mom to be wants to lie down and take a rest. The baby at this week has become aware of the sounds happening outside of the womb.

Changes With Your Body

As the pregnancy progresses, you will start to itch more and that is due in part to dry skin. By staying hydrated, drinking 8 to 9 ounces of water a day can really help with dry skin. Cocoa Butter and Aloe Vera are great for dry skin. You can use a moisturizer as well. You may or may not noticing stretch marks, if you do Cocoa Butter is the best thing to use. As we mentioned there is excessive sweating that comes with this week in pregnancy. You may want to use cornstarch powder and take showers a few times a day. Stay away from drinks with caffeine they tend to just make you even more thirsty.

Some women may experience some heart palpitations, fainting spells and some dizziness. This could be due to the iron deficiency we mentioned earlier. Your doctor will want to test your blood for anemia. The baby’s red blood cells are still developing so make sure that you have your blood tested. The dizziness could be caused by low blood sugar, you will need to maintain your diet and eat small snacks throughout the day to prevent this from happening.

Hypotension is also common in pregnancy; this happens when you lie sideways, but lying on your back could cause heartburn as well as breathing problems. Try to keep your feet elevated while sleeping on your side. You may experience round ligament pain; this pain comes from the abdomen from one of the other hip area. The may could increase to the groin but these are pains can be alleviated, ask your doctor if you are feeling these aches and pains. They will have some recommendations as to what you can do.

What To Expect

Your baby is starting to become aware of sounds outside the womb; they can be startled by sounds from the outside. They may respond to the mom and the dad’s voices but if there are siblings, you should encourage them to talk to the baby too. You don’t have to shout at the baby, nice smooth soft sounds would be best.

You should stay away from any over the counter medications as well as any herbal remedies. These herbal remedies tend to relax the muscles and they could be a risk to a miscarriage. At this point of your pregnancy, you can relax knowing you are past the danger spot but it still is possible for something to go wrong.

Talk to your doctors about any fears or concerns that you may have. This is really the best time for you to sit down with your partner and your doctor and have a talk about what to expect now and further down the line.

Tips/Advice

You may not remember any or all of the feelings that you had during this pregnancy. Try keeping a journal of every day of your pregnancy. Then after the baby is born and perhaps years later, you can look back and share these feelings with your child. Have your partner take pictures of you at every month of your pregnancy and make a scrapbook for your child. It will make them feel special, as they get older.

Make sure that you voice any concerns about how you are feeling to your doctor. You should be relaxing and enjoying your pregnancy. Sharing the experience with friends and family will mean a lot to them as well.