Pregnancy Week By Week

The mother's body, however, continues to change in other ways, and this second trimester, too, has its annoyances.   The expecting mother will need a supportive bra, because she is likely to develop larger breasts as her pregnancy hormones-- estrogen and progesterone -- stimulate the growth of milk-producing glands. The breasts also begin to accumulate fat, and the nipples continue to be somewhat sore. 

As the uterus grows, so does the belly. The mother begins to gain serious weight -- usually about 4 pounds a month until the end of her pregnancy. 

The uterus also begins to prepare itself for the birth.  Second-trimester pregnant women may experience Braxton Hicks contractions, in which the uterus goes through weak, unpredictable and irregular muscle spasms to build up its strength for the real labor that will come in a few months.  

Because the mother's body is still saturated with pregnancy hormones, the skin on her abdomen and face may have darkened somewhat; it will return to normal color after the birth.  About half of pregnant women develop permanent stretch marks halfway through the second trimester, because their skin has stretched to accommodate the growing baby, but the marks will fade after birth, becoming barely noticeable.  There are ways to minimize stretch marks during pregnancy -- keeping weight gain under control, eating a healthy skin-friendly diet, and drinking lots of water.   Stretch mark prevention creams can also help limit the damage, which in any case will always be hard to see.  

The pregnant mother's skin may suffer a third indignity in addition to darkening and stretching.    Hormones cause the skin to secrete oil, which in turn causes breakouts of acne.  This, too, can be controlled, if Mother sticks to a healthy diet, drinks plenty of water, and washes her face with oil-free moisturizer, and this, too, shall pass. 

Some aches and pains also come with the territory.  As the uterus and abdomen expand, an expecting mother can feel pain in her abdomen, groin or thighs. Her increased weight may also cause backaches, and the pressure from baby's head may cause aches in her pelvic bone.  If the ligaments are stretching to support her uterus, she may have aches in the lower abdomen.  A support girdle can help relieve back pain, but perhaps the best option is to take the time to lie down, rest, and apply heat to the sore parts of the body.   

As the uterus grows, it begins to invade the territory formerly occupied exclusively by other organs, and everywhere it goes, it leaves its mark.   Tissues swell in the wrists, making fingers feel tingling or numb; toes ache from the accumulation of fluid in the feet.  Stretchy skin can make the abdomen itch constantly.    Pressure against the bladder increases the mother's need to urinate.  High levels of estrogen and progesterone can increase blood flows to the mouth and nose, which irritates the mucous membranes in the nose and gums.  Some of the side effects of the irritation can include softness, tenderness and swelling, nasal congestion, sinus congestions and post-nasal drips, nosebleeds, or bleeding and spongy gums.   The vagina discharges a white substance, called leucorrhea.

Pregnant second trimester mothers have trouble sleeping, too, because their bodies are changing shape and so many of their organs are aching from the pressure of the uterus or the side effects of hormones.   Sleep may also come more easily with regular exercise, which will not hurt the baby or the mother.     

It is not all aches and pains though.   Sometime around the end of the fifth month, usually between the 18th and 22nd weeks, comes that magic time in the pregnancy known as quickening, when the mother first feels the baby's movements inside her uterus. Women who have been pregnant before are likely to experience this earlier, possibly because their uterine muscles are more relaxed than those of first-time mothers.  Around this time, the mother has her first 3D ultrasound, which gives her, and the world, a good view of the growing baby and usually reveals its gender.  Between the 5th and 7th months, the stomach flutterings and baby-butterflies of quickening gradually evolve into actual kicking. 

Medical appointments during this time are organized around the baby's growth.  The practitioner will confirm the due date and check regularly for any health problems in the mother and fetus.   She will check Mother's weight and blood pressure and measure the distance between the top of the uterus and the pubic bone.  The most exciting part of the prenatal visits is likely to be a session with the Doppler that measures Baby's heartbeat. 

*This article is based on the information at http://www.pregnancy-info.net, http://www.webmd.com, http://www.mayoclinic.com, http://parenting.ivillage.com and http://www.babyzone.com