Glowing Energy

Say hello to the second trimester, where pregnancy really takes off for the better! You may have been sick and worn out for a few months now, and may be to the point you cannot take a single day more of nibbling crackers. Luckily, that usually happens right about the time you slip into this next trimester and suddenly feel pretty good. You stop getting sick and your energy returns. If you stopped exercising and limited eating during the first trimester, you should be able to return to a relatively healthy life at this point.

That vigorous pregnant “glow” should come to your cheeks as life looks a little brighter on the other side of exhaustion and morning sickness.

Oh, and most important of all, your chances of miscarriage are much lower now, so feel free to spread the word that a new baby is in the works!

Look at You Now:

While you will start to feel much better and will likely be able to complete a day without napping, you will also be gaining baby weight more rapidly during the second trimester. You will continue to deal with tender breasts and now you will start seeing the veins pop out across the tops and small bumps rise around the areolas. You are preparing to nourish your baby instantly upon arrival!

You also may start experiencing aches and pains in the abdomen, caused by your uterus ligaments stretching as your baby and uterus grow. These can be sharp pains or dull aches, but they should be brief and mainly when you stand up too quickly or shift positions. If you experience constant pain or pain accompanied by blood, cramps, or vomiting, you need to see your doctor immediately.

Your belly will start to look more and more pregnant from here on out, so prepare to fight off all those people cannot stop themselves from rubbing and probing that belly!

Look at Baby Now:

Your baby is growing so quickly! He or she will be nearing an ounce in weight and about three inches in length already. That may not seem very big, but when you consider they started out smaller than the eye of a needle, the growth in just three months is amazing.

If you have seen pictures of your baby through ultrasound earlier in the pregnancy you may have noticed the head is much larger than the body. That will be corrected during this trimester as the body catches up and fills in that extra uterus space. The eyes will also start moving from the sides of the head toward front and center how we human people prefer.

On a larger scale, the pancreas has now started to give out insulin! The intestines are also on their way from the umbilical cord into the body where they will be functioning before long as well. To add to the amazement, your baby has already developed all of his teeth!

Does that not make it worth every new inch added to your own body?

Tips for Now:

If you are experiencing a lot of the abdominal pains described above, take extra care to stand up and move from one position to the other slowly. It may be difficult to sleep through the night if you tend to jerk around a lot, so placing a body pillow underneath the body and laying into it can help control your movements, or at least slow you down as you roll.

If your belly is starting to make regular pants uncomfortable, but your maternity clothes are still too big, baggy clothes are probably your best option. If you have to work, buying clothes one size up, or wearing stretchy elastic waists can get you through until the belly is big enough to hold up those great maternity fashions.