Hearing Things

Can you believe you are already going into your fifth month? You are almost to the halfway point and your baby will be able to hear things from outside the womb now. This is exciting news because you can begin to interact with your little one and start forming that tight bond you want to continue after birth!

Any loud noises around you could potentially scare your baby, so start rubbing over your stomach in calm, circular motions. This is believed to relax and soothe the baby and can be done at any point in the day or night.

Many moms-to-be will start playing music for the baby, but the greatest thing you can do is talk to her! Even the daddy-to-be can get down by your stomach and talk to his growing baby. It is believed that babies will start recognizing familiar voices while in the womb, so get personal today!

If you feel the erratic movements from your baby, then you can respond!

Look at You Now:

You should have at least a little pregnant belly by now, though some women can still hide the pregnancy if they choose to do so. Your weight gain should be slow. If you are experiencing drastic gains then look at what you are eating and scale back. Remember, it’s all about nutrition while you are pregnant! Fill up on veggies and fresh fruits if you are having cravings or struggle with emotional eating.

If you need more help staying healthy during this pregnancy talk to your doctor and visit our staying fit section!

Increased blood flow can make things come running from every cavity of your body. It may not take a good workout to bring on the sweat and you may find your nose congested or runny. Most women also have increased vaginal discharge. This is completely normal, as long as there is no blood in the discharge. If it were amniotic fluid leaking it would be clearer and there would be a lot more of it, so relax and buy some panty liners. Of course, you do not want to use tampons.

Yeast infections are not uncommon during pregnancy, so if you have discharge as well as itching or burning you may have an infection.  

Look at Baby Now:

Your baby will likely be over 4 ounces by this week—that means they have doubled or more in weight in the past two weeks! The skeleton will start to become more solid now as cartilage forms into bone. She is still made up mostly of water, but will start adding fat now. The solid bundle of thumb-sucking joy you will hold in your arms at the end is starting to fatten up!

The most amazing development is your baby hearing things. Try to keep calm, soothing surroundings for your own peace of mind, and now for your baby’s ears as well.  

Tips for Now:

It is believed that stress around this phase of pregnancy could lead to pre-term labor. Intense stress can release too much corticotrophin-releasing hormone which has been linked in studies to pre-term labor. If you are under a lot of stress find a way to calm down your life, even if you have to cut something out temporarily. Look into gentle yoga workouts to help relax your body. You might want to try buying a few yoga DVDs for pregnant women on the market.