Much like the first few months of pregnancy, your body continues to go through a wide assortment of changes. But since your new fetus organ development is almost complete, you're going to start feeling like you have your ?old? energy back. And most women who have been experiencing morning sickness will report that this has either diminished or disappeared completely during the second trimester. Your body is actively changing and you are starting see your body change to get ready for the actual birth of your child. You are expanding to accommodate the growth of your child and the birthing process. At this time, you can start to: Feel your uterus expand ? it's growing to your navel by about week 20-22 Your nipples will begin to grow and the areolas will begin to get darker (if you haven't already been pregnant before) There will be colostrum in your breasts (the pre-cursor for actual breast milk) You may not be able to digest some foods as well as you once did Your lower body will start to feel the pressure of having most weight forced upon it. This can result in varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and general discomfort. Your skin may start to change ? your face may show some changes in coloration as your hormone levels shift, many women will experience dark splotches on their face when they get into their second trimester.These more often occur on skin that is darker in tone ? i.e African American skin and those with deeper colorings. Known as chloasma, this is a condition that will usually remedy itself after the pregnancy has ended, though some patches may not disappear completely.



You can begin to feel fluttering sensations in your abdomen ? this is the baby moving around inside of you. Since the fetus is larger, you can begin to discern this moving about, though you won't be experiencing too much discomfort as your uterus has not grown significantly. Many women say that they start to feel bigger during this stage of pregnancy, though they might not ?look? pregnant yet. But this appearance is short lived as you will begin to ?show? during the next few months, depending on your body's structure ? thinner women will show earlier while average to larger women may not show until later in the second trimester. This is also the trimester in which you may consider a number of tests to see if your baby is developing normally and without certain genetic conditions ? Down's syndrome, for example. Amniocentesis is recommended for pregnant women over the age of thirty-five and for any women that might be concerned about the health of her baby. You may also begin to feel contractions in your uterus, but this is normal. These are called Braxton-Hicks and they're harmless. However, if you are having troubles determining if your body is ready for birth or if they're just false labor pains, you can always call your obstetrician for guidance. But this stage is fleeting as the last few months; your body really begins to shift into the final homestretch of pregnancy.

Copyright 2006 WomanCentric Inc.