Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated : December 14, 2014 4:56 PM IST
The second trimester is often termed as the honeymoon period of pregnancy and for good reasons. With your soaring energy levels you might feel a bit more relaxed and your body might have adjusted well with the growing demands of your baby.
Changes that happen to your body
The worst of your pregnancy symptoms are definitely behind you, though acne and dark spots can make its presence felt on the face now. Your uterus has started to bulge pushing your tummy out. Your breasts continue to prepare for the lactation phase, being tender and sensitive. They might have also changed in size. But for some women this phase can be on a halt during the second trimester and return during the last few months of pregnancy. Mood swings can also be at its worst during the second trimester.
Apart from this abdominal cramps can vie for your attention once in a while. This happens because the bulging uterus puts a pressure on the ligaments holding it in position. Also your immune system would be suppressed, which can make you susceptible to seasonal colds and flu. Take enough precaution to save yourself from the seasonal bugs.
This week you will also experience a return of your appetite. Though it is good to eat right during your pregnancy but beware you don't overdo it. Weight gain will be rampant this week onwards, so watch your diet. Excessive weight gain can adversely harm you and your growing baby. Also know about the other things that you should be doing during your second trimester.
Development of your baby
With the facial features being more developed, now your baby can squint, grimace, frown and also suck her thumb! These expressions are also a signal that the brain is developing and working in tandem, by sending the impulses and controlling the movements. The same is true for the limb movements too. Also your baby might be moving a lot in the womb and stretching the newly formed muscles.
This week your baby gets a thin film of hair coating on her entire body and not just the head. This hair is called the lanugo and keeps your baby warm inside the womb. It sheds once the fat in your baby's body develops to keep her warm which will happen eventually during the following weeks of your pregnancy. Because of the lanugo the eyebrows too start to fill up now.
About the organ functioning - the kidneys are producing urine, the liver has started to make bile, the heartbeat is approximately twice that of yours and the spleen is producing more red blood cells.
What you should be doing
If you wish to know what happened to your body while you reached week 14 of your pregnancy, then read:
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