Your Fourth Month Of Pregnancy
By: Julie Fletcher
Congratulations, you have now entered into your second trimester! If you have been counting your weeks instead of months, you are now in your thirteenth week to sixteenth week of pregnancy. Remember, we are counting from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). Many women now rely on the weekly count instead of monthly. This is because a pregnancy is counted as forty weeks or ten lunar months. Lunar months are always four weeks, following the cycle of the moon.
So far you have made it through morning sickness, constipation, and maybe some headaches. This month, though, things begin to smooth out. Your nausea more than likely will taper off and food does not seem like the enemy. Heartburn could be an issue but is often remedied by products like Rolaids. Be sure to consult your doctor or midwife before using any over the counter medication! No matter how upset your tummy may be, never, ever use a product like Pepto Bismol (the pink acid reducer.). It contains aspirin which can be very bad for your developing baby.
By now your baby really looks like a tiny person. His head is a lot bigger than the rest of his body, but soon enough that will even out. No more tadpole! This month of your pregnancy, the baby will spend much of his time sleeping, kicking, swallowing, and peeing. Yes, peeing. Don’t worry, the urine really will not hurt you or your baby. You may have already felt your baby move. Some mothers describe the feeling as fluttering, tiny bubbles, or even gas.
Your body is starting to go through major renovation. Your uterus has begun to grow even more. If this is your first pregnancy, you might not be ‘showing’ just yet, but with second and third pregnancies (or more!), you might just have a small ‘baby bump’. It can be reassuring to finally feel your womb, letting you know that yes, you really are pregnant. Maybe it is time to begin loosening your pants and while you may not need them just yet, wearing maternity shirts can be fun! Advertising your ‘bump’ invites all sorts of friendly attention. Just be sure to let people know if you are comfortable with belly pats or not.
This is the trimester that some think of as the only ‘good’ or comfortable one. You are not too big, your body does not feel as out of whack as it did during the first three months. Maybe your emotions have simmered down a bit and possibly you do not feel quite as tired. In most situations morning sickness has passed, but can sometimes last until the end off your fourth month. If you still experience morning sickness, don’t forget to try taking Vitamin B6 supplements. Severe nausea that lasts and renders you unable to eat should be discussed with your doctor as soon as possible.
When you reach the fourth month of your pregnancy, you will also begin the testing cycles. One of the tests routinely offered in this trimester is the Triple Screen. Normally given between the sixteenth and twenty second weeks, the triple screen is used to identify a risk for spinal defects (neural tube defects) and Down Syndrome. Before you take the test, you may be informed of the high incidence of false positives. A positive triple screen down not mean your baby has a defect, only that there is a higher risk. The next step after a positive triple screen is amniocentesis.
During an amniocentesis, a long needle is placed through your abdominal wall and into your uterus to withdraw a sample of amniotic fluid. A local anesthetic is usually given to relieve any pain from the needle. The fluid removed is replaced by the body in a short period of time and normally the puncture heals quickly. There are some risks associated with the procedure. Occasionally (rarely), the puncture wound can heal slowly or not at all, allowing infection to set in. Leaking of amniotic fluid can occur and in situations where infections or other complications have happened, a miscarriage is possible.
Another test that is given at this time in some areas is the Glucose Screening. You will be asked to eat as you normally would, then drink a tumbler of a very sweet beverage the lab or doctors’ office provides. The drink comes in orange, cola, or lime flavor and is sickeningly sweet. Unless you really, really love sugary drinks, this can be hard to swallow. After drinking the liquid, you will be asked not to eat, drink or smoke for the next hour. At the end of an hour you will have blood drawn to determine how well your body was able to process thee sugar.
If your levels come back as too high (this takes a few days), you will need to be given a Glucose Tolerance test. The test is nearly identical except that the time period is three hours and you will have more blood draws. Some women who have a positive result in their screening will find a negative result with their tolerance test. If your do have another positive result, your practitioner will discuss Gestational Diabetes in depth with you and prescribe a sensible diet. Careful monitoring of your glucose levels each day will ensure you a healthy, safe pregnancy even if you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
Be sure to let your doctor know if you have a family history of diabetes, as this can increase your risk of gestational diabetes.