Provided by Kidspot

You

This week you are exiting the first trimester and beginning the second trimester. One third of your pregnancy journey is completed. By now, pregnancy hormones are leveling off. This means less nausea, less frequent urination and less exhaustion. What a relief! However, you may be experiencing some constipation since those darned hormones have relaxed your bowel muscles causing them to work slower and less efficiently. Your uterus is also pressing on your bowel. Be sure to increase the fiber in your diet if constipation becomes a problem.

Your Baby

Baby is now 8.7 cm long and has nearly doubled his weight since last week to 43 grams. Lanugo, the fine, short hairs that help keep the body heat inside your baby, will form now and grow to cover his entire body. Baby's skin is very thin and fat won't develop for several weeks, so he needs extra help in staying warm. The lanugo will cover your baby for several months and won't be shed until there is enough fat to keep him warm. When the fat is thick under the skin, the lanugo will fall off and end up in the baby's intestines as meconium, which is what comes out as his first dirty nappy.

Pregnancy Planning From Kidspot

• Looking after your pregnancy health
• Buy pre-loved pregnancy and baby goods
• Read our guide to the best pregnancy books

Pregnancy Week By Week

• First Trimester weeks 6 - 13
• Second Trimester weeks 14 - 26
• Third Trimester weeks 27 - 41

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