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The second trimester is also a challenging stage of pregnancy. This is because at this period, the mother-to-be begins to notice drastic changes in her body especially her increasing bulging tummy. Here are what to expect in the different months of this trimester:

What to expect in the Fourth month (16th week):

Your body -

·        Constipation, heartburn, indigestion, bloating, flatulence

·        Fatigue

·        Headaches occasionally

·        Breast continued to increase

·        Frequency of urination decreases

·        Decrease in nausea, or nausea still normal

·        Occasional dizziness

·        At the end of the month you might feel your baby move, but that is if you are slender or this is not your first pregnancy

·        Hemorrhoids

·        Varicose veins on legs

·        Nasal congestion, and occasional nose bleeds

·        Bleeding gums when you brush

·        Leucorrhea (whitish vaginal discharge)

·        Mild swelling of hands and face, an occasionally of ankles and feet

·        Increase in appetite

Your baby -

By the end of the 4^th month the limbs of your baby are properly formed and all the joints are moving. The fingers and toes are normal and fingernails and toenails are present. The head is still large for the body. Primary sex characteristics continue to develop and the baby’s sex is now very obvious.

A fine downy hair, lanugos, forms over the whole body of your baby including the face. The eyebrows and eyelashes have started growing too.

The baby now weighs about 135gm (0.135kg) and the length of the baby is approximately 16cm.

What to expect in the Fifth month (20th week):

Your body -

·        Backache

·        Skin pigmentation, changes on face and abdomen

·        Changes in orgasm

·        Increased heart rate

·        Baby’s movement is well felt

·        Hemorrhoids

·        Varicose veins on legs

·        Nasal congestion, and occasional nose bleeds

·        Bleeding gums when you brush

·        Increased Leucorrhea (whitish vaginal discharge)

·        Mild swelling of hands and face, an occasionally of ankles and feet

·        Increase in appetite

·        Occasional pain in the lower abdomen

·        Constipation, heartburn, indigestion, bloating, flatulence

·        Fatigue

·        Headaches occasionally

·        Breast might produce colostrum (a creamy discharge that comes before the milk)

·        Occasional dizziness

·        Leg cramps

·        Occasional absentmindedness

Your baby -

At this stage your baby is now growing rapidly in length and weight increases too. Muscle is rapidly increasing in the limbs and you can now feel some active movement within you and also observe its movement outside.

Your baby’s weight is about 340gm (0.340kg) and has a length of approximately 25.5cm.

What to expect in the sixth month (24th week):

Your body -

·        More defined fetal movements

·        Hemorrhoids

·        Varicose veins on legs

·        Nasal congestion, and occasional nose bleeds

·        Bleeding gums when you brush

·        Increased Leucorrhea (whitish vaginal discharge)

·        Mild swelling of hands and face, an occasionally of ankles and feet

·        Increase in appetite

·        Occasional pain in the lower abdomen

·        Constipation, heartburn, indigestion, bloating, flatulence

·        Fatigue

·        Occasional Headaches

·        Occasional dizziness

·        Leg cramps

·        Backache

·        Skin pigmentation, changes on face and abdomen

·        Changes in orgasm

·        Increased heart rate

·        Itchy abdomen

Your baby-

Your baby continues to grow and its vital organs are now sufficiently mature for it to survive for a short time if delivered prematurely. But as the lungs are inadequately matured, it is unlikely to maintain an independent life for any length of time.

At this stage your baby’s weight should be around 570gm (0.570kg) and have a length of 34cm.

The second trimester is the stage for the main physiological growth of the fetus as well as the development of its enzyme systems and other highly complex endocrinological processes. It should be noted that abnormalities in the development of these processes would not be obvious immediately at birth, but hidden damage to the baby by overdose of insulin and discoloration of teeth due to administration of tetracycline can only occur at this stage.

The diagnosis of twin pregnancy should be simple. It ought to be obvious that two babies are present; that the uterus is larger than it would be for one baby and that there are two of everything including two fetal heartbeats. In fact about 8% of twin pregnancies reach delivery before the discovery of the second baby - usually to the equal embarrassment and astonishment of the doctors as well as the mother.

The following factors may make the doctor consider the possibility that you might be having twins:

• Excessive nausea and vomiting - may be associated with a twin pregnancy, especially if the symptoms continue beyond the 13th and 14th week.

• The uterus - is consistently larger than the dates suggest. Pelvic examination is performed at the first visit to the doctor or the antenatal clinic and the presence of any fibroid or tumors is noted. If the uterus is subsequently noted to be larger than the dates it is essential to know that a previous pelvic examination has been performed to exclude any other pelvic mass.

• Fetal movements - are felt in a twin pregnancy at the same time as they would be felt in a single pregnancy. As pregnancy advances, however, excessive movements may lead the mother to believe she might be carrying twins.

• The fetal hearts - it used to be very difficult to confirm the presence of a twin pregnancy by listening to the fetal hearts through the ordinary fetal stethoscope, but the sonogram will detect the presence of two fetal hearts as early as the 14th week.

• Acute hydramnios- usually accompanies a uni-ovular (identical) twin pregnancy. During the 24th week there is a rapid and dramatic enlargement in the size of the uterus. This may be so sudden that it causes considerable pain and discomfort and the abdominal girth may increase within a few days. This only occurs in identical twin pregnancies because the circulation of one twin becomes so dominant that the other twin is forced to produce a large quantity of amniotic fluid to prevent itself from getting heart failure.

• Many fetal parts - the doctor’s suspicion is aroused if an excessive number of fetal parts are felt within the abdomen, especially if two heads are palpated.

• Pre-eclampsia - does not usually occur until after the 32nd week of pregnancy, but a raised blood pressure or excessive weight gain before the 28th week is associated with twin pregnancy.

• Predisposition to having twins and/or heredity - if there are twins in the mother’s family, or the woman is of advanced age, these can increase the possibility of a twin pregnancy. The use of fertility drugs to stimulate ovulation, and in vitro fertilization are also factors that make a woman more likely to have twins.

• Ultrasound (sonogram) - the routine use of ultrasound in early pregnancy also helps to diagnose twins in early pregnancy. This is one of the trusted methods of determining a twin pregnancy. On the ultrasound monitor your doctor can easily distinguish two fetuses or two heartbeats with ease.

Some of these symptoms are probability that you may be having twins. Till date the ultrasound remains the most trusted of all the methods of diagnosing twin pregnancies. It’s only in rare cases that the ultrasound has failed, usually due to the position of the babies.

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We hear almost everywhere we go these days about the benefits of the human breast milk over the cow’s milk for a human infant. It can really not be overemphasized that no matter how advanced technology moves, nature will always be a step ahead .An example of this step are these great benefits of the human breast milk over the formula. Below are the composition and medical qualities of the human breast milk.

1.         Breast milk is a great healing agent for Cuts and scratches, rashes of all sorts (including diaper rashes), insect bites, bee stings and more have been known to heal faster and more effectively when dabbed or painted with breast milk.

2.         Breast milk can also be helpful in assisting healing for conjunctivitis, ear infections, throat infections or sinus infections, contact dermatitis, and infected wounds, burns, and abrasions. It is also often recommended to help heal, or at least control, a blocked tear duct in a newborn/infant, and to give them clear bright eyes

(Source: Wikipedia)

3.         Breast milk also provides vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes and hormones - all of the things that a growing infant will require, In addition to the appropriate amounts of carbohydrate, protein and fat that it contains.

4.         Breast milk contains antibodies and lymphocytes from the mother that helps the baby resist infections

5.         Breast milk contains strong antibodies and antitoxins that promote healing and better overall health.

6.         Breast milk also contains antibodies and lymphocytes from the mother that help the baby resist infections.

7.    Breast milk has supplies 2-Arachidonoyl glycerol a type of endocannabinoid

The human breast milk is not a cure -all ,but it has proved very useful and as  Oliver Wendell Holmes senior said well over a century ago ‘’A pair of substantial mammary glands, has the advantage over the two hemispheres of the most learned professor’s brain, in the art of compounding a nutritious food for infants.

These days pediatricians, obstetrician, nurses, midwifes and even companies that manufacture baby formulas concur: under most circumstances, breast milk is the best.