Your Baby
- The baby moves, kicks and swallows.
- The skin is pink and transparent.
- The umbilical cord continues to carry nourishment from mother to baby—but it also can pass along hazards like alcohol, nicotine and other drugs.
- By the end of the fourth month, your baby is 6 to 7 inches long and weighs about 4 to 5 ounces.
Your Body
- Your appetite increases as morning sickness goes away. You should begin to feel more energetic.
- Toward the end of the fourth month (16 to 20 weeks), you might feel your baby move for the first time; tell your health care provider.
- Your belly begins to show—you probably will need maternity clothes and bigger bras now.
Prenatal Care Guide
- Visit your health care provider for one prenatal care checkup.
- Pregnant women need extra iron—more than even a good diet can supply. Your doctor may recommend iron supplements.
- You’ll probably gain about a pound a week, or 12 to 14 pounds, during the second trimester (months 4 to 6).
- If your health care provider recommends prenatal testing using amniocentesis or a blood test called a triple screen for Down syndrome and neural tube defects, you can have them at 15 to 18 weeks.
Article Courtesy of The March of Dimes
In this month, your appetite increases as morning sickness goes away.
