The Second Term of Pregnancy, How the Baby Grows
In the second term of pregnancy, which is between thirteen and twenty six weeks, is the moment in which a lot of women enjoy their pregnancy the most. The sensations of nausea, extreme tiredness, which were very normal in the first term, generally go away. The second term of the pregnancy is very exciting as it is when you will be able to feel the baby’s movements inside your womb and your pregnant womb becomes evident. During the second term there are certain prenatal tests that can confirm if the baby is healthy since the baby has already grown. This is also the moment in which a lot of women finally understand that they are going to have a baby soon. The second term of pregnancy is also the time in which a lot of women let their family and friends know about the exciting news.
Finding Out How the Baby Grows
In the second term of pregnancy the baby grows very quickly. At twenty-six weeks it will already be around thirty-five centimeters in length and will weigh around one thousand grams. At some point between the fourteenth and sixteenth week the extremities get longer and start to look like arms and legs. The sonogram will also show the movements of the baby’s arms and legs. Between the eighteenth and twenty second week you may start to feel the baby moving although these movements do not generally occur regularly throughout the day.
In the first term of the pregnancy the baby’s head was relatively big in comparison to the body, but it becomes more proportioned as the body grows day by day. The baby’s bones will also become more solid and can be identified in the sonogram. In the beginnin
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At this stage the baby will start to do a number of recognizable activities. Not only will the baby move, but it will also sleep, wake up, and is able to hear and swallow. The lungs will start to develop around the twenty fourth week as well, and the cells of the lungs start to secrete surfactant, which is a chemical substance that allows the lungs to remain expanded. Around the twenty-sixth and twenty eighth week the eyes, that were closed because the eyelids were fused together, will open. Lanugo, which is a furry type of hair, will also grow on the baby’s head and body. Fat deposits also form under the skin and the central nervous system matures significantly.
If the baby were to be born in the twenty-second or twenty fourth week, it would have reasonable chances of surviving. A premature baby that is born at twenty-eight weeks, which is almost three months before time, and that is attended in a intensive care unit has excellent chance of surviving.
Most women start to feel their babies moving around this stage. However sometimes it is difficult to determine movement. Some women start to feel a flapping sensation around week sixteen or twenty. However not all women realize that this is a sensation that is caused by the movements of the baby and some women confuse them with gas. Between the twentieth and twenty-second week, the fetal movements are a lot easier to identify but they are still not consistent at this stage. Within the next four weeks this movement acquires a regular pattern.
Since babies little
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If after the twenty-sixth or twenty-eighth week you stop feeling the baby’s movements like you used to, call your doctor right away. At twenty-eight weeks you should feel the baby’s movements several times after having eaten. If you are not sure if your baby is moving normally, lie on your left side and count the movements. If the baby moves several times, don’t worry, the baby is fine. However if you do not feel the baby’s movements or think they are less frequent than before, call your doctor.