All about baby
All the details of your baby’s body are now being completed. The neck is longer and the head moves up, looking more human. The intestines have moved from outside the body to inside the abdomen. The early swelling of the sex organs now become a penis or clitoris, so it will soon be possible to tell whether you are carrying a boy or a girl.
Bones are growing rapidly now and the limbs are getting longer. Your baby may even have some hair already. The ankles and wrists are formed, and fingers and toes are separate and have the beginnings of tiny nails as well as fingerprints.
Your baby has also developed many reflexes and will move around if your abdomen is prodded - did you notice some wriggling during the scan or did your baby sleep on, blissfully unaware of all the attention it was getting?
- Measures about 7cm crown to rump
- Weighs in at around 25 grams
Over to you
Going into your second trimester, you've probably gained around 5lb in weight. It’s important to keep up a healthy diet as nutrients from your blood are now flowing into the baby via the placenta. You'll also feel faint if you skip a meal. Try to eat little and often, rather than relying on a couple of big meals a day.
Exercise might not be the first thing on your mind right now - in fact the very idea of it might make you sink deeper into the sofa. But as your heart works harder and your bump gets bigger, it's important to stay as active as possible to help keep your weight gain to a healthy level, minimise back strain and increase your body's endorphins - those "feel good" hormones that help to lift your mood.
Not only will exercise help your general wellbeing, but will keep you fit for the birth with benefits like a shorter labour and a quicker recovery afterwards. You’re also less likely to have a premature baby or experience complications if you stay fit and healthy during pregnancy. Pelvic floor muscles are important to keep your baby's head in the best possible position during labour and delivery - they can even help ease and shorten labour and delivery - so they're one workout you can't afford to miss!
In the know
Include some exercise in your weekly routine - even walking around all the baby shops in town counts...
Walking is by far the exercise of choice for pregnant women. It's easy to incorporate a little extra into your day and it's free! An hour-long walk once a day will have you in terrific shape in six weeks or less.
Yoga promotes better circulation and will increase your flexibility, help align your posture and may help relieve a number of pregnancy-related discomforts. Yogic breathing can also help relax you in labour.
Swimming is a great way to get low-impact exercise without straining your back, legs or risking losing your balance or overheating.
Exercise balls are inflated fitness balls that can help you to build core body strength and balance. Sitting on a ball for 20 to 45 minutes each day will help you to gently increase strength and flexibility in your back and hip and thigh muscles.
Resistance training, like lifting small weights, increases bone density and will help your body prepare for the physical tasks of late pregnancy and labour.
Dancing is a great way to keep your heart and muscles in shape and help you maintain your balance and flexibility, plus a lot of fun too.
Exercise with care:
- Your ligaments are already softening to prepare for the growth of your baby, because of the hormone relaxin. Take care to exercise gently and not to put too much strain on your joints and ligaments.
- Don’t exercise to the point of exhaustion or until you are so out of breath you can't talk.
- Avoid exercises that put a strain on your lower back or legs, or that require you to lie on your back if this makes you feel faint or dizzy.
- Don't try to strengthen your abdominal muscles - putting pressure on them will only make them spread apart even more.
- Bear in mind that your balance is shifting, so take care when cycling, especially during the latter months of pregnancy.
- After week 20, rougher competitive sports aren't recommended because of the risk of your belly taking a direct hit. Plus, you don't want to strain your ligaments in a fall.
- Remember, if you're starting a new fitness program, start slow and easy. Respect your body's limits.
- Always warm up with some gentle stretches for at least ten minutes before a vigorous routine. Cool down, drink water and relax for five to fifteen minutes after.
- Basically, always use your common sense. Make sure your activity is fun and relaxing, stop if anything hurts or just doesn't feel right.
Pelvic floor
Last, but by no means least, are the all important pelvic floor exercises. Your pelvic floor muscles are shaped like a hammock and go from your pubic bone to your tailbone. These are the muscles you use when you want to stop the flow of urine. However, the strain of pregnancy and childbirth can weaken them, causing stress incontinence (leaking a few drops when you cough, laugh or strain to lift something). They also play a crucial role in labour, so it's worthwhile keeping up the exercises - both during pregnancy and well beyond!
First you need to identify your pelvic floor muscles. The next time you take a bathroom break (which, if you're pregnant, will probably be within the next ten minutes), stop your urine flow. The muscles that you're tightening are your pelvic floor muscles. To strengthen these muscles, practice squeezing and releasing them 10 times.
Having mastered the basic squeeze, try doing repetitions of short squeezes 10 to 25 a few times a day, working your way up to 100 squeezes a day. Then try long squeezes, gradually squeezing the muscle from the bottom of your pelvic floor slowly to the top, then releasing slowly back down again. As you get more practice, you can work towards holding for longer and practising more repetitions.
You can do these exercises anywhere, at any time, without anyone even realising - like during boring phone calls, at traffic lights or waiting in queues. Give it a go right now!
