Future mom

You have entered the second trimester, the best time of pregnancy. Now you will feel more vigorous though your uterus increases week by week. You’ll notice it yourself when your stomach will start to rise: if earlier the bottom of the uterus (its top part) was above pubic zone, now it is already above the navel area. Your uterus now has the size of a grapefruit. Hormonal changes in your body become obvious. You have probably noticed the dark line going from the middle of your stomach to your pubic bone called "linea negra". Areoles, the dark part of the breast nipples, probably have become even darker and grown in sizes.

The face of your child continues to take shape. Nose-bridge and cheeks are being drawn. Little ears from neck’s lateral side move near to where they are supposed to be. Eyes are not widely placed any more. This week’s great event is the appearance of lanugo, the embryonic hair, which draws the skin structure: this drawing on the soft part of fingertips or the fingerprint becomes the unique identification of each person. It is believed that lanugo carries the protective function to detain the wax like substance released by the baby’s body. Prior to birth in the womb, the lanugo is replaced by tougher, thicker hair the baby is born with.

This week is important for internal organs. The thyroid gland has grown enough to produce hormones. The boys will have prostate, and girls’ ovaries move down from abdominal cavity to the pelvis area.

The baby’s face has already formed but eyes are still closed shut by the eyelids. Besides the lanugo, the eyebrows are expected to grow. A slightly hint of hair appears on the head.

Baby now produces urine and he urines right in the amniotic fluids. He also practices inhaling amniotic fluids in the lungs. In general, amniotic fluid is a surprising substance. It completely restores itself every three hours. We know that it partially consists of baby’s urine but nobody knows exactly where it is made and where it comes from.

Weight - approximately 3-3,5 oz.