Mums and Bubs

  This week you may feel a pain similar to a stitch down the side of your stomach caused by the uterine muscle stretching and which will go away after you rest.  Bub can be felt through your abdominal wall and your health care professional may palpate your abdomen to see how the baby is lying. Mum Your tummy will ...

  Your growing baby and expanding uterus may be causing pain to your lower ribs as they get pushed outwards. Your ribcage rises a little as it’s pushed upward.  Lifting your arms above your head and sitting up as straight as you can may lessen the discomfort.  This is a good time to try different ways of easing discomfort for ...

  You may be feeling slightly breathless as your expanding ribcage pushes upwards, giving your lungs less room and you should be able to see your abdomen ripple as the fetus moves. Mum Its quite obvious you’re pregnant now but not too big yet and have probably gained 4.5 – 6.3 kilograms (10-14 pounds).  Your centre of gravity has changed ...

  Your uterus is enlarging quite rapidly now so that you look pregnant.  Your navel may be flattened or pushed out and will stay this way until after the birth.  Because the uterus is starting to push against your stomach, heartburn might begin to be a problem. Mum Your linea nigra might really be pronounced by now and your belly ...

  As well as your abdomen, you have started to put weight on your bottom, hips and thighs.  Tiny veins may start appearing on your face which are very small broken blood vessels caused by circulation changes but these will disappear after the birth. Mum This week is the halfway mark for your pregnancy.  From now on your uterus will ...

  You should be able to feel the fetal movements quite clearly now.  Pregnancy causes the membranes inside the nasal passages to swell and your nose might become blocked.  You will find there are several physical changes besides the predictable weight gain and might also be noticing an increase in vaginal discharge. Mum You will definitely be wearing larger, more ...

  Now that you are at week 17 of your pregnancy, your waistline might have completely disappeared and you might be developing stretch marks.  Bleeding gums might also be a problem so now is a good time to have a dental check-up if you haven’t already. Mum You should be showing more now and may be noticing an increase in ...

  Your pregnancy is now at week 16 and you might be feeling bub’s first movements.  These early movements are like a fluttering sensation.  You may also notice the beginning of Linea nigra, a dark line which appears down the centre of your abdomen.  This will disappear after the birth. Mum You may not have to urinate so much now ...

  This week your heart has enlarged to cope with the increased amount of blood circulating in your body and bub’s need for oxygen.    You should be feeling more energetic than before. Mum Because of the extra demands placed on your heart by pregnancy, it has now enlarged and its output has increased by 50% in order to supply oxygen ...

  You are now beginning the second trimester and may be experiencing what is known as mid-pregnancy bloom. You should be feeling better about everything at this stage and if your sex drive has diminished over the last few months, it will probably return and might be better than ever. Mum Pregnancy hormones relax the bowel so you may notice ...