Definition
Welcome to the second trimester! During pregnancy, the fourth month represents the moment of crossing the magic line that separates a period full of dangers and frustrations (the first trimester) from what many obstetricians consider to be the golden period of pregnancy (the second trimester). In this part of the pregnancy, everything seems to start to turn green. The chances of a spontaneous abortion drop precipitously, nausea miraculously leaves you, your energy starts to return, as does your appetite for food (and for sex). This is the month in which you will say goodbye to jeans and tight skirts, so you will start making more and more frequent visits to the tailor or to the fashion stores. And visits to the toilet also decrease in frequency. So enjoy these three months as much as possible. Especially since this month, the emotional storm that overshadowed your first trimester of pregnancy begins to calm down. Let’s discuss the fourth(4th) month pregnancy details below.
Table Of Content
1. Definition
2. Mother’s symptoms
3. Changes in the emotional state
4. Fetal development
5. Visit to the doctor
6. Problems that may arise
Mother’s symptoms
This is the month when you really start to feel (and look) pregnant. It is the month when a number of the symptoms of the first trimester leave you, although you can still feel constipated, tired, have morning sickness or bloating. The breasts continue to grow in size, but they no longer feel so congested. In addition, a series of other symptoms may appear such as bleeding gums, more intense vaginal discharge or swelling of the legs. This month you can feel your baby’s movements for the first time.
Thickened waist. Starting with this month, the world around you begins to notice the fact that you are pregnant. The uterus continues its growth, reaching at the end of this month at half the distance between the navel and the pubic symphysis. This change in the size of your uterus as well as the weight gain inherent in the state of pregnancy (which is due to several factors such as a retention of water in the tissues, the growth of the fetus and the amount of amniotic fluid, the increase in the size of the breasts, the deposition of fats in your tissues fat, etc.) start to have their say, so the suppleness of your waist starts to fade. Your weight gain can even reach one kilogram per week during this month! Also Read: What Happens Fifth(5th) Month Pregnancy – Definition, Symptoms and Signs
Abdominal discomfort. The increased size of the uterus, besides the fact that it betrays you that you are a future mother, starts to create more and more problems for you. You are already starting to realize that the discomfort from the previous month is increasing, in the lower abdomen you often feel like you have a bag of sand, especially when you make sudden movements or run. Sometimes you feel pain at this level. It is normal, the ligaments that anchor the uterus to the neighboring anatomical structures begin to be stretched by the growing uterus.
Breast changes. Your breasts continue to grow, but they are no longer in the tension of the past months. The feeling of congestion disappears. Breast areolas and nipples become even darker in color.
Diminishing the feeling of nausea. Increased appetite. From this month, the morning sickness begins to decrease in intensity, if it does not disappear completely, and this is due to the decrease in the concentration of pregnancy hormones, on the one hand, but also due to the body getting used to their action, on the other hand. Concomitantly with this release from the morning stress of nausea, you will start to want to eat “normal” foods, returning to your appetite before getting pregnant.
Decline in the need to urinate frequently. During this period, you begin to notice that you no longer need to urinate so frequently. This is due to the fact that your body begins to get used to pregnancy-specific hormones and due to the decrease in the levels of these hormones. Also, the fact that your uterus grows in size, coming out of the pelvis, causes it to move somewhat away from the urinary bladder. Don’t be happy yet that you got rid of trips to the bathroom, in the last months when the uterus is very large, the need to urinate very often returns.
Fatigue. From now on it is possible to notice that most of the energy you had before the pregnancy has returned. From now on, your body is able to cope with ever-increasing efforts. Once the “bath and bed” phases of the first trimester of pregnancy are over (although these two can remain important places of retreat for the rest of the pregnancy, especially in the last three months), you can carry out usual physical activities without getting so tired. How quickly this energizing state is recovered depends from woman to woman. Some expectant mothers admit that they cannot perform physical activities at the level of those before pregnancy, others declare that they have never felt more “strong” than now in their life. Also Read: What Happens Six(6th) Month Pregnancy – Definition, Symptoms and Signs
Constipation. For a certain part of you, the bathroom will remain a favorite place to spend a good part of your pregnancy days. If you have a predisposition to constipation and do not try to change your diet, you will notice the continuous worsening of this condition until it becomes so annoying that you will complain to your doctor at the first visit.
Vaginal discharge. During the fourth month of pregnancy, you will notice that the secretion that started appearing last month becomes more abundant and acquires a whitish, runny and creamy appearance, with a specific smell. This discharge is called leucorrhoea. The cause of this discharge is the increase in the irrigation of the tissues of the genital tract, with the increase in vaginal secretion to prepare the vagina for the passage of the baby at birth. As the months of pregnancy pass, this leakage will intensify. So that many pregnant women end up changing their underwear several times a day. If you notice that the smell becomes stronger or that the secretion becomes yellowish or greenish, or if it is accompanied by itching, contact your doctor immediately.
Skin changes. In addition to the pigment changes of the breast areola, the line that joins the navel to the pubis can also become hyperpigmented. Sometimes, if the growth of the abdomen is too fast and if your skin is of poor quality, stretch marks can already appear on the sides of the abdomen.
Fetal movements. Depending on the structure of your body, the amount of amniotic fluid and how fussy your fetus is, from this month it is possible to start feeling its movements. At first, they may just seem like abdominal gas, especially if you are more bloated, and you might not give them too much importance for now. But if you don’t feel them, don’t worry, most women start to perceive fetal movements only from the 20th week. Also Read: What Happens Seven(7th) Month Pregnancy – Definition, Symptoms and Signs
Changes in the emotional state
Most pregnant women in the second trimester of pregnancy find this period to be more emotionally stable. The hormonal storm that took you by surprise in the first months is now starting to decrease in intensity, and with this decrease in hormonal levels, there is some peace in the emotional compartment as well. You will notice with some surprise that your reactions to certain events are somewhat less dramatic. What can you feel during this month?
A state of relief. After the 12th week of pregnancy, the risk of losing a child drops spectacularly, so if you have not previously had a miscarriage, the fear of not losing this child can be put aside. Likewise, reducing the states of nausea and those of permanent fatigue can lead to the emergence of this state of relief.
Enthusiasm. With the increase in the size of your belly, you seem to have a tangible reason to explain your emotional states and the way you behaved in the previous months. From now on, you seem impatient to share with others the news that you are a mother-to-be.
Self-education. The fact that from now on everyone can see that you will be a mother, the fact that you heard her heartbeat and even saw her heart beating at the last visit to the doctor, or that sometimes it seems to you that she is playing football in your belly, all these I make the pregnancy seem even more real. These details will amplify even more your feelings towards your baby, reinforcing the idea that something wonderful is happening inside your body.
Dualism. It is not rare that, despite the positive feelings that attack you this month, feelings of insecurity appear regarding your pregnancy: you have successfully passed the emotional ordeal of the first trimester, but when you look ahead, you notice that you still have 6 good months to go. Some women continue to fear because it will follow. Others already feel that they are at the limit of patience and that they want everything to end as soon as possible. And a small part see pregnancy as a stagnation of their life (especially career women). Fortunately, this state of emotional ambivalence will diminish as the pregnancy progresses. Also Read: What Happens Eight(8th) Month Pregnancy – Definition, Symptoms and Signs
Doubts. Sometimes out of the blue, a series of questions may appear to you that you don’t know how to react to: are you ready to have a child? Are you capable of becoming a mother? Are you ready to change your lifestyle? What impact will the pregnancy and the child have on the career or even on the marriage? It is the beginning of the period of “what if?” questions. It is also the time when you must have solid support from your family, friends and especially your partner. If your worries seem ridiculous and unfounded to your family members and you are embarrassed to “complain” to them, you can think of finding a confidant in the person of a friend (or a friend), a psychologist or even a clergyman.
Pride. Although there are women who become stressed about the changes in their body during pregnancy, most of them indulge themselves with this new image, some even permanently displaying a proud face when they go out in society or even at work. Being a mother is a great achievement, especially when you have wanted this assiduously, and now that you have obvious physical proof that you are pregnant, you are not ready to show this achievement with pride. You have a reason. Let your image of a pregnant woman be a positive one.
Sexpil. A good part of the women who become pregnant do not give up their coquetry and, helped by the modern concepts on fashion, behavior and the way of life of pregnant women, heavily publicized in movies and in current magazines, have an avant-garde attitude towards how pregnancy should be managed from the point of view of a strong and unprejudiced woman. If you have a beautiful body and a sporty look, maintained by many hours spent at the gym or at the pool, no one will judge you if you don’t give up short skirts or generous necklines. The need to be or stay sexy during this period is even stronger, especially as your body acquires other lines. Moreover, the state of serenity that sets in this month makes you view your partner’s advances with more indulgence.
Fetal development
During this month, important events take place in the life of your little one. Most of the organs are fully formed, and from now on the fetus grows both in weight and in length. The amniotic fluid also increases in volume, giving the fetus space to move. The eyes are still covered by the eyelids, and from now on both the eyelashes and the eyebrows are starting to grow. The ears are formed but only now reach their normal position. An equally fine hair called lanugo grows on the very fine skin of the fetus. The muscles are almost formed, so it won’t be a big surprise if, towards the end of the month, you have the impression that you have a football player in your belly! Although the muscles of the face are not fully developed, your little one is already starting to train for extrauterine life and begins to suck his finger. Some ribs begin to form, and a number of the bones of the head and limbs also appear. The genitals are visible. In boys, the prostate is formed, and in girls, the ovaries descend into the pelvis. His thyroid gland begins to secrete hormones. The bone marrow continues its development. Also Read: What Happens Nine(9th) Month Pregnancy – Definition, Symptoms and Signs
Visit to the doctor
The meeting with your doctor this month will materialize in controlling the size of the uterus, measuring the uterine fundus, measuring the blood pressure, listening to the fetal heart, measuring your weight gain, as well as discussing any problems that may have arisen. Also, if your doctor considers it appropriate, he will want to do a series of screening tests.
Blood pressure
Why is this test done? Blood pressure measurement. Should I take this test? Advisable. When should I take this test? At all visits, especially in the last quarter. How is this test done? Blood pressure is measured using a sphygmomanometer placed on the arm. When are the results ready? Immediate.
Weight
Why is this test done? Weight measurement. Should I take this test? Advisable. When should I take this test? At all visits, especially in trimesters II and III. How is this test done? Body weight is measured with the help of a precise medical scale and compared with the results of the previous month, observing the weight gain. When are the results ready? Immediate.
ultrasound
Why is this test done? It collects valuable information about the development of the fetus, the placenta, the uterus. Should I take this test? The benefits of the ultrasound exam this month are priceless:
– It can give valuable data about the growth of the placenta and about its implantation site.
– It can determine or exclude certain causes of bleeding or pain during this month of pregnancy.
– Gives precise information about the gestational age of the fetus, being able to make a real correlation between the estimated date of pregnancy (measured in weeks of amenorrhea ), the size of the uterus, and the age determined by ultrasound.
– Evaluates the morphological development of the fetus, including its internal organs (heart, liver, central nervous system, kidneys, etc.), being able to discover certain malformations in due time.
– Gives invaluable help in performing invasive investigations such as amniocentesis.
– It can measure if the amount of amniotic fluid is sufficient.
– It can determine the sex of the fetus.
When should I take this test? It is advisable to do it, if possible, on the occasion of every visit to the doctor. How is this test done? The doctor visualizes on a screen similar to a computer monitor the data collected with the help of an ultrasound probe that he walks on your abdomen. When are the results ready? Immediate.
BCF sites
Why is this test done? Auscultation of fetal heartbeats. Should I take this test? Advisable. When should I take this test? At all visits. How is this test done? And this month the fetal heartbeats (BCFs) can be best heard using the same special electronic acoustic device (a microphone that is placed on the abdomen). Your fetal heart sounds are rhythmic, and fast, like the ticking of a clock. When are the results ready? Immediate.
AFP (Alpha-Feto Protein) Screening
Why is this test done? It is a screening test that can detect the risk of your fetus having a malformation, most likely a neural tube defect ( spina bifida, anencephaly ) or Down syndrome. Should I take this test? If you are over 35 years old, if you have cases of such problems in your family or if you simply want to find out what the condition of your fetus is. When should I take this test? Anytime between weeks 16 and 18, if the doctor recommends it. How is this test done? The test measures the levels of Alfa-Feto Protein (a substance physiologically secreted by the fetal liver and which enters the maternal circulation) in the mother’s blood. A small amount of blood is collected from the mother’s arm. When are the results ready? in a week. Remember that it is a test that only determines the risk of having something wrong. Out of 100 cases with positive results, 95 turned out to be false alarms! A positive test will be followed by a series of other tests capable of specifying the existence and nature of this problem.
The triple test
Why is this test done? It is also a screening test for detecting fetal defects, especially spina bifida and Down syndrome. Should I take this test? If you are over 35 years old or have had pregnancies with such defects, or have similar cases among your relatives or your partner. When should I take this test? Between weeks 16 and 22. How is this test done? The test measures the levels of Alfa-Feto Protein, the pregnancy-specific hormone secreted by the placenta, hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), as well as another hormone secreted in abundance during pregnancy, estriol (unconjugated form). Blood is taken from the mother’s arm. When are the results ready? in a week. The triple test shows an accuracy of 70% for the presence of Down’s syndrome in women over 35 years of age and for spina bifida of 60%.
Amniocentesis
Why is this test done? The test detects the presence of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus. Should I take this test? If you are over 35 years old and have certain risk factors (high AFP levels, children or relatives with chromosomal defects). When should I take this test? Between weeks 12 and 16. How is this test done? It is an invasive test, which must be done under hospital conditions. Under ultrasound control, a very thin but long needle is inserted through the mother’s abdominal wall until it reaches the uterus in the amniotic sac from where a little amniotic fluid is aspirated. It contains fetal cells that will be studied to detect certain genetic defects. The entire procedure takes around 30 minutes. When are the results ready? At least one week for chromosomal anomalies and for the sex of the fetus.
Problems that may arise
This month is considered by obstetricians the honeymoon of pregnant women. Problems rarely arise during this period. The most common are those determined by weight gain, the appearance of edema in the calves, varicose veins or hemorrhoids. They are unpleasant problems, but they do not endanger the good course of the pregnancy. During this period, nasal congestion accompanied by bleeding may occur, and sometimes when you brush your teeth more responsibly, you may notice that your gums are bleeding. Not infrequently, the headaches that can occur during this period are secondary and are based on an increase in blood pressure.
However, even this month is not completely devoid of unpleasant surprises. Spontaneous abortions threatened abortions, or during a routine ultrasound check, you may find out that something is wrong with your fetus…