You're officially in your glory days: the second trimester. Energy levels come back up, nausea levels go down and you may have a cute little bump that's beginning to show. It's a great time to celebrate the happy news ...

Baby Progress

Your baby is now around 9cm long - tripled in size from a mere three week ago, starting to practise breathing movements. At this stage, your baby’s heart starts to pump.
Now that the "big stuff" (like skeletal and organ development) is taken care of, your baby starts a period of rapid brain growth, fat buildup and detail work.

Your baby is more fluid-like in his movements, so he’s no longer doing the jerk every time he repositions his arms and legs. Other developments this week include a roof of his own (inside his mouth, that is) as well as intestinal activity: His intestines are producing meconium (which is the waste that will make up his first bowel movement after birth). He is also sporting a downy coating of hair (lanugo) that keeps him nice and warm. Baby fat will accumulate over the next few months and take over the function of keeping your baby warm and toasty —allowing most of that hair to shed.

Your baby now has fingerprints! Believe it or not, he actually created them himself while swimming around in the amniotic fluid. As he moved his hands, the skin on the tips of his fingers formed unique ridges and folds. That's why no one on earth has the same fingerprints, not even identical twins! Cool, right? Baby's arms are now in proportion to his tiny body, but his legs are still on the short size in comparison.

Meconium, that tar-like, sticky first baby poop, is now loading up your baby's intestines, which means you might want to set aside a bottle of olive oil, one of the few things that will get the gooey poop off of baby's bottom.

Your baby continues to gain new and impressive skills such as practicing and controlling voluntary muscle movements (this will help him fling food across the room later in life). Your tiny dancer's movements are no longer the jerky, uncontrollable twitches of yore—he now moves with graceful control.

Mummy Progress

Welcome to the second trimester! Your breasts aren't quite as tender as they were last trimester and your energy level is making a comeback. More good news on the horizon: less morning sickness and fewer trips to the potty to pee. You might find yourself feeling pregnancy aches on the lower sides of your abdomen about now as the muscles and ligaments that support your growing uterus stretch. And though it might be a pain in the — well, lower abdomen — it's pain with a gain and a sign that it won't be long now until your body finally starts to show that you're expecting.

You’ll probably find you have lots more energy which will be a welcome change if you’ve been feeling lethargic over the past 13 weeks. You might feel like you want to exercise and put the energy to good use, but do be careful when embarking on new exercise routines. Now is not really the time to take up abseiling!


Pregnancy tips - Staying healthy

As if you didn't have enough pregnancy symptoms to contend with, you're also more susceptible to colds, flu, and other bugs when you're expecting. That's because nature wisely suppresses your immune system during pregnancy to keep your fetus (a foreigner to your body) from being rejected. The key to staying healthy during pregnancy is to engage in some germ warfare. More than ever, the best defense is a strong offense, especially when germs are being passed around your office or home like canapés. Wash your hands often (and carry liquid sanitizer for times when a sink's not handy), don't share drinks or food or toothbrushes, and avoid sick people like the plague (it's okay to banish a sick spouse to the couch with a stack of DVDs). If you think you've caught something, check with your practitioner ASAP, who will treat what you've got with your special needs in mind. If antibiotics are prescribed for a bacterial infection (they're useless against viruses like colds), don't hesitate to take them because you've heard medications aren't safe during pregnancy. Many are — plus getting better fast is the best medicine for your baby.

Week 14 Pregnancy Symptoms

Decreasing need to urinate frequently: Bladder pressure tends to lessen in the second trimester, which means you may finally be able to skip a few trips to the bathroom each day. Enjoy it now — bladder pressure ramps up again in the third trimester, when the baby drops farther into the pelvis.

Decreasing fatigue: You’re probably feeling a renewed sense of energy now that your body has finished its first-trimester task of manufacturing the placenta. So consider taking this opportunity to get a jump start on baby prep (ready to start picking out a baby registry wish list?).

Continued breast growth but decreasing tenderness: While your breasts are still growing and changing (for instance, your areolas are probably darker and your nipples may be on “high alert”), they may not feel as achy as they did in your first trimester.

An end to (or decrease in) nausea and vomiting: If you’re like most women, your morning sickness may be coming to an end now that you’re in your second trimester (yay!). Pat yourself on the back (or tummy) for making it through the worst of the nausea.

Increasing appetite: Now that the nausea is subsiding, you’ve rediscovered your appetite. Do your best to eat regular, healthy meals and snacks throughout the day (which keeps blood sugar and energy stable) instead of bingeing (which causes sugar highs and subsequent sugar crashes).

Varicose veins: These large, swollen blood vessels, which often show up on the legs, are caused by the extra blood volume you produce to nourish your baby-to-be. Though you may not be able to prevent varicose veins entirely (they’re hereditary), you can help minimize them by walking throughout the day to keep blood circulating.

Possible nasal congestion: Those pesky hormones are to blame once again — high levels of estrogen and progesterone increase blood flow to mucous membranes in the body (including the nose), which causes them to swell and soften. Try running a warm-mist humidifier while you sleep to make breathing easier.