In the second trimester, expectant mothers relax a little. Symptoms of toxicosis (if there was one) fade away, women begin to feel much better. The first tests and studies are behind us. The second trimester is no longer such a critical period with regard to spontaneous abortion, but this can still occur if the fetus is exposed to unfavorable factors.
The belly begins to increase in size due to the pregnant uterus. By the end of the second trimester, the fundus of the uterus reaches approximately the navel. Pregnancy is already becoming clearly visible to others. In the second trimester, the baby grows rapidly, and the functioning of all organs improves.
If during pregnancy in the early stages the baby was called an embryo, then in the second trimester it is already called a fetus. At 22 weeks of pregnancy, the fetus is considered viable. At this time it weighs approximately 500 grams. Of course, he will not be able to survive without high-tech help and very complex nursing. But all children born alive at 22 weeks or more have a chance to live and are necessarily nursed.
At what stage of pregnancy does the mother begin to feel the baby move? As a rule, when carrying her first child, a woman can clearly detect movements no earlier than 18-20 weeks of gestation. When carrying their second and subsequent children, some women feel movements at 16-18 weeks. Often, women simply confuse earlier movements with the peristalsis of their intestines.
The woman begins to gain weight with each subsequent visit to the gynecologist. Weight gain is caused not only by the fact that the baby is growing, but also by the growth of the uterus itself, the placenta, an increase in the volume of amniotic fluid, enlargement of the mammary glands, and an increase in the volume of circulating blood.
The weight of the expectant mother is recorded in the exchange card at each appointment. Also, at each appointment, the doctor measures the abdominal circumference with a tape and evaluates the resulting gains, measures the height of the uterine fundus, and evaluates the position of the baby in his womb. From about 20 weeks (less often from 18), the doctor begins to listen to the baby’s heart sounds with a stethoscope.