6 months
2nd trimester
16 more weeks to go
Hey, beautiful face! Your baby's facial features are becoming well-defined. Each feature is clearly etched, complete with eyelashes, eyebrows and hair. He is positioned upright, with his little bottom down by your cervix. He could also be transverse, or positioned sideways, and that might be not as comfortable for you. The baby’s brain is developing fast. Also, the lungs and the cells that produce surfactant in the lungs. Surfactant is a substance composed of fats and lipids. It helps stabilize the tiny air sacs in the lungs that are essential to healthy breathing. Your baby’s reflexes are improving. You’ve probably been feeling the baby kicking for at least a few weeks, but now they’re getting stronger and stronger. Did you know 24 is a magic number for twin moms? Those who are 24 weeks pregnant with twins have gained 24 pounds by now!
षष्ठे बुद्धिः । (सुश्रुत् शारीरस्थान ३/३०)
Ayurveda says the baby's sensory and motor organs attain maturity that points towards the enlightenment of buddhi.
The baby is putting on more weight, much of it coming from accumulating baby fat along with growing muscles, organs and bones. The skin is gradually becoming more opaque, and it’s taking on a fresh, pink glow, thanks to the small capillaries that have recently formed. The movements may feel a little stronger and more noticeable, with pokes and kicks becoming more frequent. His muscles have been growing, and he now has much more muscle tone.
Your baby is still sporting white eyelashes, eyebrows and hair, all of which have yet to acquire pigment.
Since the auditory system is growing by leaps and bounds, if you play a calming song every day, she's likely to recognize it and feel calmed by it when she's born. All kinds of sounds can be heard in the womb: air exhaling from your lungs — deep breath now — those gastric gurgles produced by your stomach and intestines, your voice and daddy’s too. By this week, the inner ear is fully developed. This organ controls his sense of balance, and helps your baby sense if he’s right side up or not in the womb. His startle reflex has developed now and you will actually feel loud noises like honking making the baby jump!
The eyelids closed and sealed together around week 11. They began to separate during week 20. By 24 weeks, the eyelids have separated, and are beginning to take their final shape.
Lungs are developed and alveoli are forming. Alveoli are small air sacs in the lungs. There are billions of these in the lungs and the purpose of these is to supply deoxygenated blood with a supply of oxygen through gas exchange. Babies start making lung surfactant . surfactant is a liquid which help babies to breathe-in air after delivery.
The darker patches of skin on your body and face are because of hormonal changes that have stimulated the pigment-bearing cells called melanin. They are termed as Varna haani by Ayurveda. The dark line down your abdomen is called the linea nigra. After your baby is born, these pigmented areas usually fade with time. Use a chemical-free sun exposure when stepping out.
As your body grows, you might also notice red streaks where the skin stretches. Stretch marks during pregnancy are most likely to occur on areas like your belly, buttocks, and breasts. Stretch marks can’t be prevented, but they can fade over time after the birth of your baby. You might also experience itchiness as your skin stretches; applying coconut oil might help reduce the itchy feeling.
You might be experiencing pain on either one or both sides of your abdomen or hip area. This could be round ligament pain, which is quite common during pregnancy. It happens because the ligaments holding your uterus in place are becoming strained and stretched. Yoga asanas that facilitate gentle stretching are helpful If the pain ever gets too intense; if it’s accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever or bleeding, a hospital visit is needed.
This, though not as common as other symptoms, does affect few women. Such as the red, itchy palms that have nothing to do with the amount of dishwashing you're doing. The red may spread, too, to the soles of your feet, though you're less likely to notice that once your feet become more difficult to see.
Kegel exercises get your vaginal muscles and perineal muscles ready to deliver that baby and can reduce the likelihood of tearing.
What are Yoga asanas that give the same benefits as Kegel?
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We have curated several pregnancy lifestyle sessions and expert-led webinars to help mums to build flexibility and to prepare their bodies for delivery.
The blood sugar test for gestational diabetes is done between 24-28 weeks of pregnancy. If you’ve had a previous pregnancy with gestational diabetes or are at high risk of developing the condition, you’ll probably be offered a test earlier than this.
The Gestational Diabetes Test
One-step
2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT): After a fasting glucose level is measured, a woman is given a 75-gram dose of glucose to drink and her glucose levels are measured at 1 hour and 2 hours after the dose. Only one of the values needs to be above a cutoff value for diagnosis.
Two-step
If the one-step test is abnormal, perform a 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test. After a woman’s fasting glucose level is measured, she is given a 100-gram glucose dose and her glucose is measured at timed intervals. If at least two of the glucose levels at fasting, 1 hour, 2 hour, or 3 hour are above a certain level, then a diagnosis of gestational diabetes is made.
Fewer than 10 percent of expectant moms develop gestational diabetes. If you do have it, remember that it’s treatable and most often temporary.
With all that development going on with your baby, it’s especially important to make sure you’re eating a nutritious diet. Some of the most important nutrients for you and your baby include iron, folate (a B vitamin), calcium, vitamin D, protein, and vitamin C. Let’s learn about protein this week. Good sources of protein include beans and peas, nuts, seeds and soy products. Preconception: Protein should account for 12 percent to 20 percent of your daily calories. Make sure to eat 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight , with a minimum of 40 grams of protein a day. For example, if you weigh 63 kgs, you should eat roughly 44 grams of protein a day. Pregnancy : During pregnancy, you should get a minimum of 60 grams of protein a day, which will account for approximately 20 percent to 25 percent of your calorie intake.
This protein-packed yummy recipe can be had at any meal or as a snack. Buckwheat is one of the healthiest foods which is tasty, easy to prepare and inexpensive. Buckwheat is not a grain, and is easy on the stomach, too.
How to prepare the stuffing.
Soak half-cup of Rajma overnight. Drain and boil in a pressure cooker, adding salt to taste. Drain the water and lightly saute it in a pan with chopped onions and 1 chopped tomato. Add a pinch of garam masala and chopped coriander leaves.
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iMumz provides micro nutrients week by week for your daily dose of nutrition. Diet charts and recipes are made by mothers to give your daily dose of health for your baby and you.
Your baby, or foetus, is around 30 cm long from head to heel, and weighs about 600 g. That's approximately the size of an ear of corn, and the weight of a big tub of ice-cream. Your 24-week-old fetus is growing fast, and though their wrinkly skin is still a bit see-through, they're quickly putting on that adorable baby fat, looking cuter and cuter each day. Their eyelashes, eyebrows and head of hair are still filling out, but the hair has yet to develop any pigment.
For healthy pregnant women, occasional air travel is almost always safe. Most airlines allow pregnant women to fly domestically until about 36 weeks of pregnancy.
If you're flying during your second trimester, it's a good idea to stay hydrated, think about wearing support stockings to avoid clotting on long flights, and make sure you've done your research on hospitals located near your destination should an emergency arise.
Eating ghee is important because it will make the delivery easy.
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Ghee is a good source of dietary fat but no more. In fact, having too much of it can lead to obesity. Also, whatever you eat goes through your digestive tract while the baby is born through the birth canal. What is in another system is not going to ‘lubricate’ the canal, as people believe!
Pranayama
Pregnant women are literally breathing for two. Mum-to-be is a super provider: she provides oxygen and nutrients to the growing baby and removes waste products from the baby’s blood through the placenta. In response to the challenges and changes of the respiratory system that arise during pregnancy, an effective way to manage vitality is changing the rhythm, depth and pace of breath.
Pranayama practices are not only hugely cleansing and detoxing for the mum, they produce good hormones that reach the baby. Babies also recognize relaxed breath patterns, the rhythm and sound of the mother’s breath which can be so helpful immediately after birth. It facilitates the bonding between mum and baby.
We have weekly yoga sessions to help mums to connect with babies for their all-round development.
The award-winning iMumz App is helping 350,000 + women make their pregnancies healthier and happier.
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