Second Month of Pregnancy

The physical and emotional symptoms in the second month of your pregnancy will be similar to the first month. In the second month of your pregnancy, you may have your first medical visit and you should continue to see your health – care provide once per month until the end of the second trimester. Your health – care provider will make you many routine tests, such as blood and urine testing, to be sure if your baby is developing in the right way. Miscarriage and vaginal bleeding are concerns during the second month of pregnancy. The second month of pregnancy is including weeks from 5 – 8. [1]

These weeks mark the very initial stages of your fetus development and they introduce a less glamorous side of pregnancy, which means pregnancy symptoms and discomforts.  You need to keep all of your prenatal appointments to make sure that you are staying healthy and that the progress of your pregnancy is going okay. Your doctor will tell you which you should not eat, so you will avoid any side effects caused by the unhealthy food. At the early beginning of the second month of pregnancy, your healthcare provider will be able to hear the fetal heartbeat.

You should know that there will be more than one heartbeat if you are expecting twins or more. Your doctor will give you a nutritious and healthy pregnancy diet, which you need to follow. If you have any questions about the second month of your pregnancy, then you should not doubt to ask your doctor about it. When you are in your second month of pregnancy, your emotional life might be a rollercoaster of highs and lows.

You can seek a support group, but also you need to talk with your loved ones about how you are feeling. Your doctor will help you to calculate the date of your birth, so you will know when you will expect the little one.

The second month of pregnancy:

In the second month, your baby’s facial features continue to develop. Each ear of your baby begins as a little fold of skin at the side of its head. Also, tiny buds which eventually grow into arms and legs are forming. Also, eyes, fingers, and toes are forming in the second month of pregnancy. Also, the neural tube (which is composed of the brain, spinal cord, and other neural tissue of the central nervous system) is formed. [2]

The bones of your baby will start to replace the cartilage. Also, the embryo will begin to move, but the mother cannot feel it yet. By the end of the second month, your baby (which now is fetus) will be about 1 inch (2.54 cm) long, weighs about one–third ounce (9.45 grams), and the third of the baby is now made up of its head.

The most common symptoms at two months pregnant: When you are at two months pregnant, then some of the most experienced pregnancy symptoms can include:

• Dizziness
• Fatigue [3]
• Flatulence
• Bloating
• Constipation
• Heartburn and indigestion
• Slight swelling of hands and feet
• Food cravings and aversions [4,5]
• Morning sickness
• Mood changes

Often, the symptoms of pregnancy become noticeable when women are in their second month of pregnancy. Usually, the common discomforts, like vomiting, nausea, heartburn, peeing more often, feeling very tired and breast tenderness get worse. Also, your body is producing extra blood during the pregnancy and your heartbeat is getting faster and harder than usual to carry the extra blood. Not all of the mentioned pregnancy symptoms are pleasant, but they are a normal part of being pregnant and you may only experience some of them.

Your pregnancy week by week: Weeks 5 – 8:

Below we have explained these weeks, so you can know what to expect in the second month of your pregnancy.

Week 5:

• Baby: In this week, your baby is still tiny, but its bones, muscle, spinal cord, brain and heart are beginning to develop. Also, the placenta (this part nourishes your baby) and the amniotic sac (this is providing a warm and safe environment where your baby can move easily) are still forming. Also, the umbilical cord forms and it connects your baby to your blood supply.
• Mom–to–be: In this week, you might suspect that you are pregnant. Also, you can notice some early symptoms of pregnancy, like feeling more tired than usual; needing to pee more often; tingling or soreness in your breasts and darkening of your nipples; feeling nauseous (called morning sickness, although it can happen at any time of day or night).
• Tip of the week: As soon as you suspect that you are pregnant, you will need to schedule a visit to your ob-gyn. It is very important to start with your prenatal care early and keeping up with your appointments because this can ensure that you will have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Week 6:

• Baby: In this week, your baby is shaped like a tadpole and it is about the size of a BB pellet. The limb buds and eyes are forming. When your doctor will make you an ultrasound, then he will be able to hear a heartbeat. The most vulnerable time is between days 17 and 56 because this is the period when the baby is most susceptible to anything which can affect its normal growth.
• Mom–to–be: In this week you may have gained a few pounds by now or if you have morning sickness, then you may have lost weight, which is normal too. Also, you will start noticing some changes in your body, such as fuller legs and breasts and clothes getting a little tighter around your waist. When your doctor will make a pelvic exam, then he will notice a change in the size of your uterus.
• Tip of the week: You need to follow a good prenatal habit on daily basis, like taking prenatal vitamins and eating healthfully. You need to stop drinking alcohol and stop smoking if you have not done it already.

Week 7:

• Baby: In this week, your baby is growing. It appears that limb buds will grow into your hands and feet. Many parts of your body will continue to develop, like eyes, mouth, nostrils, spinal cord, brain, appendix, intestines, lungs, and heart.
• Mom–to–be: In this week, you are still not showing, but by now you are really feeling the changes in your body. You may still have morning sickness and your breasts will probably still feel tender and tingly.
• Tip of the week: You should never let your stomach get completely empty because this can help you from feeling queasy. You need to keep your snacks on hand around the clock and you need to eat lots of little meals rather than three big ones. You need to eat some protein and add cheese to your crackers because this can prevent a drop in your blood sugar.

Week 8:

• Baby: Your baby is not in the sixth week of development and this is a big week for growth. Its ears and eyelids are forming. Also, your baby develops little webbed fingers and toes and it can even swim around in your womb.
• Mom–to–be: In this week your blood volume is increasing and your heart is pumping 50% more blood per minute for your baby. The moodiness and queasiness from certain smells are the most common symptoms for this week.
• Tip of the week: You need to wear a supportive bra. When you have good breast support during your pregnancy, then this will help you to feel more comfortable and it can help to prevent future sagging. Also, you need to exercise, because this can help to keep your chest muscles toned.

What is happening inside you:

In the second month of your pregnancy, your baby’s facial features continue to develop. Each ear begins as a little fold of skin that is at the side of your head. Also, tiny buds will grow into arms and legs and they are forming too. The fingers and toes of your baby are forming too. In this month, the neural tube is also formed (spinal cord, brain, and other nerve tissue). The sensory organs and the digestive tract will begin to develop and bones start to replace the cartilage.

What happens with your baby in the second month:

When you are in the second month of pregnancy, then your baby is making over a million new cells every minute and these cells are forming all of your baby’s organs. The baby’s heart takes shape first and then, it is followed by the liver. By the end of the second month, all of your baby’s organs will be in place, but they will not be fully functioning yet. [2]

Also, by the end of the second month, your baby will have arm and leg buds, which will start to grow into your baby’s limbs. Your baby has the beginnings of her or his eyes, including the eyelids which are fused shut for now. Your baby is about the size of a raspberry and it weighs about half an ounce.

References:

[1] Cohain JS, Buxbaum RE, Mankuta D. Spontaneous first trimester miscarriage rates per woman among parous women with 1 or more pregnancies of 24 weeks or more. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth . 2017;17.

[2] Reissland N, Francis B, Mason J, Lincoln K. Do facial expressions develop before birth? PLoS One. 2011;6(8):e24081.

[3] University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. Fainting during pregnancy can be a sign of problems for both mother and baby. Science Daily. 2019. Retrieved from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190528145631.htm

[4] Greenwood V. The surprising reason why pregnant women get cravings. Future. 2020. Retrieved from www.bbc.com/future/article/20200715-the-surprising-reason-why-pregnant-women-get-cravings

[5] Blau LE, Lipsky LM, Depmster KW, et al. Women’s experience and understanding of food cravings in pregnancy: A qualitative study in women receiving prenatal care at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2020;120(5):815-24.