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In the second trimester of pregnancy running from the 13th to the 26th week, a lot of changes are happening in your body. So around this time, baby is really starting to grow big. So we're getting an increase in the size of your uterus and increase in your breasts because their breast tissue is building up and getting ready for breastfeeding. And after 20 weeks around 20 to the 26 week mark, baby has a lot of room in there and is really starting to move. So you're getting elbows and knees and kicks and bumps and all kinds of stuff happening so that you can really get to know that little one that's inside of you. And around the time of the second trimester as your uterus is increasing in size, it's coming up out of your pelvis and into your abdomen. You're noticing that your belly is getting much bigger.
In the second trimester of pregnancy running from the 13th to the 26th week, a lot of changes are happening in your body. So around this time, baby is really starting to grow big. So we're getting an increase in the size of your uterus and increase in your breasts because their breast tissue is building up and getting ready for breastfeeding. And after 20 weeks around 20 to the 26 week mark, baby has a lot of room in there and is really starting to move. So you're getting elbows and knees and kicks and bumps and all kinds of stuff happening so that you can really get to know that little one that's inside of you. And around the time of the second trimester as your uterus is increasing in size, it's coming up out of your pelvis and into your abdomen. You're noticing that your belly is getting much bigger.
Another change with the hormones that can happen during the second and third trimester of pregnancy is in the vagina. So we know that the discharge of the vagina is hormonally responsive. And so you're going to have some changes in the consistency, even the color or the smell of the vaginal discharge. But if you have any concerns about an infection, for example, the discharge changes abruptly. You notice there's a weird smell or an, a foul odor or some burning or itching. It could indicate that there's a vaginal infection, potentially a yeast or candida infection, potentially a bacterial infection. And most of the time, the vast majority of the time that is not a concern for the baby or the pregnancy at all, but it is something that can be very uncomfortable for you as the mom, and to make sure that you see your doctor so that you can get those things treated.
There's a lot going on in the second trimester of pregnancy, a lot of hormonal changes, a lot of changes in your blood volume. There's a decrease in the ability of your blood to clot. And that can mean that you have bleeding of your gums when you're flossing or brushing your teeth. You can have a bloody nose a little bit more than usual, or blow your nose and notice blood tinge on there. And you want to make sure that you're keeping your dental hygiene as high as possible, and definitely seeing your dentist very regularly. Even throughout pregnancy. These are very important, preventative and personal wellness pieces. As you go through pregnancy, you're not just growing another human inside of you. You also have to take care of your own body and your own health care.
You may also notice that the uterus itself, which is essentially a muscle is starting to tighten up or contract a little bit. And some of those contractions can be called Braxton Hicks contractions, or really benign contractions that are just happening in response to baby moving or after you've had physical activity, or just because the uterine muscle itself is getting stretched. Now, Braxton Hicks contractions are totally harmless. However, if they start to become regular or strong, really painful, then you definitely need to be talking to your doctor because you could be going into early labor or having an abnormal contraction pattern in your uterus.
"Besides the increase in the size of your belly and the increase in the size of your breasts, there's a lot of hormonal changes going on in the second trimester. So hormonal changes that are causing some skin changes. So some increase in pigment in the skin, something called melasma, which is where there's brown patches on the skin, or even the line going up and down your belly can get darker. And those are just increases in melanin and changes in the skin that will generally fade or get lighter. After delivery, stretch marks can become possible. Those are kind of shiny squiggly or even purple-y kind of lines on the skin. As the collagen in the skin starts to really stretch. Now stretch marks can generally fade in intensity after delivery as well. And there are some ways to prevent stretch marks with certain creams and oils, things that you can try to keep the skin moisturized as your uterus grows and your skin stretches so that you can be as comfortable as possible with all of those body changes. Another thing that happens is you have an increase in blood volume and with an increase in the amount of blood in your body. There's a lot of changes in blood pressure. So you may find that you get dizzy when you stand up too quickly, or you want to make sure that you stay hydrated, that you drink lots of water and you get lots of rest and you really take care of yourself because all of the physiology that's happening inside your body is preparing you for that baby to be delivered. And there's a human life that's growing inside of there. So it's really important that you look after yourself."
And we know that with the changes in blood pressure and the changes in blood volume, there may be some increased swelling. You may feel bloated. You may have some bowel changes as the baby pushes on your bowel. You may have some cramping or even some constipation related to some of those hormone changes. And if you have swelling, for example, swelling in your feet, your ankles kind of below your knees, that can be worse if you've been on your feet for too long. So if it's something that becomes uncomfortable or concerning for you, sometimes swelling can be an indicator of other health conditions in pregnancy like pregnancy induced, hypertension or preeclampsia. And if you have concerns, you definitely need to talk with your obstetrical care provider about that. But if it's just general inconvenience, swelling, or feeling bloated, and you're able to get off your feet and you're able to rest, make sure you stay hydrated and you rest and you take care of yourself and you don't stand for long periods, if you can avoid it. And when you get home, put your feet up a little bit over on your left side. So that gets your uterus off of your big blood vessels so the baby can still get as much oxygen as he or she needs, but elevate your feet a little bit, just to make yourself more comfortable. If you've had to be standing and you have some swelling in your lower legs.
Another thing that can occur with pregnancy because of some of the pressure in your belly and because of the way your blood volume is increasing is you could end up with, or some women end up with a urinary tract infection. And so if you have burning, when you go pee or you have a foul smell to your urine, or you have abdominal pain or discomfort or sharp pains, when you void, you definitely need to be checked out to make sure you don't have a urinary tract infection. Or if you do to get that treated appropriately before it causes any trouble with the pregnancy or a potentially ascending or climbing infection that can affect the kidneys. So if you have any concerns in pregnancy see your healthcare provider, but there's a lot going on in your body. And so reading about pregnancy, getting to know your body better and starting to understand some of the amazing adaptations that are occurring so that you can grow and develop another human being inside you.
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