4th month of pregnancy – Mother’s body changes
Feeling is believing when it comes to pregnancy. When you actually sense your child inside you, it seeps that you are nurturing another human being within you. It is a lifetime experience. Your meals are staying down; your energy level is high.
Your Body Changes during month 4 of Pregnancy
You will look very pregnant now if you were not looking last month. The top tip of the uterus lies just below your belly button. The uterus is about the size of a head of a cabbage.
Due to hormonal changes the thin line of fine hair that runs from your navel down to your pubic turns dark. It will however lighten again after birth of the child.
What you feel like when you are 4 months Pregnant?
Your appetite may improve this month especially if you have been suffering from NVP symptoms earlier. In this trimester you will gain about eleven to fifteen pounds of weight. You will need a healthy appetite for proper fetal growth. As the uterus crowds your stomach heartburn becomes a constant problem.
Caution when you are 4 months Pregnant
Some tips to prevent and control heartburn are:
- Avoid large meals.Eat smaller, frequent meals.
- Reduce stomach acid by drinking plenty of water between meals.
- Avoid spicy, greasy and fatty foods.
- Keep a trace of whatever you have eaten and determine the foods that cause your heart burn.
- Avoid eating before you go to bed or lying down to rest.
- Use some extra pillows on the bed. This helps ease heartburn while you sleep.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks. These relax the valve between the stomach and esophagus which may initiate heartburn.
- Use over the counter medications and antacids if the heartburn symptoms don’t reduce. Find out from your doctor about the ideal one for you.
Problems also start occurring in the rear. Many women develop hemorrhoids. It is caused by increased pressure on the rectal veins. As a result they can become blocked trap blood, turn itchy, painful and even protrude from the anus.
Plenty of water, exercise and a high fiber diet prevent constipation and straining with bowel movements. Ease the pain with a topical prescription cream, as prescribed by the doctor, soak in warm tub, use an ice pack and use wipes with witch hazel. If hemorrhoids do occur speak to your doctor about them because they have the potential to develop more than just a minor discomfort. Usually they heal after pregnancy. In some cases clotting occurs and surgery is essential.
Others symptoms of pregnancy that you may start or continue at the 4th month of pregnancy include
- Fatigue
- Bleeding gums
- Gas and/or constipation
- Nausea
- Feeling warm or easily overheated
- Frequent urination
- Skin and hair changes
- Excess mucus and saliva
- Tender and/or swollen breasts
- Mild shortness of breath
- Light-headed feeling or dizziness
- Increase in normal discharge.
Fetal Movements when you are 4 months pregnant
Women who are into their second or third pregnancy are already aware and may recognize the sensation of the little body flexing in the womb. But for first timers the stretch and push of the fetus inside you is quite an experience. The first movements (quickening) may not be felt quite as early. Most women will experience the first flutter by week nineteen.
Pregnancy causes a lot of gastrointestinal symptoms. So the movements described as butterfly wings, block of jiggling Jell-O, gas or bubble movements or gentle nudges of a baby go unnoticed. It is only when baby becomes persistent with her movements for a few days that the movement is noticed.
Your baby is now establishing behavioral patterns. When you are up and moving about she may doze off. But when you lay down to take rest she wakes up and moves. Once the baby starts moving regularly the sensation becomes a second nature. You should experience four or more movements in an hour on an average. A sudden decrease in fetal activity or three or lesser movement signifies everything is not okay with the baby. Call your doctor immediately when such situation arises.
The Shape You Are In when you are 4 months into your pregnancy
From the time you will be showing a protruding belly. People will start predicting the gender of the baby. They presume that it is a girl if the tummy is high and it’s a boy if the tummy is low. However only your posture, build and pregnancy history is responsible for the way you carry. Women who had a previous pregnancy will have flexible abdominal muscles and therefore often carry lower. The position of the baby also influences the shape of your body.