Counting down to second trimester!

• Small tooth buds are appearing under your baby's gums.
• His ears continue to form and even “move” to the sides of his head.
• His limbs also start to move--but you won't experience major kicking until a month or two.
• Your baby is starting to inhale and exhale small amounts of amniotic fluid, which helps his lungs grow and develop.
• His head may seem disproportionate to the rest of his body at this point, but slowly yet surely, the bodily development will take place over the next few weeks so your baby looks more like a... human!
• From week 11 to week 20, the half way mark, baby will have tripled in length and increase his weight by 30 fold!

Pregnancy Symptoms

• Morning sickness may start to improve (or not).
• You may still be experiencing headaches, migraines or mood swings, with a combination of fatigue, stress, and emotional changes. All these do take a toll. Good news in this week by week pregnancy guide: you should find relief by the second trimester, which is within reach!
• Some pregnant mums may experience fullness in the breasts and the areola seems to darken. Fret not, all is normal. It’s just your body preparing itself for your new baby.

Pregnancy Care

• While it’s important to keep an active lifestyle unless otherwise advised by your gynaecologist, there are activities which you might wish to avoid at this point such as certain household chores. There's no better time than now to get your partner involved! (This is probably the best news in this week by week pregnancy guide for you, mum!)
• Some mums may feel less than splendid during the first trimester, but hang in there! You are almost reaching the end of the first leg. Make yourself feel better by pampering yourself with a manicure or pedicure (opt for a home service if you prefer not to be inhaling all those chemicals at a salon) or get a refreshing new haircut.
• There are some things you can do when pregnant (acupuncture, massages, hair dyeing, hair removal), but it also boils down to how much of those old wives’ tales you subscribe to or how safe the products used are. For the latter, chemical-free is the best way to go.

 Your Checklist

• Oscar tests (which stands for One-Stop Clinic for Assessment of Risk for Fetal Anomalies) are usually done between weeks 11 to 14 to screen for Down Syndrome amongst others. Your gynaecologist should inform you to pre-book a schedule prior. With the types of tests now available in Singapore, namely the Harmony Prenatal Test and the Non-invasive Prenatal Test, you might even be able to find out your baby’s gender too!