Congratulations mama you’ve made it to week 15 of your pregnancy. Now well into your second trimester, chances are that you’re seeing some relief from some of those awful symptoms of nausea and frequent urination. Now is a good time to talk about your water intake. It’s very important that you drink enough water so that you’re not getting dehydrated. A good rule of thumb is to drink half an ounce for each pound of body weight, but the Mayo Clinic advises at least 10 cups of water per day. I know it might sound crazy to be drinking this much water when you already have to pee a lot but trust me, your body needs that water and so does your baby.
As mentioned last week this is usually pregnant mom’s favorite trimester because a lot of those troublesome symptoms from the first trimester have subsided and you’re not too big yet, so the uncomfortably large stage of pregnancy hasn’t started yet.
This week your baby is approximately 4 inches from crown to rump and weighs around 2 1/2 ounces. You have about 25 weeks to go on this journey and may have started gaining weight yourself. Experts say that you should gain about a pound a week from here on out. Remember, every pregnancy is different and as long as you are gaining within healthy boundaries set up by your doctor or midwife you’ll be just fine.
You may have noticed that your gums and mouth are bleeding when you brush your teeth. This is perfectly normal and it’s caused by pregnancy hormones triggering gingivitis and inflammation of the gums. It will typically go away after pregnancy just make sure you’re still brushing and flossing as much as recommended by your dentist - usually twice per day.
As for your baby they’re starting to look like, well, a baby, at about the size of a navel orange.
The good news is that your baby's ears are at their final resting place on the side of his head. His eyes are also moving into the proper place. His skin is still translucent and you can see the network of veins under his skin, but the body of your baby no longer looks so foreign.
This week we are interviewing Amber Fruhling. Amber is a mother of four, a music teacher, and a former doula. She trained with DONA International as a birth and postpartum doula and certified with the HypnoBirthing Institute as a birth doula and fertility consultant. Amber also shares her experience with Hyperemesis Gravidarum, Group B Strep Infection (GBS)
and emergency cesarean section, hypnotic-birthing and VBACs, this interview is packed with so much information!
Amber recommends the use of water to make your labor experience better. Think: bathtub or shower.
You can connect with amber through email at: mydoulaamber@gmail.com