Feeling Pregnant
3 Key Emotional Changes
11 Most Common Physical Changes
How your Baby is Growing: Weeks 5-8

During the second month of pregnancy, most women "feel" pregnant with at least a little bit of nausea and fatigue. By now the hormone levels necessary for growing your uterus and your baby are elevated, causing an emotional and physical metamorphosis that is pretty much beyond your control. Embrace these rapid changes. Remind yourself that your experience, while temporary, is very unique—you're the only one to carry this particular child. When you consider that you are creating another life in just nine short months, the inconvenience and discomfort become secondary.

Your mind and body will tell you you're pregnant long before anyone else notices. During these early months you may become more introspective as you consider the miracle going on inside you and the changes ahead. It's easy to feel preoccupied even at work, especially if this is your first pregnancy.

Many of the emotions you felt in the first month intensify during the second and continue to be as unsettled as your stomach. Adjusting to the idea of pregnancy invading your body takes time. It is normal to feel both happy about growing a baby and anxious about the toll pregnancy takes on your mind, body, and lifestyle. Many mothers report feeling some antipathy toward their babies for making them so sick. It's nothing to feel guilty about. (You won't hold it against your baby when he's born!) No matter how much you love your baby now; you're bound to hate feeling nauseated. Three key emotional changes include:

1. Overly sensitive and touchy. With your mind preoccupied with all the issues of pregnancy, little things that didn't bother you previously now set you off, and you may find yourself overreacting to trivial nuisances. Where you previously tolerated quirks in your mate's personality, there may be days when you just can't stand some of the things he does. Or you may go to pieces if he is ten minutes late getting home from work. A dog barking or the doorbell ringing may startle you. Daily tasks can seem mountainous when you're tired, nauseous, and awash in ambivalence. Take this touchiness as a signal from your body, telling you to do what you can to clear your environment of things that disturb your peace. Of course, you can't tell your mate or your three-year-old to move out for a few months, but you can be sure to get enough rest, to spend time each day relaxing your body and mind, and to ask for peace and quiet when you need it.

2. Upset for no reason. As the excitement and newness of the pregnancy begin to wear off and you settle into the reality of pregnant family life, you are likely to feel less tolerant of the normal upsets of family living. At the same time, your mate may become less understanding. The pregnancy may not seem very real to him yet, and he may not understand that you no longer have the energy to do what you did two months ago. Your sexual desire is waning; it's hard to feel sexy when you're tired, nauseated, and concerned about your changing body. This may further frustrate your spouse, making matters worse. Remind him (tactfully) that you are pregnant, and even though he can't see the changes in your body, you can certainly feel them. Also, tell him that there's hope: "the books says" you'll be feeling better in another month or two.

3. Feeling dependent. Prior to being pregnant you may have been used to a relatively independent lifestyle at work and at home. You were used to doing things for everyone else and being on the receiving end of the thanks and the strokes from others. Now you are one who needs to be cared for, and being on the needy end of a relationship can trouble your self-esteem.

The most common physical effects of pregnancy women typically experience during the second month include:

Nausea
Fatigue
Breast changes
Itching
Frequent urination
Mouth watering
Thirst
Constipation
Gas and bloating
Heartburn
Expanding Waistline

The nausea and morning sickness that probably began last month often peaks in the second month. While nausea is caused by hormones and is a sign that your baby will be healthy, it's not much comfort when you feel seasick around the clock. Check out 24 Ways to Ease Morning Sickness

The occasional bouts of tiredness you experienced in your first month may now give way to total exhaustion. Last month you wanted to rest; this month you have to rest! Your hours of rest must increase. If the time is not spent sleeping, at least you may need to be off your feet.

Many women describe this fatigue as "bone-deep." This feeling is nature's way of compelling a busy woman to slow down and direct her energy where it is needed. You may find that you have to walk more slowly and you get out of breath more easily, even during normal walking. For your own sake and your baby's, listen to your body's message and rest as much as you can. If you have a demanding job, a demanding spouse, or a demanding toddler, leave work early, order take-out, or plug in the Sesame Street videos and sack out on the couch.

Your breasts will declare that you are pregnant long before your abdomen does. They are likely to feel slightly sore and swollen at first; the earliest sensations are similar to those you may be used to feeling in the second half of your menstrual period, only stronger. Then the buxom look of pregnancy begins. And your breasts are noticeably larger. Breasts typically increase one-cup size during the first trimester, and another one during the rest of the pregnancy. (The most dramatic increase in breast size will occur between two and four days postpartum when, due to the surge of milk-producing hormones and swelling in the tissues, your breasts seem to grow overnight!) Breast changes alone account for three pounds of your weight gain during pregnancy. Small-breasted women will notice these changes more, and first-time pregnant mothers may notice them more than they might in subsequent pregnancies. The tenderness in your breasts is most noticeable during the first three months and, like most discomforts of pregnancy, is less bothersome after the first trimester.

What Causes Breast Changes? Breast changes are caused, as you might expect, by a surge of hormones that stimulate the growth of milk glands and increase the blood flow to the breasts in order to nourish these glands. As the hormones are doing their work, you may notice throbbing sensations throughout your breasts. Your breasts may feel tingly, sore, warm, fuller, or more sensitive to touch. You may experience occasional shooting pains in your breasts that occur off and on for five minutes. You'll probably notice that your areola enlarge and darken, and that the tiny glands on the areola that secrete lubricating, antibacterial oil become more noticeable, resulting in a bumpier look. The veins on your breasts may also become more noticeable, like rivers and tributaries branching out over your breasts to deliver increased blood.

Although the rest of your body will eventually return to normal after pregnancy, your breasts will never be quite the same. They will acquire a different shape, going from your previous upward curviness to maternal, soft, global fullness. You may keep a bit of the buxom look you have while you are breastfeeding, or your breasts may actually seem smaller than you remember being. Bear in mind that these changes are due to pregnancy, and will occur whether or not you opt to breastfeed. Be kind to your breasts during pregnancy. Enjoy the comfort of frequent, warm showers and a breast massage if that helps. If you are concerned about sagging, you can help the skin and muscles around your breast tissue by wearing a supportive bra throughout your pregnancy (even at night if you need it.

Dry, itchy skin is common later in pregnancy, especially on an expanding abdomen, but many women report this symptom in their second month. Some experience overall dryness; others mention specific areas, such as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet that feel itchy. If you experience uncomfortable skin symptoms, avoid strong soaps and cleansers that rob your skin of natural oils. You might also try bathing instead of showering, as the constant pounding of hot water against skin may be irritating and drying. Some mothers prefer showering because spending too long in bath water can also rob the skin of natural oils.

Now would be a good time to pretty up your bathroom, since you will be spending a lot of time there in the months to come. Your growing uterus resides next to your bladder and definitely makes its presence felt on a regular basis. Though you will continue to urinate more frequently throughout your pregnancy, the urge to urinate is typically most noticeable during the first three months, before your uterus grows higher out of your pelvis; uterine pressure on even an empty bladder may trigger the urge to go. You can diminish this urge somewhat by emptying your bladder as much as possible when you do urinate (bear down three times and lean forward as you do so). Try the Kegel exercises to help add control.

You may also notice that it takes you longer to urinate. Be sure not to confuse the normal need to urinate more frequently with the symptoms of cystitis, a bladder infection that many women are prone to during pregnancy. Signs of cystitis include a noticeable change in urination pattern, accompanied by an increase in frequency, painful urination, an accelerated urge to urinate (whether it's necessary or not), and occasionally a fever.

If you suspect you may have a bladder infection, your doctor will need to check your urine for bacteria. Call your doctor's office and ask for instructions on how to do a "clean-catch midstream urine" sample, what type of sterile container to use, and where to bring the sample.

The composition and volume of saliva change during pregnancy. You may notice that your saliva tastes different and that there is more of it. Some women experience an annoying relationship between morning sickness and saliva production. For some, the increase in saliva triggers the nausea; for others, the nausea triggers the saliva. This excess salivation usually subsides by the end of the third month. If the taste bothers you, try sucking on a mint.

The need to urinate more frequently when pregnant means you'll have to drink more fluids. Thirst is your body's normal signal that you and your baby need more fluids. The increased water you drink helps your kidneys rid your body of the extra waste products produced by the baby. You also need more fluids because your blood volume increases to 40 percent when you are pregnant. In addition, your baby needs fluids to fill his or her growing swimming pool (the amniotic sac).

Most women are prone to constipation throughout their pregnancy. Early in pregnancy you can again blame pregnancy hormones, which slow the movement of food through your intestines. In physiologic jargon, this change is called decreased gastrointestinal motility. The slower passage of food and fluid allows more fluid to be absorbed (perhaps another one of nature's ways of ensuring that you get the necessary fluids into your system). The combination of reduced motility of the intestines and firmer waste products (since more fluid has been absorbed) contributes to constipation. In later pregnancy, the pressure of your enlarging uterus on the large intestine further hinders the passage of stools. The good news is you can outwit this uncomfortable effect of your hormones by eating foods that increase the water content of your bowel movements and foods that naturally travel faster through your intestines.

1. Increase fiber. Fiber ("roughage") passes through your intestines undigested and acts like a sponge, soaking up fluid. Increased fluid helps your stools move faster. It also helps you to pass them more easily. Include more:

• Fruits, especially prunes, pears, figs, and apricots
• Vegetables, especially crunchy vegetables such as carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, and celery
• Psyllium (a natural bran-like stool softener, available at nutrition stores)
• Whole grains, such as 100 percent bran and multi-grain bread
• Legumes, beans, and peas

2. Increase fluids. If you increase the fiber in your diet, you must correspondingly increase the volume of fluids; too much fiber and too little fluid can actually aggravate constipation by making your stools even firmer. If you love juice, switch to nectar (prune, pear, apricot), which is not only high in water, but also higher in fiber than plain juice. But make sure to get an additional six to eight glasses of water a day, too.

3. Increase exercise. Getting your whole body moving gets your intestines moving. Regular exercise seems to keep all your physiologic systems more regular, and your intestines are no exception.

4. Obey your urges. One of the conveniences of modern living is that people are seldom more than a few steps from a bathroom, but busy pregnant women may not take the time to empty their bowels when their intestines tell them to. As with most of your body's communication systems, however, unanswered signals soon lose their communication value. When you need to go, go; otherwise, your intestinal muscles get lazy, the signals get weaker, and constipation gets worse. (For more information see Fiber)

The same intestinal changes that contribute to constipation also may cause you to feel full of gas. As your pregnancy advances, this bloated feeling intensifies, because your growing uterus and your ballooning intestines are competing for room.

1. Keep your bowels moving. Avoid constipation, which contributes to bloating and gas.

2. Eat slowly. When you eat and drink fast, you gulp air. The more air you swallow, the more air your already sluggish intestines must deal with. Chew your food long and well. The better the upper end of your digestive tract does its food-processing job, the easier it will be on the lower end.

3. Eat non-gassy foods. Your intestines will tell you what they like and what they don't. Common gas-producing foods include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, beans, green peppers, and carbonated beverages.

4. Avoid fried and greasy foods. High-fat foods can also contribute to your bloated feeling because they are very hard to digest, and stay in your intestines a long time.

5. Eat like a baby. Eating small, frequent meals is more intestine-friendly than taking three big daily meals. Most pregnant women feel the most comfortable "grazing," eating 5 to 6 mini meals at regular intervals each day.

Shortly after eating, and sometimes even between meals, many pregnant women belch and burp frequently and experience a burning, irritating sensation just below their breastbone. Pregnancy hormones are to blame as they cause an overall slowdown of the intestines, relax the stomach muscles, and delay the time it takes for food and gastric acids to be passed from the stomach. Thus, food and acids sit in your stomach longer than they used to. Pregnancy hormones also relax the protective muscles located at the entrance to the stomach which normally act as a protective band, preventing foods and acids from traveling back into the lower end of the esophagus when the stomach contracts. The medical name for this condition is gastroesophageal reflux (GER). (So what you have is really "esophagus burn," not "heartburn.") GER also produces the vague, uncomfortable sensation of "indigestion." Later on, as your uterus grows and begins pressing upward, pressure on your intestines and stomach, may make "heartburn" even more aggravating.

7 STRATEGIES TO EASE HEARTBURN DURING PREGNANCY

1. Eat small, frequent feedings to avoid stomach overload.

2. Use gravity to help keep the food down. Avoid lying flat immediately after eating better to sit up for at least a half-hour.

3. Later in pregnancy many women surprisingly claim relief from heartburn when assuming the hands and knees position, which takes advantage of gravity to pull the uterus away from the stomach and allows the stomach contents to move more easily into the intestines rather than refluxing up into the esophagus.

4. Keep a list of which foods aggravate your heartburn and avoid them (i.e., spicy or greasy foods).

5. Avoid fatty foods that take a long time to digest.

6. Milk, cream, or low-fat ice cream taken right before a meal may coat your stomach and relieve some of the acid burn.

7. Calcium-containing and low-salt antacids taken just before meals may help. Avoid drinking large amounts of liquid with meals. Use only commercial antacids made with calcium.

Even though you don't yet "show," you may begin to feel larger in the waist this month. It's normal to feel larger before you begin to look larger; while your uterus is only slightly bigger, your abdomen may be somewhat distended because of bloated bowels and a slight weight gain. As your waistband tightens, you will need to make adjustments in both your clothing and in your attitude toward your body. This is the first step in coming to terms with your pregnant body image.