You are almost at the halfway point right now! Congratulations! How are you feeling? Some moms may experience just about every symptom in the book, while others are lucky enough to get away with very few. No matter which side you belong on- know that the journey is almost over. You will be feeling your baby kick soon, if you haven’t already- which is very assuring to most moms.
What you may be experiencing
Does it seem like everything you eat causes heartburn right now? There are a few reasons for this. As the uterus grows up out of the pelvic cavity, your stomach may begin to get cramped causing heartburn and other problems. The overall slowdown of the digestive tract can also cause heartburn and gastric problems with a lot of moms. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot that can be done to relieve the discomfort. Try eating smaller meals throughout the day, and remaining upright for at least an hour after every meal. Eating right before bed can trigger pain in some moms. Antacids that contain extra calcium are usually safe to take- and can give your baby extra nutrients. Make sure to check with your doctor before taking any medication however- just to make sure it is ok.
Your Baby
Your baby is growing bigger every day! Now, permanent teeth buds are beginning to form in your baby’s mouth. While you won’t be able to experience a toothy grin for some time now, those baby teeth are in the works. At this point, a skilled ultrasound technician should be able to see the gender of your baby if you want to know. Though some babies are shy and make it difficult to see! If you want it to be a surprise, make sure to notify the tech before they scan your baby’s lower body so that you don’t see anything accidentally.
Concerns or Points of Interest
At this point in your treatment, your doctor may discuss having a glucose tolerance screen to rule out gestational diabetes. This is typically done between 24-28 weeks, but can be done earlier if you show certain risk factors. The test requires you to drink a simple glucose solution, and then have a blood draw after an hour. If the results are abnormal, you may be asked to do a longer 3 hour test that will help determine if you have gestational diabetes or not.