You might be napping more often, and taking lots more trips to the bathroom these days. Although your baby’s birth is many months away, your body is already making preparations.

Physical Changes

• You may gain a pound or two.

• Your waist and breast size increases, and your nipples begin to darken.

• Your uterus may feel like a small lump above your pubic bone. It is softer, rounded, and larger. It crowds the bladder, so you may urinate more often.

• Your placenta is growing and more hormones are being produced.

• Tissues around your vagina become bluish as blood supply increases to nourish the baby.

• Vaginal flow becomes thicker, whiter, and stickier.

• You may be more tired and have less energy.

• Nausea (morning sickness) may still occur and be more noticeable in the morning.

Emotional Changes

• Pregnancy hormones can contribute to mood swings.

She’s no bigger than your pinkie finger, but her heart already beats inside you. As she grows, your love and excitement grow too.

• Eyes and ears are in a critical time of growth. Her facial features are forming.

• Her head is large, since the brain grows faster than the other organs.

• Cartilage, skin, and muscles are starting to shape her body.

• The umbilical cord has formed.

• Fingers, toes, and fingernails are forming.

• Her stomach, liver, and kidneys are developing.

• Her heart is beating.

• Your baby weighs about one-half to one ounce and is about 2-1/4 inches long.

Your health care professional will check the following:

• Blood tests:

  • Blood type and Rh factor

  • Hemoglobin and/or hematocrit (anemia)

  • Rubella titer (if susceptible to German measles)

  • Syphilis

  • Hepatitis B

  • HIV

• Other tests as needed

• Blood pressure

• Weight

• Urine

• Sugar (check for diabetes)

• Protein (check for kidney disease or toxemia)

• Bacteria (check for bladder or kidney infection)

• Pap smear

• Gonorrhea culture

• Complete physical examination

• Pelvic examination to check size and shape of pelvis

If you experience morning sickness (which can occur any time of the day), you are not alone. Estimates vary, but 50 to 80 percent of pregnant women report some sort of morning sickness. If you’re one of the chosen ones, try eating a few dry crackers as soon as you wake up. Or if you can, stay in bed until the feeling goes away. (This will probably only work for the next few weeks, by the way!)

Your health care professional may suggest taking your prenatal vitamins at night, before going to bed, to ease morning sickness. Eating small meals throughout the day instead of three large meals also may help. If you have severe, frequent, or prolonged vomiting, report it to your health care professional.