What's Happening to Me

• Your breasts may become lumpy and tender. A feeling of fullness accompanied by a tingling or throbbing in the breasts often occurs.
• The placenta is growing and more hormones are being produced.
• Tissue around the vagina become bluish as more blood supply nourishes the baby.
• You may be more tired and have less energy.
• Nausea (morning sickness) may occur and may be more noticeable in the morning.

What's Happening to My Baby

• Your baby's elbows, knees, fingers and toes develop.
• She has her major body organs and systems, though they aren't completely developed.
• Baby's bones begin to harden.
• The facial features are forming.
• She can move, is about 5 to 6 cm (2 ¼ inches) long, and weighs less than 30 grams (1 ounce).

Things I Need to Do

A balanced diet, proper exercise, extra rest, regular health care visits, and family support are ways you can help assure a healthy pregnancy. Take care of yourself and the life growing inside you with this helpful advice:

• Try not to miss prenatal visits to your health care professional. If you can't make a scheduled appointment, schedule another as soon as possible.
• Exercise regularly, but safely. Be sure to talk with your health care professional before you start or continue any exercise program.
• Make it a goal to gain the proper amount of weight—11.5 to 16 kg (25 to 35 pounds) if your weight was normal for your height before pregnancy. The recommended weight gain will be more if you were underweight or are expecting twins, less if you were overweight before pregnancy.
• During pregnancy, your diet should include the right amount of the following foods: milk, yogurt and cheese; vegetables; bran, cereal, rice, and pasta; fruits; and meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts. No additional calorie intake is recommended during the first trimester as women typically do not gain much weight during that time.
• Snack on vegetables, fruits, milk and health-wise cereals to satisfy your appetite and meet your nutritional needs. You'll be less tempted to eat high-calorie, low-nutrition foods like candy, cookies, soft drinks and chips if you don't buy them.
• Take prenatal vitamins as recommended by your health care professional. Large doses of some vitamins can be dangerous.
• Try to get the extra rest you need. If you work, find a place where you can put your feet up or a couch to lie down on. Refresh yourself with a brisk walk or a short nap.
• Do not smoke, drink alcoholic beverages, or take street drugs, herbal remedies, or medications—including over-the-counter—that are not approved by your health care professional. These substances can be harmful to your baby.
• Avoid exposure to environmental and occupational hazards, such as harmful levels of lead, mercury, and radiation from X rays.
• Discuss with your health care professional any plans to continue working during pregnancy. Issues to consider include: problems you may have had during any past pregnancy; type of work you do; number of hours you work; job-related hazards or concerns; and your employer's maternity-leave policy.

Dealing With Morning Sickness

Pregnant women who experience morning sickness may be able to ease their discomfort by eating a few dry crackers when they wake up, and by staying in bed for a while until the feeling goes away. Your health care professional may also recommend taking the prescribed prenatal vitamins at night before going to bed. Sometimes, eating small amounts of food in several meals instead of three large meals also helps. If you have severe, frequent, or prolonged vomiting, report it to your health care professional.

A portion of the information contained within this page has been taken from patient education material from www.medicalcenter.osu.edu. © the Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio. All rights reserved.

The information contained in the www.medicalcenter.osu.edu Web site is provided as a public service by The Ohio State University Medical Center. It is posted for informational and educational purposes only. This information should not be construed as personal medical advice. Because each person’s health needs are different, a physician should be consulted before acting on any information provided in these materials. Although every effort is made to ensure that this material is accurate and up-to-date, it is provided for the convenience of the user and should not be considered definitive.