My Second Trimester

Week 13

Congratulations, you are now entering your second trimester. Your baby’s amazing growth and development continues. The intestines which were once housed in your baby’s umbilical cord have now entered the abdomen. Urine is now being produced by your baby and excreted into the amniotic fluid. Developing inside your baby’s extremities and surrounding his or her baby’s head is tissue which will grow to be bone. Miniature ribs may be seen. Your baby is measuring about the size of a plump nectarine. Your baby’s head takes up about half of his or her total length.

Now that your first trimester is complete, it’s important to proactively continue tracking all the important changes taking place in your body from week to week. Your second trimester heralds much anticipation, joy and wonder!

DEPRESSION

Antenatal (or Prenatal) Depression is depression during pregnancy. Not only is it common, it may also continue or newly manifest as Perinatal Mood And Anxiety Disorder (PMAD) which encompasses a wide range of mood disorders after delivery and up to a year after your baby is born. You may have signs of depression but not even be aware that you are depressed. It’s estimated that approximately 13 percent of pregnant women and new mothers experience depression.