16th to 19th SA, 14th to 17th week | The 4th month of pregnancy promises to be more relaxing for the future mother. The symptoms fade, baby continues to grow and a mandatory medical visit is scheduled. Céline Hattab Braha, liberal midwife, tells us more.
After three eventful months, it’s the start of the fourth month of pregnancy. During this new stage, you will notice some positive developments. The pregnancy symptoms will gradually dissipate, giving way to certain joys specific to pregnancy, such as the fact of feel baby move for the first time ! It is also during this 4th month of pregnancy that you really become aware that you are pregnant, your belly grows and pregnancy also becomes more concrete for your partner. The point with Céline Hattab Braha, liberal midwife in Paris.
What is the 4th month of pregnancy in weekdays?
the fourth month of pregnancy starts at the 14th week of pregnancy or 16th week of amenorrhea (HER) and ends at 17th week of pregnancy or 19 weeks during the week of amenorrhea. You thus enter the second trimester of your pregnancy.
What symptoms at 4 months of pregnancy?
During this 4th month of pregnancy, pregnancy symptoms fade. “The nauseathem vomiting and the fatigue mostly disappeared”explains Céline Hattab Brah. The libido increases. On the other hand, you may feel some bloating or have a difficult transit. Of the ligament pain may also appear at this stage. As a result of the growth of the uterus, the ligaments that connect it to the bones of the pelvis pull and cause pain, especially in the groin. Under the action of relaxin, a pregnancy hormone that softens ligaments and joints, this pain can become debilitating. They nevertheless calm down under the effect of analgesics (paracetamol) and are generally not serious.
“In general, at 4 months of pregnancy, the pregnant woman feels quite fit, she regains energy“, points out the midwife. In addition, she can rest more serenely without having pregnancy ailments. This period is also considered by many women as the most pleasant of pregnancy.
How is the pregnancy belly at 4 months?
If this 4th month of pregnancy is also striking for future mothers, it is mainly because after a first trimester of pregnancy often marked by uncomfortable symptoms, the pregnancy finally begins to be seen physically! “The belly is a little plumper and begins to come out”comments the expert, even rounding out in some women. The belly can also look fatter at the end of the daydue to the baby’s position if it is forward but also to certain bloating or after eating.
Why is my belly small at 4 months pregnant?
If your belly is small and not yet growing at 4 months of pregnancy, this is not a serious sign. If it is small, it is simply because the fetus does not yet take up too much space, and holds its position in the uterine cavity. Pregnant, the belly begins to come out as the fetus begins to swell and grow inside. The more it will form, the more space it will take up in the uterus and therefore in its mother’s womb. Thus, the belly will gain in volume as it goes. The belly size is very variable from one woman to another and there is no point in comparing yourself with a sister or a friend. It depends on several factors, in particular the initial corpulence of the future mother but also the number of pregnancies already experienced. If the practitioner following you is not worried, trust him.
Does the shape of the belly indicate whether it is a boy or a girl?
“The shape of the belly does not determine the sex of the unborn child“, reveals the specialist. However, according to certain beliefs, we could determine the sex of the baby just by looking at the shape of the maternal belly: pointed, it would be a boy, rounded it would be a girl. A legend which is not based on any proven scientific fact but which has the merit of amusing and allowing family and friends to bet on baby’s secret! As baby grows, the size of your uterus increases.
Is it normal to have a stomach ache at 4 months pregnant?
If you feel any abdominal pain, localized in the lower abdomen or on the side, it’s normal. As Céline Hattab Brah explained for the 2nd month of pregnancy, these pains are comparable to those felt during menstruation. They are largely caused by the uterus which takes up more and more space, and by the intestines which are caused to move and compress as the fetus develops. These abdominal pains can also be linked to digestive disorders. You can discuss this with your doctor who will advise you on the medications to take.
What are the risks at 4 months of pregnancy?
In addition to intestinal problems and abdominal pain, at 4 months of pregnancy, there are no significant risks. Generally, at this stage in pregnancy, the risk of miscarriage decreases, as does the risk of fetal malformations. “About 85% of miscarriages occur during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy,” specifies a review in the MSD Manuals. Fetal abnormalities are detected upstream by the various medical examinations that the mother-to-be does during her pregnancy.
How many pounds gained at 4 months pregnant?
You surely have an appetite to spare and that’s normal! At the 4th month, your organism works even more for two, including a small being under construction! Don’t panic, you won’t gain extra pounds if you avoid foods high in sugar and fat. The important thing is that the weight gain is gradual and steady. Ideally, a pregnant woman should take between 9 and 12 kg. To meet your needs and those of baby, count 500 calories in addition to your usual daily ration. To monitor your line, weigh yourself once a week but don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you feel that the situation is getting out of hand, talk to your midwife. She may give you dietary advice or refer you to a dietitian.
15 cm of life and 250 g of tenderness in 250 cm3 of amniotic fluid, here are the baby’s measurements at 4th month of pregnancy.
Baby continues to grow in his mother’s womb. The body catches up with the head, the length of the legs exceeds that of the arms. The skin is always thin and the blood vessels remain apparent. Your baby is covered with a fine down, the lanugo, a remnant of evolution. Don’t panic, it will disappear eventually. The head, straight, surrounded by two ears, has two eyes able to move and eyebrows to frown. The hands are well formed, nails included. Inside also baby works! The part of the brain that coordinates movement develops. Nerve fibers are surrounded by myelin, a protective sheath. The thyroid becomes functional. The intestine returns to the abdominal cavity, now large enough to accommodate it.
How does baby move in the tummy?
Baby experiences his first breathing movements: amniotic fluid moves in and out of his lungs. He still has plenty of room in your uterus and sometimes positions itself transversely, sometimes head up or down. “The position of the fetus is highly variable and can change from minute to minute. It moves all the more as it has space”, says the midwife. It has been moving for quite some time already without you noticing it.
What does it feel like when baby moves?
Around the end of the 4th month, you can finally feel baby move in your belly. Discreet at first, and even difficult to identify, its movements get stronger as the days go by for your greatest happiness. The first movements are often described like the small, gentle palpitations, vibrations, or gurgling sounds and sometimes even already mini kicks, which are not unpleasant. As the weeks go by, the movements will strengthen and become stronger.
The 2nd compulsory medical consultation
During the 15th week of pregnancy, you must have a medical consultation, it is mandatory and it is in principle the second you have. The practitioner who follows you takes stock of the progress of your pregnancy. During this meeting, several medical exams occur. The measurement of your weight and blood pressure, blood and urine tests (to check the absence of sugar and albumin), a vaginal examination to check the state of the cervix and the fundal height measurement, the distance between the pubis and the top of the uterus. This measurement is taken with a tailor’s tape measure and proves to be a good indicator of a fetal growth harmonious. At the beginning of the 2nd trimester, your uterus stretches more and more upwards and now reaches the height of the navel. Within a few millimeters, the fundal height corresponds to the week in which it is performed (20cm at 20 weeks, 21 cm at 21 weeks, etc.).
If you lack iron, your doctor will prescribe treatment. The toxoplasmosis and rubella serologies are checked and their controlled rate. A little moment of pleasure and emotion during this visit: recording baby’s heart activity which allows you to hear this very special sound again. Unless your doctor has the equipment to do an ultrasound and is happy to show you baby for a few seconds, no official pregnancy ultrasound is scheduled during the 4th month. “If necessary, the ultrasound mainly assesses fetal well-being. We cannot yet distinguish the baby’s features on the image”, announces Celine Hattab Brah.
Should I get vaccinated against the flu?
If the epidemic period corresponds to the second or third trimester of your pregnancy, you can get vaccinated without fear against the flu. Pregnant you are more vulnerable and contamination could have serious consequences for you or your baby. The vaccination is safe for the fetus and you shouldn’t suffer from any side effects. In addition, precautionary measures are always useful to avoid being contaminated. Avoid visiting someone with the flu and limit contact with sick people. Ask them to cover their mouths and noses when sneezing or coughing and to blow their noses into single-use paper tissues.
What to eat at 4 months pregnant?
From the start of pregnancy, your doctor warns you against certain foods that you will have to reduce or even completely stop eating for 9 months. 4 months pregnant, some foods to avoid :
- unpasteurized cheeses
- blue-veined cheeses such as roquefort or gorgonzola
- raw or undercooked red meat
- the cold cuts
- offal
- raw shellfish
- raw eggs (goodbye to mayonnaise but also to chocolate mousse!)
- the alcohol
Those food restrictions, if they are sometimes badly experienced by future mothers, they are nevertheless very important to help you stay in shape and especially to promote the good development of your baby. There is a real risk of being infected with salmonellosis, listeriosis or toxoplasmosis.
Source: Miscarriage (Spontaneous Abortion; Pregnancy Loss) by Antonette T. Dulay, MD, Main Line Health System Oct 2022