2nd trimester: Week 16

© The Anatomical Travelogue

Your Baby

It's the end of your fourth month, and your baby now weighs 2 1/2 ounces. She's able to kick her legs, which are measurably longer than the arms that she often swings about as she floats in a sea -- actually, 7 1/2 ounces -- of amniotic fluid. You may be able to discern some of her movements now; some women say they're like butterfly wings flapping gently. Some first-time moms don't feel anything, though, until the 24th week.

Hot Topics:

• When Pregnancy Tastes Funny
• Food and Bacteria

Your Body

Your increasing blood and amniotic fluid volume, growing breasts, expanding uterus, and placenta have caused you to gain weight, but you may not be showing just yet. Give it a few weeks, and then the world will know that your baby's on the way.

Your Pregnant Body:

• Keeping Tabs on Your Weight
• How Becoming a Mom Changes You (For the Better)

Do's and Don'ts

Do pamper yourself by taking a steamy shower every morning. Indulging in 20-minute steam showers or using a humidifier can help clear the stuffy head that often plagues pregnant women. If you feel like you've got a permanent head cold, it's because more blood than usual is flowing to your mucous membranes, causing them to swell. Saline drops can unstuff your nose.

Health

Suffering from a headache? Skip the aspirin and ibuprofen, which aren't safe for pregnant women since they could hurt your baby's development. Your best bet is acetaminophen, the ingredient found in Tylenol.

Health Watch:

• Sleep Apnea: Cause for Complications?
• Preventing Preeclampsia