Day 109 baby development and maternal changes

A: The second-trimester screen costs less and detects about 70-80% of trisomy 21; NIPT detects >99% and only needs maternal blood with no miscarriage risk but costs more. It is recommended more strongly for older mothers (≥35), NT abnormalities or a history of chromosome problems; which to choose depends on age, NT results and the doctor’s advice.

A: By this week the external genitals are usually fairly clear on ultrasound, but it is not 100% accurate due to the baby’s position, the equipment and the doctor’s experience, and sex determination for non-medical reasons is not compliant in China. Go by what the prenatal doctor tells you, and don’t put sex pressure on your partner.

A: Yes. DHA is important for the fetal brain and retina; ACOG/authoritative advice is about 200-300mg a day. Eating low-mercury ocean fish (salmon, sardines, cod) 2-3 times a week is enough; vegetarians can choose algal-oil DHA supplements.

A: Mothers who have given birth before may feel slight movements at 16-18 weeks (like bubbles or butterflies); first-time mothers usually feel them at 18-22 weeks. It’s also normal to feel nothing at all — don’t worry; the week-20 ultrasound can confirm.

A: The forward centre of gravity and relaxed ligaments from relaxin are the main causes. Avoid standing or sitting too long, wear low supportive shoes, sleep on your side with a pregnancy pillow, do prenatal yoga and pelvic-floor exercises, and apply local heat. Severe pain on one side, or pain with bleeding or fever, needs medical attention.

A: You can practise sleeping on your left side to increase uterine-placental blood flow, using a pregnancy pillow for support; you don’t need to stay that way all night — comfort matters, and avoid lying face-down on your belly.

A: Three measurements at 16 weeks: BPD (biparietal diameter) about 34mm, AC (abdominal circumference) about 103mm, and FL (femur length) about 19mm — all are the median for the gestational age. If the three are in step, development is fine; a single slight deviation isn’t necessarily abnormal — go by the doctor’s overall assessment.

A: The second trimester (weeks 14-27) is the safe dental window. You can have cleanings, fillings and treatment of gingivitis; tell the dentist you’re pregnant, avoid X-rays (with abdominal shielding if truly needed), and lidocaine is acceptable for local anaesthesia.

A: ACOG advises women without complications about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise accumulated weekly (walking, prenatal yoga, swimming), split over 5 days at about 30 minutes a day. Avoid intense exercise and pressure on the abdomen; stop and seek care for pain or bleeding.

A: It’s recommended. The CDC and ACOG recommend that pregnant women receive the inactivated flu vaccine: pregnant women are at higher risk of severe flu, the vaccine protects both mother and baby, and the inactivated vaccine is safe at every stage. During flu season (September to April) you can get vaccinated; tell them you’re pregnant.

A: The second trimester is relatively stable; if there’s no placenta praevia, bleeding or cervical insufficiency, gentle sex is fine using positions that don’t press on the belly and with gentle movements. Pause if you feel unwell or the doctor advises against it; see a doctor for post-sex bleeding or pain.

A: For a standard BMI, about 0.4-0.5kg a week in the second trimester, with a cumulative gain of roughly 2-5kg by week 16 being common. Watch the trend — you can use a weight-gain calculator to manage it by BMI — and ask your doctor if it’s too fast or too slow.

A: Eat more fiber-rich fruit and vegetables, drink 1.5-2L of water daily, walk after meals, and toilet on a regular schedule without squatting long. For haemorrhoids, try warm sitz baths; in serious cases ask a doctor for pregnancy-safe medication rather than buying stimulant laxatives yourself.

A: Avoid raw or undercooked meat, fish and eggs, high-mercury large fish, unpasteurised dairy, alcohol, caffeine over 200mg/day, and excess liver (vitamin A overdose).

A: Flying is more comfortable in the second trimester; most airlines don’t require a certificate before 32 weeks and need one after 32 weeks (most prohibit flying after 36 weeks). Choose an aisle seat, stay hydrated, and use compression stockings to prevent clots; ask your doctor first if you have bleeding, pain or placenta problems.

A: First build it up through food — red meat, liver (≤50g a week) and spinach with vitamin C; once prenatal screening confirms iron deficiency/anaemia the doctor will add an iron supplement, which absorbs better when taken apart from calcium tablets and dairy. Don’t self-medicate with large doses.

A: Higher oestrogen increases white discharge; milky-white, clear and odourless is normal. Yellow-green, foul-smelling, itchy discharge or large amounts of watery leakage needs medical attention; wear cotton underwear and don’t douche.

A: The anomaly scan (structural ultrasound) is done at weeks 20-24 and slots are tight, often needing to be booked weeks ahead. When you have the second-trimester screen/ultrasound this week, book it as soon as possible so you don’t miss the best window.

A: From mid-pregnancy cramps become more common, usually related to inadequate calcium/magnesium and fatigue. Supplement calcium and magnesium, drink water, stretch before bed, and wear support stockings; when a cramp hits, flex the foot and massage the calf.

A: Occasional brief tightening is usually a sensitive uterus or ligament tugging and is common if it resolves on its own in seconds to tens of seconds and disappears with rest. If the tightening becomes regular (e.g. every 10 minutes), or comes with pain/bleeding/leakage, seek medical evaluation.