Fourth Month of Pregnancy

The second trimester commences with the fourth month. The baby continues to grow and develop rapidly.

Physical development:

The features of the face and outer ears start developing.
The head is the biggest part of the body; about half of the size of the body is the head of the baby.
The movements and kicks of the baby become more noticeable.
You will feel more energetic and nausea, headache etc will stop, giving you some relief.
The uterus expands to make more space for the baby

Activities to take up during fourth month:

Image from babyyourbaby.org

The second trimester is considered to be the most comfortable of all. Hence it is the right time to take up any exercise.
Try prenatal yoga, which will help you to ease your back-aches, and give relief in pain caused due to carrying extra load in the belly.
Do low-impact aerobics to strengthen your muscles and joints.
Do Kegels regularly. It is recommended by a lot of gynecologists.
Go for regular check ups and keep a record of your child’s growth.
Check for any abnormalities or infections in the fetus.
Increase your diet and eat lots of nutritional food. Your baby needs lots of vitamins, minerals and other nutritional elements right now.
Eat more calcium containing food to help promote the growth of the limbs and teeth of the baby.
Avoid food that contains lots of sugar as sugar depletes the calcium and can cause obesity.
Eat less salty food.
To prevent constipation increase the consumption of coarse grain and crude fiber fruit and vegetables. Yogurt, honey and dairy products are consider beneficial for child’s development
The water with which you take bath should not be too cold or too hot. Heat is not considered good for the baby.

Precautions you must take:

If you plan to take up an exercise during the fourth month, be sure that it is not risky.
Do not perform any jerky movements or movements which require you to bend much.
Keep your contact with animals limited and make sure you are vaccinated for various diseases.
Eat well-cooked food. Do not consume undercooked or overcooked food.
Do not lie down on your back and pay attention to the position in which you sleep. It must be such that, there is no stress on the abdomen.