2ND TRIMESTER
In your second trimester of pregnancy, here's some information on what you can expect:
 Advice For Expectant Fathers
Taking Care of Yourself
Prenatal Care
Your Baby's Health and Development
SECOND TRIMESTER - ADVICE FOR EXPECTANT FATHERS
Advice for Expectant Fathers
How can I be a great dad
Advice for Expectant Fathers
Being a good father begins with being there for the mother of your child.
Ways you can help:
• Take her to prenatal appointments.
• Go to childbirth classes with her.
• Get her ice cream and pickles at 2:00 am.
• Tie her shoes when she can no longer see her feet.
• Tell her how beautiful she is.
• Rub her back or feet when they hurt.
• Hold her hand during contractions.
• Do the grocery shopping and fix dinner.
• Help with the household chores.
• Be there to witness the birth of your child.
• Let her know how honored you are to be the father of her child.
The love and respect that you give to your child's mother reflects the same love and respect
that you will give your child.
How Can I Be a Great Dad?
• Be Adaptable
o Rearrange your schedule to take your partner or baby to important appointments
o Figure out a way to get to work or school if your usual ride falls through.
o Have a back-up plan in case the sitter can't help the baby.
• Be Dependable
o If you say you're going to do something, always do it. if you cannot, call to explain.
o Pick up your partner or baby at the agreed on time.
• Be Safety Conscious
o Anticipate hazards and steer your baby clear of them.
o Control your own behavior so baby is never in danger.
o Always put your baby in the car seat and use your own seat belt.
• Be a Provider for Your Family
o Accept the role of father, even if you did not expect it.
o Find employment earning legal wages that allow you to support your family.
o If you lose your job, go out and find a new one.
o Do your share of work with the children and around the house.
Partners for a Healthy Baby: Home Visiting Curriculum for Expectant Families
©1999 Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy
SECOND TRIMESTER - TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF
Loving yourself as you are
Sharing the big news
Ideal Weight Gain
Concerns about sex during pregnancy
Six ways to relieve your stress
Loving Yourself As You Are.
"I began to change the way I looked into the mirror.
Every time I had a criticism, I told myself,
'Wait, tearing yourself down will take away your beauty.
I want my beauty back."
It's hard to admire ourselves as women when we receive confusing messages from men, TV, and movies. You may hear songs refer to women in degrading ways or see fashion magazines portray only thin women as beautiful. We may pretend these messages don?t bother us but there is a part of us that feels hurt and disrespected.
You can counter these negative messages with positive ones. Think of the times when you have felt most beautiful. Real moments of beauty come from more than just the right hairstyle, makeup or clothes. Most of us feel beautiful when we feel loved.
On a small card, write
"I am Lovable" or "I am a beautiful woman"
then tape it to your bathroom mirror. This card will be the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you see at night. Love yourself exactly as you are!
Partners for a Healthy Baby: Home Visiting Curriculum for Expectant Families © 1999 Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy
Sharing the Big News
• Wait to tell your child about he baby until you are at least three to six months pregnant.
• Let your child feel the baby move.
• Talk about how the baby is growing.
• Read stories that help your child understand what to expect.
• Avoid transitions, such as beginning potting training, close to your due date.
• Talk about where your child will stay while you are in the hospital.
• Give your child a doll so he can practice holding the baby.
• Avoid raising expectations that they will have a playmate.
• Talk about how he can help when the baby comes.
Partners for a Healthy Baby: Home Visiting Curriculum for Expectant Families © 1999 Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy
Ideal Weight Gain
While you are pregnant , all the nutrients your baby gets come from what you eat. Good nutrition during pregnancy does not mean eating twice as much. It means eating twice as well. Even if you are overweight, now is not the time to diet. Your unborn baby is growing every minute. Watch what you eat so your baby gets a steady supply of nutritious foods. You should gain between 25 to 35 pounds (or 35 to 45 pounds for twins) in all.
After the first trimester, you should gain about a pound a week. Babies whose mothers gain less than 20 pounds are more likely to be premature or low birth weight. Gaining too much weight can cause backaches, varicose veins and the baby may become too large to deliver vaginally. Check with your doctor or midwife if you gain more than 2-3 pounds per week or if you don't gain any weight for more than two weeks in a row.
Partners for a Healthy Baby: Home visiting Curriculum for Expectant Families © 1999 Florida State university Center for Prevention and Early intervention Policy
Concerns About Sex During Pregnancy
• Feeling lousy and tired? Don't pressure yourself to feel sexy wen you're feeling nauseated or exhausted. this usually gets better in the second half of pregnancy.
• Afraid of hurting the baby? In most pregnancies, you can continue sex throughout pregnancy. it will not hurt the baby.
• You should not have sex when:
o your doctor/midwife says not to.
o you have vaginal bleeding.
o you had miscarriages before.
o your water bag has broken or you have signs of early labor.
o you don't feel up to it.
Partners for a Healthy Baby: Home Visiting curriculum for Expectant Families © 1999 florida state university Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy
So you're exhausted and nothing is going right.
There's hardly any food in the house.
The lights are going to be turned off soon...
and to top it all...
Your partner doesn't call when you thought he would.
How do you handle it? |
Six Ways to Relieve Your Stress:
Lay Down
Take ten minutes to put your feet up.
Take Deep Belly Breaths
Breathe in = say to yourself 'calm'
Breathe out = say to yourself 'down'
Affirm Your Strength
"I can do this. I am strong. I make my own decisions."
Talk with someone who will listen
Call a friend or family member - particularly one who understands the kind of problems you are facing. Or call your home visitor.
Change your attitude
Look at difficult situations as opportunities instead of problems. "What will this teach me about myself or others?"
Focus on solutions
If the problem has already happened, it cannot be changed by worrying about it. Focus your energy on the solution instead of the problem. "What can I do to make it better?"
Partners for a Healthy Baby: Home Visiting Curriculum for Expectant Families
©1999 Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention
SECOND TRIMESTER - PRENATAL CARE
What should I expect at prenatal visits in the second trimester?
What is an ultrasound?
What should I expect at prenatal visits in the second trimester?
After the first prenatal appointment, your visits should be much shorter. Start a diary or pregnancy journal, and write down questions for your visits. At these visits your health care provider will check symptoms you have been experiencing, especially unusual ones:
• Your blood pressure
• Your weight
• Your urine
• Baby's growth (by measuring the size of the uterus/or doing an ultrasound if needed)
• Baby's position in your uterus
• Baby's movements
• Baby's heartbeat (which sounds like the ticking of a clock but is much faster)
• Your blood
Partners for a Healthy Baby: Home Visiting Curriculum for Expectant Families© 1999 Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy
What is an ultrasound?
An ultrasound test uses sound waves to create pictures of your baby called sonograms. Most pregnant women have the test done at least once in pregnancy. The test is safe for you and your baby. It may show you:
• The age of your baby to help figure out your due date;
• Whether your baby is growing and developing normally;
• Whether you are carrying twins;
• Where the placenta is growing;
• Whether your baby is a boy or girl.
The ultrasound usually takes about 30 minutes. The picture is clearer if your bladder is full. You will be asked to drink water and not urinate beforehand.
You will be asked to lay down on your back. A technician will cover your belly with jelly and move a small instrument gently over your stomach. It will not hurt, but the jelly feels cold. Ask to see your baby on the TV screen. You may even get to take a photograph home.
Partners for a healthy baby: home visiting Curriculum or Expectant Families
SECOND TRIMESTER - YOUR BABY'S HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Changes during your second trimester
How does food nourish my baby?
Learning Begins Before Birth
Childbirth preparation
Changes During Your Second Trimester of Pregnancy
| Discomfort |
What To Do About It |
| Heartburn (also called indigestion) |
• Eat slowly and chew your food well
• Eat smaller meals, but eat more often
• Bake or broil food
• Avoid greasy, fried or spicy foods
• Try walking after eating instead of lying right down
• Drink liquids between meals instead of with meals |
| Feeling light headed and dizzy |
• Stop what you are doing
• Sit down or lie down on your left side with your legs raised
• Change positions slowly |
| Sore breasts |
• Wear a support bra, even to bed
• Soak in a warm bath |
| Feeling tired |
• Try to sleep at least 8 hours at night
• Don?t fight sleep. Rest 10 to 15 minutes, several times a day
• Try some gentle exercise each day |
| Constipation |
• Eat foods high in fiber like bran cereal, whole grain bread, and green leafy vegetables
• Drink lots of liquids such as water, milk, soup, and fruit & prune juices
• Eat raw vegetables and fruit or a fresh salad each day
• Take a walk after meals
• Don?t take laxatives or enemas unless instructed by your health care provider |
Partners for a Healthy Baby: Home Visiting Curriculum for Expectant Families © 1999 Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy
How Does Food Nourish My Baby?
| Nutrient |
Food Source |
What it does |
Calcium |
Low-fat milk, green leafy veggies, canned sardines |
Helps baby's bones and teeth form. Note: Caffeine can lessen how much calcium your baby gets |
| Iron |
Lean meat, spinach, beans and peas |
Produces hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying protein in blood. Baby will store it to meet his needs for the first several months after. |
| Protein |
Meat, fish, eggs, milk and soy products |
Needed for baby's brain, muscles, blood and bones to grow. |
| Folic Acid |
Leafy veggies, lima beans, and orange juice |
Helps develop blood and prevent some birth defects. |
| Vitamin A |
Green and yellow veggies, yellow fruits |
Makes baby's eyes and skin grow healthy |
| Vitamin B |
Organ meat, green leafy veggies, milk |
Helps baby's body use energy to grow. Helps the blood and nervous system form. |
| Vitamin C |
Citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, peppers |
Helps baby take in the iron in his food. |
Partners for a Healthy Baby: Home Visiting Curriculum for Expectant Families © 1999 Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy
Learning Begins Before Birth
Long before birth, your baby's brain is hard at work. Inside your baby's brain, millions of neurons are growing and forming connections. The more connections there are, the better baby's hearing, vision, touch and taste will develop. During this month, all your baby's senses are developing.
• Your baby can hear. He may be startled by loud noises or comforted by your singing.
• Your baby can feel touch.
• Your baby still can't see but he may cover his eyes when a bright light shines on your stomach.
• Your baby can taste.
• Your baby's movements are strong enough that you can feel him kick and turn somersaults.
• Your baby may get upset when you feel stressed or afraid.
Partners for a Healthy Baby: Home Visiting Curriculum for Expectant Families
©1999 Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention Policy
Childbirth Preparation
It is a good idea to take childbirth education classes even if this is not your first baby. It's a good chance to refresh your skills and perhaps learn something new.
What will I learn?
• How my baby is born.
• How to control my fears during labor.
• How to cope with labor pain.
• How to relax and breathe during labor.
Why should I take these classes?
• To meet other expectant moms who share may experiences and worries.
• To ask questions I may feel uncomfortable asking my doctor/midwife?
• To learn how babies are born and reduce my stress about childbirth.
• To practice breathing and relaxing for the delivery.
Partners for a healthy baby: home visiting Curriculum or Expectant Families
© 1999 Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention
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