Not all varicose and spider veins can be prevented. However, there are steps you can take that will reduce your chances of getting more. You should also find some relief from the discomfort of the veins you now have.

• Control your weight so that your legs are not carrying too much pressure.
• Do not cross your legs while sitting
• To improve your strength, as well as your vein’s strength, focus on exercises like walking or jogging.
• When possible, elevate your legs.
• Do not sit or stand for long periods of time. If you must, shift your weight from time to time. To
avoid sitting for prolonged periods of time, get up about every half hour and walk a bit.
• Avoid tight clothing that constricts your waist, groin, and legs.
• Wear support stockings.
• Eat high fiber foods. Restrict your salt intake. High fiber foods help fight constipation, which can lead to varicose veins. Too much salt in your diet can cause swelling and water retention.
• To protect your skin from harm rays of the sun, wear sunscreen. Don’t forget to protect your face.

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Welcome to your second trimester of pregnancy! At the onset of your second trimester you may begin to feel as though things are getting a bit better. Chances are good now that “morning sickness” is easing up and you’re starting to adjust to the new life inside of you. You are likely to have more energy than in your first trimester, feel less breast tenderness, less constipated, and just generally less of most of your 1^st trimester discomforts. And while some worrying throughout pregnancy is normal, the second trimester often bring with it peace and tranquility for many women, especially since the risk of miscarriage has significantly decreased.

Your uterus, at its highest point, is now at the beginning of the second trimester slightly above your pubic bone. This will, if it hasn’t already, bring on another pregnancy milestone – your tummy might be getting pushed out a bit, and even more if this isn’t your first pregnancy. Starting to show is really exciting for many pregnant women as it’s real physical proof to the outside world that you have brand new life in your insides.

As another exciting point, if you haven’t already, start to tell your family, friends, and co-workers of your exciting news. You may want to read our article Telling Your Boss You’re Pregnant for tips and ideas to get the plan and conversation going at work.

Changes in Your Body During the Second Trimester

Though pregnancy may be getting easier, it’s just as important that you stay informed on all the changes happening with you and your growing baby. And while your first trimester pregnancy symptoms may be fading, there will be an onset of new changes.

As you gain weight and your baby continues to grow, your abdomen will expand. Before this trimester is over, you may be able to feel your baby moving! During the second trimester, your uterus will grow from being below your belly button (just above your pubic bone) to 2 inches above your belly button and the size of a soccer ball!

Some of the aches and pains you had in the first trimester may continue while other subside. Remember to follow some tips and suggestions from the Pregnancy Discomforts articles to help ease some of your 2^nd trimester symptoms.

During the second trimester, you may have some of the following aches and pains:

• Pain in the abdomen, groin, and thighs.
• Shortness of breath
• Stretch marks
• Backaches
• Skin changes
• Tingling in hands and fingers
• Itching on the palms, soles of the feet, and abdomen

If you have nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice (yellowing of the skin), or fatigue combined with itching, call your doctor right away. This could be signs of a serious liver problem called cholestasis of pregnancy.

Weight Gain

Every pregnant woman will gain weight differently. However, on average, it’s normal to gain about one pound per week or about three to four pounds per month during the second trimester. Talk with your doctor or midwife about weight gain that is appropriate for your pre-pregnancy weight or if you’re concerned you’re gaining weight too rapidly or too slowly.

Changes in Your Baby

At the end of your second trimester, your baby will have gone from weighing about ½ an ounce to weighing from about 1 ¾ pounds to 2 pounds. He or she will also go from 3 inches from crown to rump to be about 13 inches long.

Your baby’s growth includes the development of fingers, toes, eyelashes, and eyebrows. By the end of this trimester, all of your baby’s essential organs like the heart, lungs, and kidneys are formed.

Boy or Girl?

During your second trimester of pregnancy, somewhere between 18 weeks and 22 weeks, you will undergo what is known as an anatomy scan, also known as a level 2 ultrasound. During this test, the lab technician will be able to tell if your baby is a boy or girl – considering that your little one doesn’t hide the goods during the exam. Remember, if you don’t want to know, tell your practitioner beforehand.

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At almost 2 pounds and 14 1/2 inches long, at 27 weeks pregnant your baby is now sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his or her eyes, and maybe even sucking on their fingers. The brain tissue is developing more now too so your baby’s brain is very active. With this, your little one is now recognizing your voice when you speak.

Your baby’s lungs, still very immature, would nice survive outside of the womb with medical help. If you’re feeling tiny rhythmic movements, it’s probably just hiccups which may become more common from now on. Each episode of hiccups will probably last only a few minutes and don’t bother your baby.

Body Changes in the 27th Week of Pregnancy

It’s your last week in the second trimester of pregnancy, which means you’re already 2/3 of the way there!

Along with your aching back you may now find that your leg muscles crap up now and then. Especially as you’re trying to rest and relax. Your expanding uterus is pulling pressure on the veins that return blood from your legs to your heart as well as on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs. All this means that your legs are cramping up and probably swollen as well.

The bad is that the cramping may get works as your pregnancy continues to progress. To find relief with leg cramps, stretch the calf muscle by straightening your leg and then gently flex your toes back and toward your shin. Walking for a few minutes or messaging your calf will help sometimes as well.

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More big changes this week. Your baby is now about two pounds and measures 14 inches from head to heel. The eyes that have been fused together by the eyelids for the past 23 weeks are now opening. Sure, there may not be much to look at inside your womb with with eyes open, your baby will now become more sensitive to light. Holding a flashlight to your belly now will probably increase fetal movement, giving you another chance to feel the little circus inside your tummy.

In your baby’s ears, the network of nerves are becoming more developed which makes already keen hearing even better. Spend time with your partner talking to your baby or reading stories. It’s been said that this type of bonding could enhance early development learning skills.

Body Changes in the 26th Week of Pregnancy

Right about now you’re probably spending a lot of time taking care of life and starting to decorate the baby’s room. Remember in this crazy and exciting time that you still need to take time for you and that means eating right and getting rest!

Your blood pressure may be increasing slightly, although it’s probably still lower than it was before you got pregnant. If your lower back is starting to cause you some aches and pains, you can thank pregnancy hormones, the increasing size of your uterus, and all the extra weight that you’re starting to carry. All of these factors create more work and stress on your joints which is why you may feel worse at the end of the day rather than the start.

If you’re seeking a little relief from that nagging back, try a warm bath or hot compresses. Maintaining good posture during the day, avoiding activities that require bending and twisting, lifting heavier objects, and taking frequent breaks when sitting or standing may also help to ease some of your discomfort.

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Your baby is reaching 9 inches and passing the 1 1/2 pound mark. By the week’s end, air sacs will develop in his lungs, getting them ready for that first breath. Though the lungs aren’t ready for the real world yet, they are developing more surfactant which will help them expand after birth. Capillaries are forming and filling with blood as well.

The tiny nostrils which have been plugged up until now are starting to open and the vocal chords are developing as well, it won’t be long until you hear those vocal chords at work too. Your baby is also growing more hair and if you could see it this week, you’d be able to discern its color and texture.

Body Changes in the 25th Week of Pregnancy

Hair that you normally shed is probably sticking around a little longer than usual as hormonal changes are not shedding hair as much as you used to. It’s not that your hair is actually growing but that you’re not actually losing the hair that you used to. Enjoy the extra fullness while you have it, after birth this extra hair will fall out.

If you have noticed that you can’t move around as you once did before, it’s fine to continue to exercise but we suggest that you don’t work out if you’re feeling overly tired and spot if you feel any pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Don’t lie flat on your back and avoid contact sports as well as any exercise where you’re apt to lose your balance. Drink plenty of water as well and make time for warm-up and cool-down periods during exercise.

Pregnancy ailments may start to rise this week, specifically hemorrhoids. More than half of all pregnant women experience swollen, itchy veins in the rectum due to the uterus pressing down, as well as increased blood flow to the area.

Hemorrhoids aren’t dangerous to your body but they can be painful so try your best to avoid them by eating right, doing Kegal exercises, and trying not to strain when in the bathroom.

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At about 8 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 pounds, your baby is gaining steadily at a rate of six ounces per week. The majority of the gain comes from growing organs, bones, muscle, and accumulating baby fat. Your baby’s face is almost fully formed, complete with eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair. If you wondering what color hair your baby will have, there is still no pigment so we’ll just have to keep waiting.

The brain is growing quickly now too, and taste buds are continuing to develop. The lungs are developing “branches” of the respiratory “tree” as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help the air sacs inflate once your baby hits the outside world.

Body Changes in the 24th Week of Pregnancy

The top of your uterus has risen above your belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball. And speaking of your belly button, your former innie might now an outie. Almost every expectant Mom’s belly button pops at some point as the swelling uterus pushes on everything in its path. This should return to normal after delivery, though your navel might look a bit stretched.

A large majority of expectant Moms will have a glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT) between now and 28 weeks. This test checks for gestational diabetes, a pregnancy-related high-blood-sugar condition. Untreated diabetes increases your risk of having a difficult vaginal delivery or needing a cesarean section because it causes your baby to grow too large, especially in the upper body.

A positive result on your GCT doesn’t mean you have gestation diabetes, but it does mean you’ll need to take the glucose tolerance test (GTT) to find out for sure.

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For the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, your baby’s legs were curled up against the torso, now measurements for your baby’s length can be taken from head to heel as the legs are moving away from the torso. At about 10 1/2 ounces and 10 inches from head to heel, your baby is spending more time swallowing these days which is great practice for the digestive system. All this swallowing is also allowing your baby to produce meconium, a black, sticky by-product of the digestion. The gooey substance will accumulate in the bowels and you’ll see it in the first soiled diaper.

If you’re curious if that melon-sized belly of yours has a boy or girl, this is a good week to find out! The second trimester ultrasound is typically scheduled between 18 and 22 weeks which gives your doctor a chance to see how things are going with your baby.

If you’re having a boy, his testicles have begun their descent from the abdomen to their ultimate destination: the scrotum and if you’re having a girl, her uterus is now fully formed and her ovaries are holding about seven million primitive eggs.

Body Changes in the 20th Week of Pregnancy

You’re half way there, congratulations! The top of your uterus is about level with your belly button and you’ve likely gained about 10 pounds. Expect to gain another pound or so each week from now on.

It’s important that you’re getting enough iron, a mineral that’s used primarily to make hemoglobin (the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen). While pregnant, your body needs more iron to keep up with your expanding blood volume, as well as your growing baby and the placenta. For a great source of iron, red meat is one of the best options. Poultry (especially the dark meat) and shellfish also contain iron.

Thanks again to pregnancy hormones and increased circulation, which furnish extra nutrients, you may be noticing that your nails are stronger and your hair (all over your body) is thicker and fuller than usual. And while the hair on your head may be better than ever, you might not be digging those sprouts on your chin. While this is temporary, feel free to tweeze.

If you haven’t already done so, you may want to consider signing up for the childbirth education class, especially if this is your first pregnancy. A structured class will help prepare you and your partner for the rigors of labor and delivery. Check with your local hospitals and birth centers for classes that are offered either as weekly meetings or as a single intensive one-day session.

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Your baby is starting to actually like like a baby this week. At nearly 8 inches and a full pound, your baby can now perceive light and dark and can listen to your heart, the sound of blood circulating and your voice. If you haven’t started talking to your baby directly, now might be the time to do that.

Lips, eyelids, and eyebrows have become more distinct, and tooth buds beneath the gums are developing. The eyes have formed though there is still no pigment in the irises of the eyes.

A peek at your baby in the womb would allow you to see the fine hair (lanugo) that covers the whole body and the deep wrinkles on the skin, which will remain until the padding of fat pockets fill those in.

Body Changes in the 22nd Week of Pregnancy

Your belly is growing but did you notice that your feet are too? The pregnancy hormone relaxin, which loosens your pelvic ligaments when you’re expecting, loosens every other ligament too… including the ones in your feet. The bones beneath those ligaments spread slightly, which results, for many women, in a half or whole shoe size increase.

Though your belly has probably become a hand magnet, it’s possible you’re also receiving comments about the size of your belly too. Remember that each woman grows and shows and their own rate so don’t worry about comments that say you should be bigger or smaller than what you are.

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Your baby at 23 weeks of pregnancy weighs just over a pound and measures 11 inches long. The organs and bones are visible through the skin, which has a red hue due to developing veins and arteries beneath but the pounds are starting to pack on and by month’s end, your baby will double in weight. Blood vessels in the lungs are also developing to prepare for breathing.

With your baby’s sense of movement well developed, your baby can feel you dance and move. And it’s possible that you might be able to watch your baby squirm underneath your clothes. The increasingly keen ears are preparing her for entry into the outside world allowing baby to hear loud noices that are becoming familiar like the sound of your dogs barking and the vacuum cleaner — noises that probably won’t bother baby when outside the womb.

Body Changes in the 23rd Week of Pregnancy

Poor circulation in your legs along with changes in your blood chemistry may cause some water retention these days. This water retention, known as edema, will be gone after you have your baby which is why you’ll pee frequently and sweat a lot for a few days after delivery. But to help in the meantime, lie on your life side and put your feet up when you can, stretch your legs when you sit, and avoid sitting or standing in one place for long periods. Exercising regularly may also increase circulation, and wear sport stockings and roomy, comfortable shoes.

You may be tempted to skip on liquids to combat swelling, but you need to drink plenty of water because staying hydrated actually helps prevent fluid retention.

If you’re suddenly sporting a dark line down the middle of your tummy, this is the linea nigra. This line has actually always been there, but you probably never noticed it until pregnancy hormones caused hyperpigmentation.

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Your baby is almost, not quite a pound these days and is about 10 1/2 inches long. You may soon feel as though your baby is running a circus as the initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. As you begin to feel more and more of your baby’s movements, you may begin to notice a pattern as you get to know your baby better.

The developments this week include eyebrows and eye lids. And your baby is swallowing a bit of amniotic fluid each day (for nutrition, hydration, and to practice digesting) so, whatever is on your menu your baby may also be tasting.

Body Changes in the 21st Week of Pregnancy

As your body expands and your belly and breasts just keep growing you may notice pink, red, or purple streaks of stretch marks as the supporting tissue under your skin gets torn as skin stretches. Not every woman will get stretch marks though you’re a likely candidate if your Mom had stretch marks during her pregnancy or if you’ve gained weight rapidly.

With the progression of pregnancy, there’s increasing pressure on the veins in your legs and higher progesterone levels. For you this means you’ve become more prone to varicose veins. Though you’re more likely to get varicose veins if other family members have them. They also tend to get worse with each pregnancy and as you age. To help prevent or minimize varicose veins, exercise daily, prop up your feet and legs when possible, sleep on your left side, and wear maternity support hose.

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