HOW YOUR BABY GROWS  

MONTH 4

Your Baby

  • Your baby moves, kicks and swallows.
  • Your baby's skin is pink and see-through.
  • The placenta keeps providing food for the baby. But it also can pass along bad things that you take in, like alcohol, nicotine and other drugs.
  • By the end of the fourth month, your baby is about 6 to 7 inches long and weighs about 4 to 5 ounces.

Your Body

  • You may be more hungry as your morning sickness goes away. You also may have more energy. But you may start to have heartburn. Try eating four or five smaller meals each day instead of three larger ones. And don't eat spicy food. 
  • Near the end of this month, you may feel your baby move for the first time.
  • You gain about 1 pound a week.Your belly begins to show. You may need to wear maternity clothes and bigger bras now.
  • It's OK for you and your partner to have sex if you want. It won't hurt the baby. You may have to try new positions as your belly gets bigger. Do what's comfortable for you.

Prenatal Care Guide

  • Visit your health care provider for one prenatal care checkup.
  • Pregnant women need extra iron—more than even a good diet can supply. Your doctor may recommend iron supplements.
  • You'll probably gain about a pound a week, or 12 to 14 pounds, during the second trimester (months 4 to 6).
  • If your health care provider recommends prenatal testing using amniocentesis or a blood test called a triple screen for Down syndrome and neural tube defects, you can have them at 15 to 18 weeks.

May 2009