Your baby
Another milestone: you are now past the halfway mark of your pregnancy. Your baby is currently growing about sixty grams a week. There is still plenty of room, and he or she seems to be having a fine time. So you may feel your baby high up one moment, low down the next, and off to one side the time after that.
By now the womb has stretched a good way upwards and reaches your navel. Each time, the midwife checks that your child is growing well. There is a handy sum for it: the number of centimetres the womb rises above the pubic bone, plus four, matches roughly the number of weeks you are pregnant.
You
At every appointment the midwife takes your blood pressure. Low blood pressure does no harm, though it is often a nuisance for you because you become dizzy easily. Is your blood pressure on the high side? A salt-free diet used to be advised, but newer thinking means it is no longer prescribed. That does not mean you can reach freely for the salt cellar, mind: going easy on salt is always healthier, pregnant or not.
Did you know, by the way, that liquorice — salted and sweet alike — can raise your blood pressure? Liquorice contains glycyrrhizic acid, a substance that can push blood pressure up quickly. Try to keep an eye on things like soup, gravy, packet sauces, crisps, salami and streaky bacon too.
Your sense of taste may well change suddenly during pregnancy. If you normally have a sweet tooth, you may now long for savoury things. Or the other way round, of course. Those are the typical cravings that come with being pregnant.
Going on holiday
This is the ideal time for a holiday. Your bump is not yet in the way and you probably feel far more energetic than in the first three months. If you are driving long distances, take regular breaks so you can stretch your legs; that prevents swollen legs. And for a change you can of course lie with your legs stretched out on the back seat.
If you go by air, bear in mind that a number of airlines will not carry women who are 32 weeks pregnant or more. Not because it would be bad for your health, but because they want to avoid the risk of a birth in the air.
Mention when booking your ticket that you are pregnant, and ask straight away for an aisle seat. Handy if you want to walk about or need the toilet again. Do talk your travel plans over with your midwife, and take her telephone number and your pregnancy card with you. Then if anything happens you can get in touch immediately.
Second trimester
