4th Month - 15 to 18 weeks AOG

A pregnant woman may experience any or all of these symptoms at one time or another: □ fatigue -- indeed! I always feel tired even when I wasn't really able to do a lot of things around the house. I really salute those pregnant women who still manage to work full time! It must have take a lot of discipline and determination. □ decreased urinary frequency, constipation -- I still get to void frequently since I am into drinking a lot of fluids... which does me good since I have no problem with constipation during my pregnancy. Before, I used to have my bouts of constipation especially when I'm on to something at work or if I am travelling... so, with this pregnancy, I increased my fiber and water intake just to help out my excretory system :) I don't want to increase my chances of getting hemorrhoids. □ an end to or decreased in nausea and vomiting --  AMEN! I really thank God that I had said goodbye to morning sickness by the end of my 1st trimester. There are indeed some women whose nausea and vomiting persists way until the end of their pregnancy. My mother-in-law had her bouts of vomiting even at the hospital while they were preparing her for C-section. □ continued breast enlargement, but usually decreased tenderness and swelling -- I have never been one of those girls with gifted bosom. And the hormones of pregnancy give me larger ones! I now have a cleavage to show... too bad this goes gone after breastfeeding and would likely sag unless I'd do some chest exercises.  □ occasional headaches, faintness or dizziness, particularly with sudden change of position -- which is why it is necessary to shift positions slowly... especially when you plan to get up from a lying position. Which means, you get up to sitting position first, count to ten, before getting up.  □ nasal congestion and occasional nosebleed; ear stuffiness -- I'm past my four months and I hadn't felt this. Thank God. □ "pink toothbrush" from bleeding gums -- This I still experience. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to have prior dental visits during my pregnancy but I do have an appointment with my dentist next week. □ increasing appetite -- Indeed! With everyone (friends and family alike) encouraging you to eat along with the increased hormones and demands during pregnancy, there is an increase in appetite. □ varicose veins of legs and/or hemorrhoids -- I am praying that I won't be getting any more varicose veins. I had mine on my foot way before my pregnancy because most socks would tend to constrict my ankles when I was still in school. And I sure pray that I won't get any hemorrhoids... I heard that they are painful. □ mild swelling of ankles and feet, and occasional of hands and face -- I check my ankles and feet for swelling or edema as this may be a sign of fluid retention or too much salt intake. So far, so good ^^< Just today though (I'm on my 21wks now), I noticed my fingers being more plump... which I'd take that I really need to cut down on my salt intake unless I'd want to have any edema soon. □ slight whitish vaginal discharge (leukorrhea) -- Pregnant women should be able to understand what 'slight' is. Since, a little more than that would mean a urinary tract infection or something... which needs to be reported to our OB especially if it is accompanied with painful urination or itchiness and foul odor. □ fetal movement near the end of the month -- I felt my baby's movement as early as the 14th week AOG... or maybe I was imagining that I had to check my pregnancy journal & the internet if indeed it was fetal movement already or a very angry stomach. It turned out that some feel the earliest movement at 14 or 15 weeks. It felt like butterflies in your stomach. But it was more regular to me by the 17th week. If you haven't felt your fetal movement yet, then maybe you'd feel it around the time that most women do: sometime around Week 18-20.