Dreams During Pregnancy

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Dreams and Physical Changes
Dream a Little Dream of Me

During pregnancy many women experience vivid dreams during the second trimester. Dreams so vivid that they seem real upon waking. Dreams are a healthy outlet for the mind. They can also be a source of inspiration. Consider keeping a pad and pen next to your bed. When you first wake up, write down any inspiring things you may have dreamed up.

One mom-to-be in her fourth month, a graduate student majoring in creative writing, dreamed that her baby had arrived and could speak. Her dream was very realistic and for some reason, kept repeating itself night after night. The baby kept speaking to her, but when Mom awoke she could never remember what the baby said. She was busy working on an end-of-semester project and was struggling to complete the assignment. She had the drive, she had the energy, but she also had writer's block.

Her husband had just read an article on author Stephen King who recommended that author's record their dreams as a way of gathering and developing writing ideas. What works for a world-famous author can work for anyone, right?

Mom woke up in the early hours of the morning, with the dream still fresh in her head, grabbed her pen and paper and wrote down the dream baby's words. She wasn't dreaming about her project, she was dreaming about her baby. She fell back to sleep and forgot the whole thing until the next night when she caught sight of the words she'd scribbled while half asleep. It was a poem about the bond between parents and children. She used the poem as the basis for her school project. She and her husband then used it on baby's birth announcements.

Your dreams may not be birth announcement material, but they can be very entertaining and very illuminating. Be sure that you get enough sleep at night; allow your mind to wander and enlighten. Things are changing within you, allow your mind to work on those changes and process them.

How Will Your Body Change to Accommodate Baby This Trimester?
I've got wonderful news for you. Your body is continuing to change to accommodate baby, and many of your first trimester woes will no longer trouble you. In fact, if you're lucky you may feel better than you've ever felt before. More energy, stronger sex drive, glowing skin. Many women love the second trimester.

Are you hungry? Chances are you can now eat without feeling nauseous, your breasts no longer ache and you're no longer running to the bathroom every half hour. If these changes aren't immediately apparent as the second trimester begins, it's only a matter of weeks. You will love being pregnant during this trimester, changes and all.

Physical Changes During the 2nd Trimester

• Uterus continues to grow, eventually reaching several inches above mother's belly button. Changed uterus position now results in pressure on the intestines.

• Musculature at the top of the stomach relaxes, which may result in indigestion.

• Hormones which affect skin pigmentation increase. Linea Negra (a dark line from mom's belly button to pubic area) may develop as a result of hormones. Linea Negra usually fades after delivery. Nipples may become darker. A small percentage of women even experience discoloration of the face.

• Quickening (feeling baby moving within the uterus) occurs sometime between week 18 and week 20 in first time moms; as early as 16 for veteran moms.

• Connective tissue in the skin may break down causing stretch marks on the abdomen, thighs or breasts.

• Blood volume increases by as much as 50%.

• Weight gain of between 13 and 15 pounds is expected by the end of the second trimester.

• Water retention which results in swelling of the extremities.