4 Months Pregnant: Your Bump Rounds Out and Your Energy Returns

The nausea has let go, afternoon naps are no longer vital, and you feel like going out again. At 4 months pregnant, many women feel they are becoming themselves again. The UK's NHS confirms it: most feel better once the first trimester is over.

Your body, meanwhile, keeps changing, and this time it is starting to show. Here is where you are, what your baby is going through, and how to make the most of this often lighter month to get ahead on what matters.

How many weeks is 4 months pregnant?

The fourth month runs from 15 weeks and 1 day to 19 weeks and 2 days, which is roughly 13 to 17 weeks after conception. You are at the start of the second trimester, which lasts until 28 weeks.

These weeks are counted from the first day of your last period (written "SA", weeks of amenorrhoea, on Moroccan and French paperwork). If your app shows two weeks fewer, it is counting from conception: our article on converting weeks into months of pregnancy explains everything.

What is happening to your baby in the fourth month?

Your baby is growing fast and wriggling a lot.

Its smiles and frowns are not deliberate yet: the facial muscles are practising, without control. Its kicks, on the other hand, are real, but you will probably only feel them a little later. To find out when and how, read our article on when you feel your baby move.

Symptoms in the fourth month of pregnancy

The uterus rises out of the pelvis: your waist disappears and the pregnancy starts to show, the NHS explains. The placenta is growing too; it will weigh about 500 g by the end of pregnancy.

Among the common discomforts this month:

• constipation and bloating, sometimes heartburn;
• pulling sensations on the sides of the abdomen, as the ligaments holding the uterus stretch;
• bleeding gums and nosebleeds, linked to the increased blood flow;
• leg cramps, headaches, hot flushes;
• brown patches on the face (the "mask of pregnancy") and oilier skin;
• the first stretch marks, which affect up to 8 women in 10 according to the NHS and usually fade after the birth.

Your mood matters too: the NHS estimates that about one woman in five feels stressed or anxious during pregnancy. Talking about it at your appointment is part of your care. For your skin, our article on pregnancy stretch marks sets out what works, and what does not.

Fourth-month appointments in Morocco

From the 4th month, check-ups become monthly in the French schedule. In the UK, an appointment is planned at 16 weeks to go over the results of the first tests, check your blood pressure and test your urine for protein. You often hear your baby's heartbeat there for the first time.

In Morocco, the pace depends on where you are followed (health centre, gynaecologist, private clinic) and on your situation. The national campaign launched by the Ministry of Health in 2025 stressed this point: care that is "early and regular". Ask for the schedule planned for you, and note the date of the second-trimester scan, due the following month.

This is also the time to talk about vaccines: the NHS offers the whooping cough vaccine from 16 weeks. The recommendations, and what the Moroccan programme provides, are detailed in our article on vaccines during pregnancy.

Good habits in the fourth month

Sleep on your side from now on, with a pillow or cushion between your knees: the NHS recommends it for better sleep. The habit will be in place for the third trimester, when it becomes important. A long pregnancy pillow hugs your back and bump; our position tips are in sleeping well while pregnant.

Work your pelvic floor for a few minutes a day, to limit leaks when you laugh or cough.

Keep moving: the NHS target is 150 minutes of activity a week, starting with a brisk 10-minute walk a day if needed.

Eat a varied diet, not a double one. The NHS reminds us that extra calories are only useful in the third trimester.

From the shop

To support your growing bump

A pregnancy pillow eases your back as soon as you sleep on your side, and a care oil brings comfort to tight skin. A few options at a range of prices.

• −9 %DoomooMaxxy XXL pregnancy pillow, Mini Leaves Green, small green leaf print – Doomoo901 DHinstead of 990 DHView product
• −9 %DoomooBuddy nursing and pregnancy pillow, Tetra Jersey Green – Doomoo810 DHinstead of 890 DHView product
• −22 %BabymoovDream Belt sleep belt, Smokey – Babymoov491 DHinstead of 630 DHView product
• −48 %Bio-OilFace and body skincare oil, 60 ml – Bio-Oil31 DHinstead of 60 DHView product
• −48 %MedelaMaternity and nursing bra, size S, white – Medela208 DHinstead of 400 DHView product
• −9 %DoomooBuddy maternity and nursing pillow, Mushrooms – Doomoo810 DHinstead of 890 DHView product
• The whole aisle · Pregnancy and nursing pillows20 products online, delivered anywhere in Morocco.Open the aisle

Products sold by La Maison du Bébé, publisher of this magazine. Prices as of 12 October 2026; please check the product page.

As for clothes, loose summer outfits and flowing djellabas (the traditional Moroccan long robe) often do the job until the 6th month. For your bust, a maternity and nursing bra will see you through until after the birth.

If you are planning a trip this trimester, first read our precautions for travelling while pregnant.