Second Trimester of Pregnancy

The second trimester is considered by most women to be the best period of their pregnancy. Hormone levels that were raging during the first trimester are leveling off now and you should not be experiencing so many of the side effects like nausea and exhaustion. Constipation is the most common problem during the second trimester as your hormones have relaxed your bowel muscles so much that they are not working as well as they need to and you may have to alter your diet to include more fibre.

Apart from that, every period of your pregnancy week by week should be a time for you to relax as much as possible and just let your baby mature and grow.

14 Weeks Pregnant

During the next couple of months that make up the second trimester, from 14 weeks on, you will start to see your body grow rapidly, your breasts will start to swell and your little bump will grow on a daily basis.

Many women wear their usual clothes and just don?t zip them up all the way or use rubber bands as their size increases. The fact is that you are going to get a lot bigger and going shopping for some maternity clothes should be a must at this stage. There is no point in trying to hide that you are pregnant and wearing comfortable clothes will mean that you feel better and will enjoy your pregnancy more.

By the time you get to 19 weeks you will defiantly be looking pregnant and you will be able to feel your uterus just below your belly button. Most women have gained up to 6kg in weight up to this point, but surprisingly only 200g of that will be your baby. The rest is made up of the placenta, amniotic fluid, uterus, increased breast size and other maternal stores.

Your baby is about 15cm long at 19 weeks and the skin is covered by a coat of Vernix which helps with insulation until fat is built up under the skin and it also helps protect the thickening skin from being submerged in amniotic fluid constantly. Once your baby has built up its own fat reserves, the Vernix will disappear.

The reality of being pregnant sometimes only kicks in around this time, literally. It is normally between 18 and 20 weeks of the second trimester that your baby will first let you know that they are around by kicking hard enough that you will feel it.

20 Weeks Pregnant

It is official; you are now half way through your pregnancy as you reach week 20 during the second trimester. From week 20 to the end of the second trimester you and your baby will grow very quickly. You will probably start to put on a lot of weight now but don?t let that concern you as long as you are eating a healthy diet; the extra weight is needed to produce a healthy baby.

As your baby grows you can expect to be short of breathe sometimes as the lungs need to give way to your growing baby. By the time your reach 27 weeks your uterus will be the size of a soccer ball and most of your internal organs will be pushed aside. Back pain will become more likely as the second trimester ends and it is a good idea to wear shoes that are flat and comfortable.

Due to your increase in size your centre of gravity will change and you will probably be more clumsy than normal so you need to take extra care that you do not have a nasty fall that could harm you or your baby.

At the end of week 27 you will definitely know that you have a little person inside you. Your baby?s eyes will be able to open and will move their head towards a torch if you hold it next to your belly and they will respond to touching games as their brain is now registering brain wave activity for their sight and hearing. Babies at this stage love music and will react differently to the type of music you play.

Many babies will develop a sleeping routine, even if it is not the same as yours, and if you are pregnant with twins you may find that they have their own different sleeping patterns.

The next stage of your pregnancy will be the third trimester and you should be prepared for a real burst of activity and growth. The second trimester is fairly calm compared to first and third, so relax and enjoy it while you can.

X click to search
X