The Second Trimester

The second trimester is probably the best out of the 3, so enjoy it!

(To skip ahead to the Third Trimester click here )

The Fourth Month

weeks 14- 17

You have made it! You are in the second trimester, and for most pregnant women the morning sickness you most likely felt for the last 3 months, has now subsided. You might even start to feel sexy in your new pregnancy body, as your belly takes it shape (round), and your breasts have most likely filled out a bit as well. Most men who have children, call this the “fun” trimester, because they have a hot little mama, with a cute round pouch, larger breasts, and a returning sex drive! Whew hew!

As for you, your uterus is the size of a small melon, which can be felt about 1.5 in. below your belly button. If you haven’t already, you may want to start shopping for maternity clothes, your regular clothes won’t help you much longer. With in the next few weeks you are going to pop, and there will be no hiding the fact that you are expecting. This is also a great time to begin thinking about whether or not you want to do a belly cast. If you don't know what that is, it is a way for you to preserve your shape and to look back and remember exactly how big and beautiful you really were while you were pregnant.

For the lucky ones, you may have no symptoms of pregnancy now, with the exception of your growing waist line. But for the unlucky ones, you may still be experiencing nausea, exhaustion, pimples, etc. If this is the case and you are taking prenatal vitamins, you may want to check out our link for diet and nutrition in pregnancy , to see if maybe that is what is keeping you down.

Your baby is getting heavier and longer! Probably about 5 inches long and about 5 ounces now, the body is growing faster than the head, as he or she takes on a more babyish appearance. The temporary hair also known as lanugo (if you have ever seen a premature baby before, they have this still covering them) has developed is now covering the baby’s body, but will fall off before birth. This hair is important for protecting the delicate body of your baby, as he or she has no fat yet. As you will soon see on your ultrasound, your baby may have a habit forming already! The reflex to suck his or her thumb has developed, as many fetus’s will do so inside and then outside of their mothers.

This month your baby’s bones are hardening, and he or she is now kicking not reflexively but on their own. Many babies even do summersaults inside of their moms, and when you go for an ultrasound, you may get to see the tumbling in action. This is a great step for your baby and also for you and your husband because you now will be able to feel movements! Yes, those tiny little pangs you feel inside your tummy may actually be your baby moving and not just gas. How cool is that!

Don’t worry if you are starting to dread looking in the mirror, and getting on a scale. This is very normal, and unfortunately won’t get any better (either will pregnancy back pain) until after baby is born. The second trimester is when you really begin to pop out and have a nice round tummy. You also will start to notice a gradual increase in weight every time you go to the doctor. Keep in mind you have to gain weight to support your growing baby. It is also necessary to keep you nutritionally balanced and healthy, because your baby will take a lot of nutrients from you. Eating the right foods and having a balanced diet is so essential to your well being and that of your baby. Please see our like to diet and nutrition. (click here to go back to the beginng of the second trimester

The Fifth Month

weeks 18- 22

If you didn’t last month, you will certainly begin to feel your baby’s movements this month of the second trimester. Your nice little pouch will probably pop a good amount this month, as your baby continues to blossom. By week 20 (halfway through the month) you will officially be half way done with your pregnancy. The second trimester is turning out to be a good one huh!

Pregnancy back pain may become a reality for you this month as well. Your baby is now getting quite large as he or she is about half way to birth length, now 7-9 inches long and weighs nearly a pound! His or her muscles are strengthening, the nerve networks are growing and his or her bones continue to harden. Your now very active baby or fetus, has more coordinated movements, and with the developments of the ears, can now hear outside noises like your voice, your husband’s voice, the radio, etc. Vernix, which is a goopy, greasy substance, provides protection to your baby’s skin, to shield it from the amniotic fluid, and keeping it from drying out.

This marks probably the most exciting part of the entire pregnancy process (with birth being the exception) because if you choose to, this is the month you will be able to see if you are having a boy, or a girl! If you haven’t started yet, you better start looking at names! (click here to go back to the beginning of the second trimester )

The Sixth Month

weeks 23-27

Those cute little movements you have been feeling, may not feel so cute or little anymore. In fact, they may actually start to hurt. And you may also notice that your baby sometimes get the hiccups, which is quite funny to watch as your belly seems to have a spasm in one certain spot. A common, but often not talked about “side effect” if you will, to pregnancy is numbness in your hands and arms. You may notice that you wake up in the middle of the night or are just going about your day to day business and you start to get a numb tingly sensation for no apparent reason. This is very normal and nothing to be worried about. The numbness is from swelling of tissues that may press on nerves. If however you are experiencing pain with the tingling and numbness, this is not a normal symptom and should be consulted with your doctor.

Your uterus is about 1.5 inches above your belly button now and the size of a basketball. And by the end of the month your uterus will be 2.5 inches above your belly button. You will also notice the whitish vaginal discharge (leukorrhea) has gotten a little heavier, and will continue to be present until delivery. You are almost halfway through the second trimester, and pregnancy back pain, if present, will probably continue to get worse, as the baby continues to grow, putting strain on your lower back.

As for your baby, he or she (you should know which) is more than 12 inches long and weighing in close to 2 pounds. He or she is still very active, but running out of room. You may start to notice a foot or a hand or elbow poking, making weird bumps and wiggles of your tummy. Those tiny little eyes can now open and close, and can react to light.

Since your tummy is growing so much now and will continue to until delivery, getting a really good cream for stretch marks is an absolute must! If you haven’t invested in it already, do it now!

(click here to go back to the beginning of the second trimester )

(To skip ahead to the Third Trimester click here )

***Keep in mind, the advice we are giving here is instructional only, we are not medical professionals, and this is for healthy women with normal pregnancies. If you are a high risk pregnancy, or have medical problems, this would not apply to you.

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