A lot of people say that the second trimester is your ‘glowy’ phase. I can’t say I felt that glowy but it certainly is a lot easier than those first few initials months for most people at least.

Today we are going to be looking at weeks 13 – 20. We have previously talked about weeks 1 – 8 and weeks 9 – 12 so take a peek if you are still in the first Trimester. When you enter the second trimester you should hopefully be feeling a bit better and start to get your energy levels back. This is a great time to just enjoy the pregnancy and start to get yourself organised. Plus you have your exciting 20 week scan to look forward to.

What Is Happening?

Your baby is developing in all sorts of wondrous ways. By 15 weeks they will be able to hear faint sounds so start nattering away if you like. Your baby will begin to look much more human and facial features will be forming more clearly. At 16 weeks your baby can start to move their muscles and can form fists with their teeny hands. By 17 weeks they will even have eyelashes and eyebrows. Baby will be moving around lots and responding to outside sounds. You may not be able to feel these yet or if you do they may just feel like tiny flutters. Most people start to feel baby moving at around 17 to 18 weeks. If this is not your first pregnancy then you may feel the movements earlier, or at least know what you are looking for.

How Big Is My Baby?

Your baby is growing rather rapidly and is now taking on more of the form of that tiny human being. At the start of the Second Trimester your baby will be around 85mm long and by 20 weeks they will be around 26cm long. I should point out that up until week 20 your baby is measured crown to rump and at 20 weeks this changes to crown to heel hence the big growth spurt!

What Symptoms Can You Expect?

  • Bump – Probably the biggest change at the start of the second trimester will be that you start to notice your bump. This is all very exciting. When your bump appears varies by each person and even each pregnancy. With Molly I had a teeny bump most of the way through and was even in my own clothes at nearly 5 months. However, with Alice I was lucky if I could do my jeans up at 11 weeks!!
  • Tiredness – You may still feel tired so take it easy. As your bump grows many women also find it difficult to sleep and feel restless.
  • Headaches – Headaches can be common in pregnancy but if they get worse or become too frequent do go and see your doctor.
  • Gums – Keep an eye on your gums as they can bleed quite a bit during pregnancy. Don’t forget you get free dental care during pregnancy so take a trip to the dentist if you are worried.
  • Linea Nigra – A lot of women start to develop a dark line down their tummy. This can become quite pronounced but should fade after birth.
  • Urinary Infections – You may find you get urinary infections during pregnancy so do see your doctor if you are worried.
  • Shine – Apparently the second trimester leads to the sort of glossy locks normally only seen on the Pantene commercial! I can’t say I ever noticed it but I am so jealous if you did.
  • Itching – A level of itching is normal in pregnancy as your skin stretches and moves. However, if you find the itch uncontrollable please do see your midwife or GP as it could be a rare condition called Obstetric Cholestasis. You can read about my experience of OC here.
  • Increased sex drive – Yep, this second trimester can see you wanting a bit more hanky panky in the bedroom! Something to do with blood flow to all the right places apparently!

    • 16 Week Midwife Appointment

    At 16 weeks you will have your next midwife appointment. At this appointment your midwife will discuss the results from your blood and urine tests that were done at your booking in appointment. You will also have all your routine checks done such as blood pressure and urine tests. Use this opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns.

    20 Week Scan

    Hooray, another chance to see your little one. The 20 week scan is an exciting one for most people and, all being well, is the last time you will be scanned before baby is born. Some people will have further scans but in the main you will have to wait another 20 weeks before you see your little one for real.

    The 20 week scan is also called an anomaly scan and will be done between 18 and 21 weeks. It is carried out in the same way as your dating scan with the ultra sound machine and that lovely cold gel on your tummy!

    The scan will show you a 2D black and white image of your baby but some people choose to privately have a 3D scan done. If you haven’t seen one of these before have a little peek online first to see what they are like.

    The scan looks for physical abnormalities in the baby although cannot necessarily find everything that might be wrong. The sonographer will look at baby’s bones, heart, brain, spinal cord, face, kidneys and abdomen. For most people the scan will show that all is developing normally for baby but very occasionally it can pick up more serious problems which will be discussed with you and a doctor.

    Make sure you drink a nice big glass of water before you go as it helps to have a full bladder.

    Things To Consider

    Try to keep as active as you can. A gentle level of exercise will be beneficial as your pregnancy progresses but make sure you adjust the exercise and level of impact appropriately.

    Keep up the healthy eating and get a good balance of vitamins in your diet. You can find useful information on your diet here and what to avoid here.

     
    Are any of you currently in your second trimester? Any useful information to share or important things that I have forgotten? Also, did you have shiny locks?!!