2nd trimester of pregnancy: Symptoms, precautions and your baby’s development

Maybe you’ve been exhausted by the morning sickness and intense mood swings brought on by the first trimester of pregnancy. But you are now entering the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. According to most moms, this part of pregnancy is considered the best part. It is important to know what to expect during the second trimester of pregnancy –what are the symptoms, precautions, and the development of your baby.

Second trimester pregnancy: What does it mean?

Your pregnancy journey is divided into three trimesters wherein each trimester is 14 weeks long. That means when you are in your second trimester of pregnancy, you are now 14 weeks pregnant –26 more weeks until your baby’s birth.

In the second trimester of pregnancy, you’ll start to look and feel more pregnant. However, the 2nd trimester of pregnancy is called the best part of pregnancy because most of the symptoms you experienced during the 1st trimester such as morning sickness, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting will go away at this point.

But it is also important to note that pregnancy is different for each woman. There are women who never experience morning sickness in their first trimester and there are also those who continue to feel sick during the 2nd trimester of pregnancy.

2nd trimester of pregnancy is also an exciting part of your pregnancy journey because this is the time when you can have your ultrasound to reveal what is the sex-assigned-at-birth of your baby or in the most common term – the gender reveal!

By the end of the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, you will start to feel your baby’s movement –the kicks and the jabs inside your womb.

2nd trimester pregnancy symptoms 

Pregnancy symptoms second trimester: In 2nd trimester of pregnancy, the fetus is not the only one growing. You may also notice changes in your own body. Your uterus continues to stretch to give space to the growing baby.

2nd trimester pregnancy symptoms: Aside from the stretching of your uterus, you will start gaining more weight and your baby bump will grow bigger. Furthermore, you may experience other symptoms of 2nd trimester pregnancy.

Pregnancy symptoms second trimester: The following are the symptoms of 2nd trimester pregnancy that you may experience:

• Body aches
• Swollen hands, feet, and ankles
• Stretch marks
• Increased in appetite
• Growing baby bump and breasts
• Itchy belly
• Frequent need to urinate
• Congested nose
• Nosebleeds due to an increase in hormones
• Spongier gums
• Varicose veins and hemorrhoids
• Increased vaginal discharge
• Weight gain
• Backaches
• Skin pigmentation
• Indigestion and constipation
• Heartburn

During this period, you may also experience false labor or what we called the Braxton Hicks contractions. It is your body’s way of getting ready for the true labor.

Unlike true labor, Braxton Hicks contractions are not painful. You might just feel a sudden tightening in your belly. Additionally, these contractions have no regular pattern, do not get closer together, and do not last long. Braxton Hicks contractions may stop when you change positions or activities. It disappears on its own –so, there’s nothing to worry about, mommy, once you experience this during your 2nd trimester of pregnancy.

The development of your baby

According to Hopkins Medicine, during the second trimester pregnancy, your baby’s vital organs and systems are now developed. The umbilical cord continues to thicken. And your baby will now begin growing in length and weight.

Moreover, at this period your baby’s weight will multiply more than seven times as the fetus becomes a baby. By the end of 2nd trimester of pregnancy, it is expected that your baby is about 13 to 16 inches long and weighs about 2 to 3 pounds.

Furthermore, during this period, you may feel the kicks and jabs of your baby inside your womb as it moves from side to side. Their eyes and ears are gradually moving to their proper places. Add to that, your baby can finally hear your voice and even respond to it by kicking or moving.

More fetal developments that are expected to happen during the 2nd trimester of pregnancy are the following:

• Fingers and toes are fully separated
• Fingernails and toenails have grown
• Fingerprints and toeprints have formed
• The wrinkly and red skin of your baby is covered by lanugo, the soft, downy hair that protects your baby inside your womb.
• Baby fats begin to accumulate
• Your baby’s hair is growing
• The baby develops reflexes like swallowing and sucking its thumb.
• The brain is growing rapidly.

Prenatal care: 2nd trimester of pregnancy precautions

At any stage of pregnancy, whether it’s your 1st trimester, 2nd trimester, or 3rd trimester, prenatal care is important. Taking good care of yourself at any point of your pregnancy journey also means taking good care of your little one inside your womb.

In 2nd trimester of pregnancy, your baby’s umbilical cord is thickening as it carries nourishment to the fetus. But, it is essential to know that aside from nutrients, harmful substances may also pass through the umbilical cord to your baby. That is why it is important to take 2nd trimester of pregnancy precautions.

Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages, smoking cigarettes or tobacco, and other hazardous things for your baby.

Furthermore, make sure to schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider. Your doctor may order tests to check on your health and of course, your baby’s health. During the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, it is paramount to check the Rh factor in your blood and check if there’s any possibility of gestational diabetes. 

Rh factor refers to the protein found in red blood cells. If you do not have the said protein you may be given an injection of Rh immune globulin. It is essential to prevent the development of any antibodies that may harm the baby inside your womb. After delivery, if your baby has RH+ blood, you will also be given an injection of Rh immune globulin.

Moreover, an oral glucose screening test may also be done at the end of your 2nd trimester of pregnancy. It is done to know if you are developing gestational diabetes. 

2nd trimester of pregnancy: What to prepare?

Aside from preparing for the symptoms that you may encounter during the second trimester of pregnancy, and your prenatal check-up, this period is also the best time to plan for your delivery.

You and your partner may start to talk about the type of birth you hope to have. You may opt to have a vaginal birth, assisted birth, or a cesarean section.

If you choose vaginal birth you need to also choose if you’ll do it medicated to decrease the pain or if you want it unmedicated –it’s up to you, mommy! On the other hand, assisted birth refers to a vaginal delivery where you might need tools such as forceps or a vacuum to help you deliver your baby. It’s important to ask your doctor about the possible risk of performing assisted birth.

In 2nd trimester of pregnancy, you can also enroll in a birth class to get to know more about these types of birth. Since the second trimester is the time when you feel less sick because of pregnancy symptoms, it is also the best time to take classes and educate yourself to prepare for your new role as a parent. Of course, it is best to let your partner join as you attend these classes.

Here at theAsianparent Philippines, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advise or medical treatment. theAsianparent Philippines is not responsible to those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend to consult your doctor for clearer information.