Second Trimester of Pregnancy – Week by Week

There are many wonderful things happening during your second trimester. The second trimester, which is considered to last from the fourteenth to twenty-sixth week, is one of excitement and rapid growth for you and your baby. Your body will change rapidly as your baby grows, and some changes may be scary if you aren’t aware of their normal course. Understanding the week by week growth of your baby and the changes you can expect is helpful in keeping you worry-free and healthy.

Week fourteen is one of great excitement for all in the family as you begin to feel the baby move. You may have felt some flutters before now, but the baby is now large enough that others will be able to feel it too. This is a good time to explain to younger children that they’ll soon have a brother or sister coming. It’s easier for them to grasp when they can feel something inside mommy’s tummy. As you enter the second trimester, constipation and heartburn can be a bit of an issue, so make sure your diet is full of fiber and acid free foods.

In week fifteen, your baby will begin to grow hair that it will keep, as well as a fine layer of hair all of its body that will be shed later. According to old wives tales, this is what causes heartburn. The truth is that this event coincides with the time that heartburn usually sets in or worsens, so be careful with spicy foods.

This is also the time that your doctor will be able to measure the fundus, also known as fundal height, which is the height between your uterus and pelvic bone. This tells the doctor if your baby is growing at a reasonable pace. You’ll probably have to start getting maternity clothes at this time as well, if you haven’t done so already.

Weeks sixteen through twenty are a time of rapid growth for your baby. You’ll gain weight rapidly as your baby grows, and you’ll feel movement almost constantly. Have some fun with your partner by placing an object on your tummy and watch as it “dances” from your baby’s movement!

As your uterus stretches to make room for the baby, you may experience some cramping and tightness in the abdomen. This is perfectly normal. However, if cramping with spotting or cramping that’s severe enough to restrict movement occurs, you need to contact your doctor immediately.

Weeks twenty one through twenty six are a time when the baby slows down on development. By the end of this time, the baby’s vital systems, bones, organs and spinal cord have all developed. It’s during this time that your doctor will likely test for gestational diabetes through a glucose test. Finally, by the end of the twenty-sixth week, you’ll begin to slow down and your energy will decrease as your body gives more of its nutrients to the baby to facilitate the rapid growth that will soon occur in the third trimester.