What to Expect During Your Second Trimester

You're in the Second Trimester of your pregnancy!  You can now begin to feel a bit more comfortable, as the second trimester, which is the 13 to 26 weeks of pregnancy, is the trimester with the least amount of discomfort. Let's take a look at what you (and your baby) are experiencing in your second trimester:

Your baby:

This is an exciting time for your baby. She is becoming more, well, humanlike! Her face is starting to now take shape, with a defined chin, nose, and forehead. And, that's not the only thing that's more defined. It's during the second trimester that you are able to determine the gender of your baby.

Your baby is even beginning to move around, and you are now able to hear her heartbeat when you visit the doctor. By the end of the second trimester your baby weighs more than 1.5 pounds, and is practicing his breathing!

How the Second Trimester Affects You:

• increased weight gain
• slight contractions
• your baby kicking
• swollen ankles and feet
• back pain
• shifting center of gravity
• leg cramps
• constipation

As your baby grows, you do as well, and it is during the second trimester that you are now starting to show. In fact, by week 17 you should expect to gain between 5 and 10 pounds. Yes, it's time to go shopping for maternity clothes.

The good news is the nausea of morning sickness has subsided quite substantially. You may, however, begin to feel slight contractions as your uterus is starting to prepare for the baby's delivery, as well as feel your baby kicking. You also may notice your ankles and feet beginning to swell, so you will want to be sure to drink more water.

Although the second trimester is the most comfortable of the three trimesters, you will continue to experience some discomfort, particular back pain as the pelvic bones prepare for delivery. Your uterus begins to get heavier as well, so you may find your center of gravity is off, which can also contribute to back pain. At this time you need to be conscious of your shifting center of gravity and adjust your posture accordingly. If you ride a bicycle for exercise, you need to be aware of your shifting center of gravity as you ride.

Leg cramps can also be a problem in the second trimester, especially at night. You'll want to ask your doctor for exercises which help to stretch your calf muscles, as well as take regular breaks after standing or sitting for long periods so that you can stretch your legs.

Constipation continues to be an issue during the second trimester, so it's important to drink plenty of fluids and eat floods high in fiber. Before taking anything to relieve your constipation, do check with your doctor, even if the remedy is natural or herbal. Though you may have taken flaxseed or flaxseed oil before being pregnant, do check with your doctor before taking either, as they may be a problem for pregnant women.

A Word of Caution

Though the second trimester is the least uncomforting of the three trimesters, you do have to look out for any health issues that may be common in the second trimester, particularly gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs in pregnant women who are non-diabetic, and usually begins in the fifth or sixth month of pregnancy, disappearing shortly after delivery of the baby. Although only affecting 3 to 6 percent of pregnant women, you should be aware of it. Although gestational diabetes may produce no symptoms, you should report to your doctor if you are experiencing:

• excessive weight gain
• excessive hunger or thirst
• excessive urination
• recurrent vaginal infections

As you probably notice, excessive weight gain and excessive urination go along with pregnancy itself, so it is hard to know what's normal and what's not. The best thing to do is to go in for a urine test around weeks 24 to 28 to rule out gestational diabetes.

Other Things to Alert Your Doctor About

In addition to gestational diabetes, other things to look out for and alert your doctor to include:

• vaginal bleeding
• weak cervix
• hypertension
• high fever
• swelling of your face or hands
• blurred vision
  

Synonyms:  2nd trimester and second trimester are used synonymously.

Econd, escond, ssecond, scond, sceond, seecond, seond, seocnd, seccond, secnd, secnod, secoond, secod, secodn, seconnd, secon, secondd are typos and mispells for "second."  rimester, rtimester, ttrimester, timester, tirmester, trrimester, trmester, trmiester, triimester, triester, triemster, trimmester, trimster, trimeester, trimeter, trimetser, trimesster, trimeser, trimesetr, trimestter, trimestr, trimestre, trimesteer, trimeste, and trimesterr are mispells and typos for trimester.