Pregnancy 2nd trimester
Welcome to a series of posts that will take you through the journey of pregnancy. We will explore the changes your body will make during each trimester and how your baby is developing and growing. If you are here I guess it is likely that your pregnancy journey has started and you want to be prepared for what lies ahead. I hope that these features will go some way to preparing you for the next 9 months.
Next up is the pregnacy 2nd trimester. This takes us from week 13 through to 27 weeks pregnant.
What happens to you during the pregnancy 2nd trimester
During the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, symptoms that you may have experienced during the first trimester will begin to subside. Many women report that nausea and fatigue begin to reduce and they find they are more able to enjoy their pregnancy.
The following changes and symptoms may occur:
Your uterus will expands and your abdomen will become larger.
You may experience dizziness or lightheadedness due to lower blood pressure
You will begin feeling the baby move
Your appetite will increase and consequently some weight gain. You can expect to gain 1lb a week
The extra weight you’ve gained in the last few months is starting to put pressure on your back, making it achy and sore. Try to ease the pressure, sit up straight and use a chair that provides good back support. Sleep on your side with a pillow tucked between your legs. Avoid picking up or carrying anything heavy and wear low-heeled, comfortable shoes with good arch support.
You may start to develop stretch marks on the stomach, breast, thighs, or buttocks
You may develop varicose veins and hemorrhoids which, fortunately, should shrink or go away after pregnancy if you didn’t have them before you conceived.
Your skin begins to change, such as darkening of the skin around your nipples, or patches of darker skin
You may experienc swelling of the ankles or hands
Leg cramps usually start in the second trimester and last through the third. These are due not only to hormones and weight but also a possible shortage of calcium or magnesium.
Baby’s development during the 2nd trimester
By around week 16, baby’s first tiny hairs are starting to sprout, and by week 22 baby has got eyelashes and eyebrows, too. Baby’s skin is now covered in lanugo (a downy “fur coat” that keeps him warm until he builds up more fat in the third trimester) and, by week 19, vernix caseosa (a greasy layer of oil and dead skin cells that shield his skin from acidic amniotic fluid) — both of which will shed before birth.
Baby’s digestive system was fully formed by the end of the first trimester. So now baby is starting to suck and swallow in preparation for life outside of the womb. He can even taste the foods you eat via your amniotic fluid. Baby’s waste systems are working hard too: Although he still gets his nutrition via your placenta, all of that swallowing means he’ll be doing plenty of peeing.
Baby’s ears and eyes are moving into their correct positions. By week 22, baby’s developing senses mean he’s starting to smell, see and hear, and those little eyes are beginning to open.
By wwk 17, baby’s heart is no longer beating spontaneously, as his brain is now regulating his heartbeat. In week 25, capillaries begin forming to carry oxygenated blood through his body.
By week 26 your baby’s brain will start blinking those little eyelids.
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