As you leave the first trimester behind and head into the second trimester you should, hopefully, be over the worst of your symptoms such as morning sickness and tiredness (hooray!) and because of that you should feel your mood lift and be more up to the challenge or preparing for your baby.
Most women say that this is the best trimester which is why it is known as the golden trimester. So, enjoy your increase in energy levels, enjoy your fantastic mood and enjoy all of the wonderful and exciting things you will experience over the next 13 weeks.
What happens to my body in the second trimester?
Going into the second trimester you can expect some of the following changes:
- Dental problems. Sounds strange right? But pregnancy can cause your gums to bleed and become sore. Be sure to have regular check-ups and rinsing with salt water can relieve irritation.
- Dizziness. Pregnancy causes changes to your circulation which can lead to dizziness. So, avoid standing for long periods, drink plenty of fluids and stand up slowly. It could also be a sign of an iron deficiency which is very common in pregnancy so if in doubt get it checked out.
- Leg cramps. Other than nausea this was a really horrible symptom to experience with the cramps usually happening in the middle of the night. Try stretching out your calve muscles before bed.
- Round ligament pain. This is a symptom I wasn’t aware of, as your womb grows you can experience pains down the side of your belly which can actually be quite painful but are totally normal!
- Baby bump. The most exciting one for all mums is seeing their bump growing! When you start showing is different for everyone and depends on a few things such as your weight and whether this is your first baby or not (it can take longer to start showing if this is your first). I couldn’t wait until I started showing, which wasn’t until around 16 weeks.
What is happening to baby?
During the second trimester, your baby will start to look more like a baby with their facial features moving into the correct position and their fingers and toes becoming well defined. Your baby will now have eyelids, eyebrows, eyelashes, nails and hair and will grow up to 16 inches in length and weigh between 2 and 3 pounds! You should be able to find out the sex of your baby, should you choose to, at your 20-week scan (or as early as 16 weeks if you choose to go private.) By the end of the second trimester, your baby may be able to hear you so try talking, singing or reading a story and encourage your partner to join in too! The best part though? Due to your baby now stretching, turning and doing summersaults you should be able to feel the first tiny flutters of them kicking!
Things to do:
- Sleep on your side. After about 20 weeks it is recommended that you sleep on your side, preferably the left side. This is because you have a major blood vessel running down the right-hand side of your spine and your growing baby can put pressure on that causing problems with circulation.
- Keep doing kegals. Keeping your pelvic floor in shape during pregnancy is so important as it prepares you for birth and can help with recovery afterwards.
- Prenatal workouts. Your body is about to go through a lot so start doing some prenatal yoga or pilates to help you be as fit and as strong as possible for when your little one makes their entrance. I always did my workouts from home and followed Jessica from Pregnancy & Postpartum TV on YouTube. She is a trained pre and postnatal fitness instructor who regularly posts pregnancy-safe workouts ranging from gentle stretches to sweaty Hiit videos! Alternatively, you could join a class near you.
- Prenatal classes. While you probably won’t attend until your third trimester I would recommend looking into a prenatal class. These are really great for going into more detail about what to expect from the birth, what to expect once the baby is here and more importantly it’s a great way of meeting people near you whose babies are due around the same time. Popular classes are Bumb & Baby, NCT or there is a class provided by the NHS.