The Second Trimester

What Y'all Need to Know

  • During your second trimester prenatal visits, your wellness care provider will continue to check on your and your baby's health, including monitoring the fetal heartbeat.
  • The second trimester is the about physically enjoyable for most women. Morning sickness usually lessens by this time, and the extreme tiredness and breast tenderness commonly ease upward.
  • Your fetus has now developed all its organs and systems and will now brainstorm to grow in length and weight.
  • You may exist able to experience the movement of the fetus for the commencement time at around twenty weeks. This miracle is called quickening.
  • A fetus built-in at the end of 24 weeks may survive in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Prenatal Visits During the Second Trimester

During your second and third trimester prenatal visits, your health care provider may check the post-obit, depending on your current medical condition and the health of the fetus:

  • Any current symptoms or discomforts

  • Your weight

  • Your blood pressure level

  • Urine test. This is done to detect albumin, a poly peptide that may signal pre-eclampsia or toxemia, and glucose (which may bespeak hyperglycemia).

  • Growth, size and development of the fetus

  • Size of the uterus. Subsequently approximately 12 weeks of gestation, the uterus can be felt through the abdominal wall.

  • Meridian of the fundus (summit of the uterus), starting at twenty weeks of gestation

  • Fetal heartbeat

The Second Trimester: What to Look

The 2d trimester marks a turning bespeak for the mother and fetus. You volition usually begin to feel better and beginning showing the pregnancy more. Your fetus has now adult all its organs and systems and will now brainstorm growing in length and weight.

During the second trimester, the umbilical cord continues to thicken as it carries nourishment to the fetus. Even so, harmful substances as well pass through the umbilical string to the fetus, so intendance should exist taken to avoid alcohol, tobacco and other known hazards.

During the second trimester, both your body and the fetus keep to grow.

Johns Hopkins Hospital Designated as Infant-Friendly

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a global program launched by the Globe Health Organization and the Un Children's Fund, has designated The Johns Hopkins Infirmary as Babe-Friendly. This designation is given to hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for infant feeding and female parent-baby bonding.

The Second Trimester: Changes to Your Torso

The second trimester is the almost physically enjoyable for most women. Morning sickness ordinarily lessens by this time, and the extreme tiredness and breast tenderness unremarkably ease up. These changes tin can exist attributed to a decrease in levels of human chorionic gonadotropin hormone and an adjustment to the levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones.

The following is a listing of changes and symptoms that may happen during the 2nd trimester:

  • Appetite may increase.

  • You may be able to feel the motion of the fetus for the first time around 20 weeks. This phenomenon is called quickening.

  • The uterus grows to the summit of the bellybutton around 20 weeks, making the pregnancy visible.

  • The skin on the belly may itch equally information technology grows, and in that location may be hurting down the sides of the body as the uterus stretches. The lower stomach may ache as ligaments stretch to back up the uterus.

  • The need to urinate often may decrease as the uterus grows out of the pelvic cavity, relieving pressure on the bladder.

  • Your nose may become congested, and you lot may feel nosebleeds. This is due to the increase in hormones (estrogen and progesterone) and blood flow that affect the mucous membranes and blood vessels in the nose.

  • Your gums become spongier and may bleed easily. This is due to the increase in hormones (estrogen and progesterone) that touch the mucous membranes in the mouth.

  • Varicose veins and hemorrhoids may appear.

  • Y'all may have a white-colored vaginal discharge called leukorrhea. (A colored or bloody discharge may signal possible complications and should be examined immediately.)

  • The increasing weight proceeds may cause backaches.

  • Skin pigmentation may change on the face up or abdomen due to the pregnancy hormones.

  • Heart burn down, indigestion and constipation may go along.

The Second Trimester: Fetal Evolution

At present that all the major organs and systems have formed in the fetus, the following half dozen months will exist spent growing. The weight of your fetus volition multiply more than seven times over the side by side few months, as the fetus becomes a baby that can survive outside of the uterus.

An illustration showing fetal growth from 8 to 40 weeks.

By the end of the second trimester, your fetus will be nigh thirteen to 16 inches long and weigh nigh two to three pounds. Fetal development during the second trimester includes the following:

  • The fetus kicks, moves and tin can turn from side to side.

  • The eyes have been gradually moving to the front of the face up, and the ears have moved from the neck to the sides of the head. The fetus can hear your vox.

  • A creamy white substance (chosen vernix caseosa, or simply vernix) begins to appear on the fetus and helps to protect the thin fetal skin. Vernix is gradually absorbed by the peel, merely some may be seen on babies even later nascence.

  • The fetus is developing reflexes, similar swallowing and sucking.

  • The fetus can respond to certain stimuli.

  • The placenta is fully developed.

  • The brain will undergo its most important period of growth from the fifth calendar month on.

  • Fingernails have grown on the tips of the fingers and toes, and the fingers and toes are fully separated.

  • The fetus goes through cycles of sleep and wakefulness.

  • Pare is wrinkly and red, covered with soft, featherlike hair (called lanugo).

  • Pilus is growing on the caput of the fetus.

  • Fat begins to accumulate in the fetus.

  • Eyelids are outset to open up, and the eyebrows and eyelashes are visible.

  • Fingerprints and toeprints take formed.

  • Rapid growth is continuing in fetal size and weight.

  • The 20th week marks the halfway indicate of the pregnancy.

A fetus born at the cease of 24 weeks may survive in a neonatal intensive care unit.