Second Trimester Pregnancy

Joys of motherhood are immense although it also has its share of agonies and pain but that is soon overcome when you learn to observe the growth in your womb.

Now that you have entered your second trimester pregnancy there are major changes taking place in the child. All the main organs have been formed and the systems defined, the foetus will now start growing faster, in the ensuing 6 months. By the time the second trimester pregnancy ends the foetus will be around 13 to 16 inches in length, weighing around 2 to 3 pounds.

The development of the foetus

With the onset of the 20th week the baby has completed half the journey.

  • The foetus has started moving from side to side and started kicking.
  • Reflexes like sucking and swallowing have started developing.
  • It has started responding to stimuli.
  • The eyes are moving forward on the face while the ears are moving gradually towards the sides.
  • The development of the brain will start from the 5th month onwards.
  • The skin is covered with hair and the skin is wrinkled.
  • The fingers of the hands and the toes have taken shape as they have separated and the nails have started forming.
  • Vernix which is a white slimy substance which protects the foetal skin has started appearing on the foetal skin. This is gradually absorbed by the skin.
  • The foetus wakes up and sleeps in cycles.
  • The hair follicles have become active and the hair has started growing.
  • The eyebrows, eyelids and eyelashes can be seen.
  • Finger prints and toe prints have started taking shape.
  • A visible rapid growth can be seen in the weight and size of the foetus.

Second trimester Pregnancy for the mother

The second trimester pregnancy is the best part of a woman’s pregnancy. The morning sickness is gone, the lousy nausea tic feeling when every little thing that you once loved becomes an aversion, when you are not comfortable at any part of the day is all gone . The pain and tenderness in the breast also subsides. This is due to a fall in the levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) hormone and changes in the levels of progesterone and estrogen hormones.

Changes in the mother

During the second trimester pregnancy:

  • The size of the foetus has grown and now it is visible from the outside.
  • There is an increase in appetite.
  • As the size of the uterus has started increasing the mother might feel an itch on the belly. These will later appear as stretch marks.
  • As the uterus is now outside the pelvic cavity, the pressure on the bladder has decreased as a result the need to urinate frequently also has reduced.
  • The mucous membrane in the nose is affected by the increase in progesterone and estrogen levels in the body which results in congestion and nosebleed at times.
  • The mucous membranes in the mouth are also affected by the same hormones causing her gums to swell and bleed due to tenderness.
  • Haemorrhoids may appear.
  • Backaches will become a common ailment as she advances towards the third trimester.
  • The woman might have leucorrhoea which is a white coloured foul smelling vaginal discharge.
  • She may complain of indigestion, constipation, and heartburn.
  • As the size of the uterus is growing considerably, it has started compressing the other organs causing discomfort and breathlessness.

Changes in the baby

  • The buds for baby teeth have starts forming by now.
  • The lower extremities or the legs of the baby have grown in length and now are in proportion with the rest of the body.
  • Do not skip your meals as the baby depends on you for his food.
  • If you are having twins at his stage you can see them holding hands in an ultrasound.
  • In the 27th week the baby starts responding to light

As the cervix of the mother tightens by now, the baby is protected from any infection from outside. But in some cases where the cervix is thin and weak, there are chances of a premature delivery. Such cervixes are termed as ‘incompetent cervix’ by medical practitioners. By the end of the second trimester pregnancy the mother starts gaining weight, but that does not mean you starve yourself. On the contrary eat healthy and nutritious food as your baby’s health depends on the food you eat. Remember a healthy baby is a joy to behold!