Note: Information provided on this page is for general education only, please seek medical assistance when in doubt
Second trimester is a pregnancy period between week 13 and week 28. Second trimester of pregnancy is easier than the first trimester for most of the woman and symptoms like nausea and fatigue are slowly disappearing, but now body experiences more noticeable changes and abdomen continues to expand as the baby continues to grow. By the end of second trimester, baby begins to move and baby movement can be felt by mother.
In second trimester body changes to make room for your growing baby and noticeable changes you may experience:
- Stretch marks on your abdomen, breasts, thighs, or buttocks
- Body aches, such as back ache, abdomen, groin, or thigh pain
- Line on the skin running from belly button to pubic hairline
- Numb or tingling hands, called carpal tunnel syndrome
- Darkening of the skin around your nipples
- Patches of darker skin sometimes called the mask of pregnancy, usually over the cheeks, forehead, nose, or upper lip appears they often match on both sides of the face
- Slight Itching on the abdomen, palms, and soles of the feet, however if itching combined with nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice or fatigue needs medical attention
- Mild swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face. However any sudden or extreme swelling may need medical attention
Baby growth in Second Trimester
At 16 weeks:
- Baby skin begins to form.
- Baby muscle tissue and bone continue to form, creating a more complete skeleton.
- Baby makes sucking motions with the mouth (sucking reflex).
- Intestine tract develops, Meconium develops in your baby's intestinal tract and will be your baby's first bowel movement.
- At the end of sixteen week baby grows to about 4 to 5 inches in length and weighs nearly 3 ounces.
At 20 weeks:
- Baby becomes more active and slight fluttering may be felt.
- Eyebrows, eyelashes, fingernails, and toenails have formed.
- Baby begins to hear and swallow.
- Baby is covered by fine, downy hair called lanugo.
- Waxy coating called vernix is protecting the forming skin underneath.
- At the end of twenty week your pregnancy is half way and baby is now 6 inches long and weighs around 9 ounces.
At 24 weeks:
- Bone marrow begins making blood cells.
- Taste buds develop on baby's tongue.
- Hand and startle reflex develop.
- Head hair begins to grow on baby's head.
- Footprints and fingerprints are formed.
- Lungs are formed, but yet not functional.
- Baby starts storing fat and slowly gaining weight.
- Baby begins to sleep and wakes regularly and distinct baby sleep patterns is slowly developing.
- For baby boy testicles begin to move from the abdomen into the scrotum.
- For baby girl uterus and ovaries are in place, and a lifetime supply of eggs has formed inside her ovaries.
- At the end of twenty four week baby stores fat and has gained quite a bit of weight and is now about 12 inches long and weighs about 1½ pounds.
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