Welcome to the second trimester! You will find your nausea and fatigue have diminished. As a result, you’ll have more energy and your appetite will return. For some women, the second trimester is a wonderful time. The hormonal changes in your body are becoming more noticeable. An increase of estrogen may cause moles and freckles to grow darker. Dark blotches can appear on your cheeks, forehead and bridge of the nose, called chloasma, or “mask of pregnancy.” A dark brown line from the middle of your abdomen to your pubic bone may develop. This is known as the “linea nigera.” Your uterus, now the size of a grapefruit, is shifting upward. Your heart is increasing its output to supply the growing baby with oxygen. By this time, your belly will start to show. It’s time to put on those maternity clothes! You may also develop varicose veins or hemorrhoids. By the end of the fourth month, you may even feel the baby start to move. This is more likely to happen if you have had a previous child. The sensation has been likened to a butterfly flutter in your abdomen. These first movements are called “quickening.”

By this point, your baby moves and kicks. Its sucking and swallowing reflexes have developed and it can even suck its thumb! The baby now produces urine and is actually urinating into the amniotic fluid. The placenta is fully developed. Fingers and toes are well developed and finger prints and toe prints have formed. Soft downy hair is growing on the baby’s head. By the middle of this month, the external genitalia become distinct. All 20 teeth are formed and waiting. By the end of the 4th month, the baby is approximately 6 inches long and 5 ounces in weight.

Office visits during the second trimester focus on tracing the growth of the fetus, determining a more precise due date and monitoring your own health. Doctor visits will probably be every 4 weeks. Your weight and blood pressure will be recorded. Urine testing is also performed to check for the presence of sugar and protein. The height of the uterus and fetal growth will be measured to evaluate the overall growth of the baby. Fetal heart monitoring will be performed. You can discuss any symptoms or discomforts you may be experiencing. An amniocentesis may be ordered, if there is concern about a possible birth defect. The maternal blood screening for neural tube defects, often called the Alpha-Fetoprotein Test (AFP), may also be offered. This is most accurate during the 15th to 17th weeks of gestation. A fetal ultrasound may also be performed to evaluate fetal development.  

If you have felt the baby move, make note of the date and let your doctor know. Take your partner along with you for a check-up to hear the baby’s heartbeat. It’s a great way to share in the excitement of the pregnancy. Start sleeping on your left side, because circulation is best in this position. Lying on your stomach or back after the fourth or fifth month can put extra pressure on your uterus and decrease circulation to your baby.

 
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