Congratulations, you have made it to the second trimester! At this point you definitely know (hopefully know) you are pregnant and you may be curious as to what to experct regarding pregnancy symptoms by week. Well you have come to the right place. I do want to make it known that depending on your doctor, the weeks in your trimester may be a little different. For example, some consider the second trimester to begin on week 13 and end on week 26 or 27. I have chosen to use weeks 14 through 27 in accordance to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Weeks 14 thru 17- The Forth Month
During weeks 14 though 17 you may notice that things are changing for the better! If you got acne in early pregnancy, that might be clearing up. The morning sickness should be easing up as well unless you are the in the unfortunate 20% of women who suffer from Hypermesis Gravidarum (severe nausea). You typically find out if you have hypermesis gravidarum (HG) in early pregnancy and it usually lessens by the second trimester. However, as I mentioned earlier 20% of women may continue to have HG throughout the pregnancy. In extreme cases, HG requires IV fluids to replenish the electrolytes you lose from vomiting (yikes)!
If you read my previous post on pregnancy symptoms by week-weeks 1 thru 13, you will notice that the symptoms are pretty much the same as those experienced in weeks nine through thirteen. However, some symtoms may subside or even disappear. Symptoms such as: sleepiness, morning sickness, the frequent need to go the bathroom, and breast tenderness might go away. I was tired every trimester and I enjoyed taking my naps. I also always had to pee! So the books aren’t always true!
While some symptoms go away, you may gain some new ones to keep you company. New symptoms such as: bleeding gums, stuffy nose, nose bleeds, and swollen hands, feet, face, and/or ankles. My nose seemed to get swollen or just bigger with pregnancy! If you are no longer plagued by morning or all day sickness, you might notice you are actually pretty hungry ALL THE TIME! The good news is that by the end of the forth month, you might actually get to feel your little baby move, which might be the size of a pear now! That feeling made all the “side effects” worth it. So here is a run down of this months’s symptoms:
- Heartburn
- Food cravings or aversions
- Constipation
- Increased discharge
- Light headed/dizziness
- Growing breast
- Gasiness
- Frequent urination
- Increased sense of smell
- Bloating
- Sleepiness
- Prominent veins
- Baby bump
- Bleeding gums
- Swelling
- Stuffy nose
- Nose bleeds
Weeks 18 thru 22 – The Fifth Month
It isn’t just the excitement of pregnancy causing your heart to beat faster, it IS pregnancy! That’s right, your heart rate/pulse is faster due to the increased blowflow to your uterus to support your growing baby. By the end of the fifth month, your baby will be the size of a coconut (plus or minus some ounces)! If you haven’t felt the baby move yet, you may start to feel movement this month. However, if you have an anterior placenta (placenta attached to the front of your uterus) it might take longer for you to feel fetal movement as the placenta cushions the blow.
Has your nesting set in yet? During my pregnancy with my son, I started getting that nesting feeling towards the end of the fifth month as I had a little bit more energy to start organizing and getting prepared for his arrival. I could still take my naps, but it was nice that I was actually able to do more around the house. Hopefully, an increase in energy is a symptom you will get as well during these weeks.
Do you notice a dark line running down your stomach or perhaps your belly button popped? That dark line is called a “linea nigra” (black line aka pregnancy line) and may start appearing sometime this month. It may start at your belly button and go down to your underwear line or it may start right under your breast bone. However, if you have had previous pregnancies you may have noticed this line never really went away. If you are unlucky like me, your belly button might not ever return to its normal position. Yep, that’s right. I have a permanent protruding belly button (aw, thanks kids!).
While the belly button and the pregnancy line aren’t actually symptoms, they are some new changes to your body that you may or may not be experiencing so I wanted to include them. A list of this months symptoms include:
- Heartburn
- Food cravings or aversions
- Constipation
- Increased discharge
- Light headed/dizziness
- Growing breast
- Gasiness
- Frequent urination
- Increased sense of smell
- Bloating
- Sleepiness
- Prominent veins
- Baby bump
- Bleeding gums
- Swelling
- Stuffy nose
- Nose bleeds
- Increase in energy
- Linea nigra
- Protruding belly button
- Fetal movement
Weeks 23 thru 27 – The Sixth Month
Getting excited yet or maybe you feel some pains at the bottom of your tummy or groin? Do not worry. You are likely experiencing round ligament pain. It can happen on one side or both sides. If it is really bothersome, you can try a warm bath (remember, no soaking in hot water or hot tubs during pregnancy). You may even experience some back problems or sciatic nerve pain issues as your abdomen begins to grow. I recommend stretching often and wearing a pregnancy support belt for these issues.
With stretchy skin comes itchiness so don’t freak out if you think your stomach is itchier than normal. It most likely is. The best cure for that was cocoa butter and it is “supposed” to help with the stretch marks. However, I truly do not believe there is anything you can do about stretch marks because it is in your genes (if your mother had them, you are likely to have them as well). I thought I was lucky because I didn’t have any stretch marks on my stomach with my daughter. But when I lost the weight, oh boy did they really come out! I like to think that I earned my stripes as a mom and embrace them!
Has your belly jumped yet? What I mean is, have you had the chance to experience those cute little hiccups? Aren’t they so precious? Yes, this month you should be able to see and feel your baby hiccuping. While this month brings on its challenges, the movements make it all worth it. So here is a rundown of what you may be experiencing this month:
- Heartburn
- Food cravings or aversions
- Constipation
- Increased discharge
- Light headed/dizziness
- Growing breast
- Gasiness
- Frequent urination
- Leg cramps
- Increased sense of smell
- Bloating
- Sleepiness
- Prominent veins
- Baby bump
- Bleeding gums
- Swelling
- Stuffy nose
- Nose bleeds
- Increase in energy
- Linea nigra
- Protruding belly button
- Fetal movement
- Round ligament pain
- Cramping in legs
- Back pain
- Stretch marks
- Baby hiccups
The Second Trimester
I know the list of symptoms seems to get lighter, but remember there is light at the end of the tunnel. It is funny how much I complained about the pregnancy symptoms, and how quickly I forgot that I even had an ailment the moment my baby arrived. Maybe you will be lucky and make through pregnancy without any negative symptoms, or maybe you will have every symptom known to man. The prize at the end, or in this case the baby, makes every single sickness, sore boob, black line, backache, and stretch mark worth it. So pat yourself on the back because you are making it and doing an awesome job growing a baby!
Tiffany, what an awe-inspiring article. I love how you detailed the various stages and possible symptoms to expect during the different trimester phases. This is especially helpful to new moms and also dads as well. They go through certain pregnancy phases as well.
What an eye-opener on such a beautiful miracle that you take part in!
Thank you so much for stopping by! I aim to please and also to help and inform!
Pregnancy is such an exciting yet stressful time. We women often have no idea what we’ve signed up for when we become pregnant for the first time LOL. In my three pregnancies I’ve had some but not all of the issues you list here. Luckily I was spared the bleeding gums, but I definitely had a heightened sense of smell and food cravings. I felt so sleepy that I was usually ready to crash for the night by 8:00PM. I’ve often wondered why it is that we get certain food cravings while pregnant and why it can vary from one pregnancy to the next. Do you happen to know the reason for this?
You are so right! I did enjoy the fact that I could fall asleep without any troubles early, but I was always tired! Our food cravings and aversions change with each pregnancy because each pregnancy is different and our hormones are different. Some research shows that certain cravings occur because of a vitamin deficiency we are experiencing during pregnancy. For example, if you notice that you all of the sudden are craving red meat, you are likely to have low protein or need more protein in your diet. If you are experiencing Pica, you are most likely low on zinc or iron. I hope that answers your question. Thank you for stopping by!
I was giggling as I read this because I’m currently experiencing many of these WONDERFUL symptoms as I scrolled down! I’m currently 6 months pregnant (with twins!) so I have had my good days, bad days, and amazing days as the random symptoms come and go. I truly feel that “I am just here for the ride” and your blog is very informative. It reminds me that I’m not alone and that it is all going to be worth it. I’m so excited! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Wow, congratulations! I wanted twins so badly, but I think my husband would lose it if that happened, lol! No, we are not alone and sometimes the pregnancy struggle is so real, but it is so worth it. What a blessing to be having twins. Thank you so much for stopping by and good luck to you!