Second Trimester: Week 14-28

Your Body's Changes

In the 2nd trimester, you will begin to notice a decrease in urinary frequency and the end of morning sickness. In fact, you may even experience a renewed sense of well-being, an increase in appetite and feel more energetic. Eating well is especially important at this time, as your baby will also start growing much more rapidly.

There may be a gradual increase in the amount of vaginal discharge. At the same time, your breasts will continue to increase in size, although there will be less tenderness. Your heart rate also increases because of the rise in blood volume and the need to transport oxygen to your growing baby.

A bulging lower abdomen begins to show by the end of the 4th month. During the 5th month, you can actually start to feel the first movements of your baby. As the baby grows larger inside of you, you may begin to experience some side effects typical of this stage in pregnancy: indigestion, constipation, heartburn, haemorrhoids, water-retention or high blood pressure.

There may be some pain in the abdomen, which is caused by the stretching of the ligaments on either side of the womb, which should cease to hurt by the end of the 6th month.

By the 6th month, your abdomen may begin to itch as your skin stretches to accomodate the growing uterus. Striae (white or silvery stretch marks) on the rapidly enlarging abdomen and breasts may appear.

As your weight increases, backaches and varicose veins are relatively common at this stage of pregnancy.

Sex, however, is usually better because the vagina is more engorged with blood, resulting in increased sensation.