Once you’re past the first trimester, you may think that all your issues are done. After all, morning sickness usually disappears, energy returns, you’re past most of the risk of miscarriage. The second trimester does have the reputation of being the easiest trimester of pregnancy. However, that doesn’t mean there is nothing going on! You still may experience some unique symptoms during the second trimester, and it’s important to expect them.
Here’s a list of symptoms you may experience:
Continued Nausea
Unfortunately, not all women are so lucky. Nausea *usually* disappears between 10 and 14 weeks, but some women experience nausea all the way through their pregnancies. And for a rare few, morning sickness only just appears in the second trimester.
Increased Urination
As your baby grows, your uterus becomes heavier and sits on your bladder, leading to a need to pee more often. You’ll notice this at night as well as during the day. Some women notice this more in the first trimester, with it letting up in the second, and increasing again in the third. I, personally, notice that it increases steadily as my baby grows, so this may happen to you as well.
Headaches
Your blood volume is increasing rapidly at this time. Ultimately, it will be about 50% greater than usual. You may get headaches, even migraines, while this is occurring. Eating more protein and drinking more water can help, because protein helps your body to build more blood.
Dizziness
This is also caused by increasing blood volume. Make sure you eat frequently, and that your meals and snacks contain protein. (I usually end up eating every 2 – 3 hours, with a lot of meat, cheese, and peanut butter from 14 – 17 weeks or so, for this reason.) Move slowly, too, because standing up suddenly can make you dizzy and cause you to fall.
Increased Hunger and Thirst
You may find yourself just starving at this time, especially if you were nauseous and didn’t eat much during the first trimester. Eat whenever you are hungry, just make sure you are eating a healthy pregnancy diet! Pay close attention to what your body seems to need. You really do need an extra 300 – 500 calories right now, because your baby is growing and developing rapidly!
Weight Gain
You may have gained 1 – 3 lbs. in your first trimester, you may have gained nothing, or, if you were sick, you may have actually lost weight. But in this trimester, you will start to gain weight slowly, about a lb. every 2 – 3 weeks. Total, your pregnancy weight gain will be about 25 – 35 lbs., although it is perfectly normal to gain anywhere from 20 – 60 lbs., depending on what your weight was before you got pregnant, and how much you’re pre-disposed to gain. As long as you’re eating well and don’t have any signs of trouble, you shouldn’t worry about your weight gain.
For the most part, your second trimester should be smooth sailing. You’ll be past the early fatigue and nausea (probably!) and you’re not yet big enough to be sore and sick of pregnancy. Plus, if you haven’t felt your baby move yet (with second or later babies, you may feel it as early as 10 weeks), you will very soon! You’ll have lots of moments where you can just lie down and feel your baby kick and squirm, and watch your belly move.
Your baby may get hiccups, which is pretty cool! (I could always tell my babies were head down because of where I could feel their hiccups!) If you do choose to get ultrasounds (something you should research carefully), you’ll also find out during this trimester whether you’re having a boy or a girl!
The second trimester is pretty cool!
What do you experience during your second trimester? Any unusual symptoms or fun stuff?
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When I was in my second trimester, I had a huge problem with gas. As the baby grew really fast, he compressed all my innards so the gas just wasn't moving through. I actually had to leave work one day, in terrible agony, after throwing up, because of a gas bubble. That will teach me to eat lentil soup when I'm pregnant! I actually thought it was appendicitis for awhile. Later, I found out my grandma had the same thing happen to her when she was pregnant: she ate beans, and the next day was in the emergency room thinking something was terribly wrong — but it was just a gas bubble that wouldn't pass.
My cure for these is to lie down for awhile, changing position every 15 minutes or so, to help it on its way. Being on my left side was the most helpful.
Thank you so much for this post and mentioning migraines….I’ve had 2 migraines in the past week, am just entering my 2nd tri with my second pregnancy(didn’t have migraines the first time) and after much research only found one other nutritional recommendation: tylenol and caffeine….both of which I’m kinda sorta ok with but sorta kinda not. Increasing protein as well as my water intake seems easier and more productive all around(and cheaper than having a pregnancy massage)!
[…] you get further into your pregnancy, though, your blood volume expands rapidly, ending up 50% greater than normal. This expansion can lead to anemia. It is common for iron […]