Second Trimester
The second trimester is often the easiest. Morning sickness typically fades, energy returns, and you'll start to look and feel pregnant. This is when many people share their news.
Baby Development Milestones
Common Symptoms
- Round ligament pain
- Growing bump
- Increased appetite
- Baby movements (quickening)
- Back pain
- Leg cramps
- Braxton Hicks contractions (late 2nd trimester)
- Skin changes (linea nigra, stretch marks)
Prenatal Appointments
- Anatomy scan / mid-pregnancy ultrasound (18–22 weeks)
- Glucose screening (24–28 weeks)
- Routine prenatal visits every 4 weeks
- Amniocentesis if indicated
Quick Facts
- Duration: 13 weeks
- Weeks 14 through 26
- Months 4–7 of pregnancy
- Anatomy scan typically at week 20
Tips for the Second Trimester
- This is a good time to start a birth plan
- Begin researching childbirth classes
- Start sleeping on your left side for better circulation
- Stay active — gentle exercise is great for mom and baby
- Book your hospital or birth center tour
Nutrition in the Second Trimester
Many people find their appetite returns and nausea eases up during the second trimester, which makes this a good window to focus more deliberately on nutrient-dense eating. Energy needs increase modestly during this stage, and it’s a common point for providers to check in more specifically about iron, calcium, and protein intake as the baby’s growth accelerates.
- Iron needs increase in the second trimester — pair iron-rich foods (lean meat, beans, leafy greens) with vitamin C sources to help absorption.
- Calcium and vitamin D support your baby’s developing bones — dairy, fortified plant milks, and leafy greens are common sources.
- Protein needs increase somewhat; spreading protein across meals (eggs, beans, meat, dairy, tofu) rather than concentrating it in one meal can help you meet your daily needs.
- Fiber-rich foods (whole grains, fruits, vegetables) can help with digestive symptoms like constipation, which often become more noticeable in the second trimester.
- Continue to avoid alcohol, raw/undercooked proteins, unpasteurized dairy, and high-mercury fish.
- If heartburn starts appearing, smaller and more frequent meals, plus avoiding lying down right after eating, can help.
Staying Active in the Second Trimester
For many people, the second trimester is when energy returns and exercise becomes more comfortable again, though your center of gravity is starting to shift as your belly grows, which is worth factoring into your choice of activities. This is generally a good stage to continue or start prenatal-appropriate strength training, walking, swimming, or prenatal yoga classes, while avoiding activities with a high fall risk or direct abdominal impact. As always, if your provider has flagged any pregnancy-specific concerns, follow their individual guidance over general recommendations.
For Partners: Supporting the Second Trimester
As energy often returns during the second trimester, this can be a good window for partners to get more involved in shared activities — attending appointments together, going to childbirth or prenatal classes, or simply being present for the visible physical changes that tend to become noticeable during this stage. It’s also a practical time to start conversations about logistics further down the line: parental leave planning, nursery preparation, and how responsibilities will be divided after the baby arrives.
Browse Week by Week
Frequently Asked Questions
This page gives you a broader overview of an entire trimester — common symptoms, appointments, and milestones spread across roughly 13 weeks — while the week-by-week guide breaks things down to a single week at a time with more specific detail. Many people use this page to get oriented to a new trimester, then switch to the week-by-week guide for closer tracking as their due date approaches.
The symptoms listed here reflect common patterns for this stage of pregnancy, not a complete or required list — plenty of people experience some of these symptoms earlier, later, more intensely, or not at all, and that's usually within the range of normal. If a specific symptom feels unusual or severe for your situation, it's always worth mentioning to your provider.
No — the milestones listed are general developmental patterns based on typical fetal growth, not measurements specific to your baby. Actual development varies within a normal range, and your provider tracks your baby's specific growth through your individual ultrasounds and appointments, which is a more precise way to monitor development than a general milestone list.
The appointments listed here reflect commonly recommended prenatal care for this stage, but your specific schedule may vary based on your provider, your health history, and whether your pregnancy is considered higher risk. Always follow the specific appointment schedule your provider recommends for you rather than treating this list as a strict requirement.
While many symptoms during any trimester are common and expected, sudden, severe, or unusual symptoms — such as heavy bleeding, severe abdominal pain, sudden swelling, vision changes, or a significant decrease in baby's movement — are always worth contacting your provider about promptly rather than waiting for your next scheduled visit.