Second Trimester Pregnancy

A lot of changes take place during the second trimester of pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones cause much of the changes that take place, such as increased appetite and skin pigmentation. A woman may be able to feel her baby move for the first time, called quickening, and usually the morning sickness and fatigue of the first trimester has decreased or stopped altogether. The second trimester is the time from pregnancy week 13 through pregnancy week 27, and it is typically the most enjoyable of the three trimesters.

Pregnancy Weight Gain
Because morning sickness is usually gone by the second trimester, a woman's appetite will increase during this time, and she may begin to crave unusual foods or combinations. I didn't really crave anything unusual myself, but all foods were just more desirable than ever. Foods I already liked a lot became almost an obsession (like watermelon). Just the thought of a certain food made me crave it many times. It truly was a fun time to eat! Thus, pregnancy weight gain usually begins to go up more steadily during this trimester, as it should for the health of yourself and your growing baby.

Discharge During Pregnancy
Increased pregnancy discharge may occur during the second trimester of pregnancy, much like the discharge during early pregnancy. White-colored vaginal discharge is called leukorrhea and is very normal. A brown discharge in pregnancy typically is the result of old blood being eliminated. This brown discharge is not usually serious, but you should let your doctor or midwife know if you're experiencing any brown discharge.

Any bright red discharge signals fresh blood and should be checked out right away, as this could be very serious. I had bright red blood during my last pregnancy in the second trimester, and it caused me and my husband a lot of concern. I had an ultrasound, however, and nothing abnormal was seen. The bleeding stopped after a few weeks, and my son was born at term with no complications. Do get any unusual discharge checked out, though, as it could signal something serious.

During the second trimester, a woman may also experience nasal congestion and nose bleeds, and urine frequency usually diminishes (but will usually be back with a vengeance in the third trimester!)

Third Trimester of Pregnancy

Go from Second Trimester Pregnancy to Pregnancy Stages.

Do You Have a Pregnancy Success Story To Share?

If you or someone you know has gotten pregnant after first having difficulties, I would like to hear your story. This would encourage so many women who are trying to conceive and let them know, "If it's possible for her, maybe it can happen for me too." Your story will have its own web page where other women can post how beneficial your story has been to them. Please share, and post a picture if you can.