Week 14
Welcome to the second trimester. Your baby is about 7.4 cm (2.9 in) from crown to rump and weighs about 23 g (0.8 oz), roughly the size of a lemon. Babies vary. The neck is longer, the body is starting to catch up with the head, and the face can now squint, frown and grimace. Your body may feel more like your own again. Many people notice their energy returning and nausea fading. New sensations arrive too, including brief sharp pains low in the belly as the uterus grows.
This week looks at what the second trimester tends to bring, round ligament pain, making good use of returning energy, and planning travel while you feel well.
Day 92 · 13 weeks 0 days
The second trimester begins today
The second trimester runs from today, 13 weeks 0 days, to the end of week
- 27. For many people it is the most comfortable part of pregnancy. The early symptoms tend to ease, and the heavier, more tiring final weeks are still ahead.
Your baby will grow from the length of a lemon to around 36 cm (14 in) from head to heel, and from about 23 g to around three-quarters of a kilogram. Somewhere along the way you will feel the first movements, and a mid-pregnancy scan will look at your baby's anatomy in detail. Your bump will become obvious. You may notice changes to your skin and hair, a stuffy nose that hangs on, and new aches as your body adjusts. Appointments often settle into a regular rhythm, typically every four weeks or so.
This is also a good time to get practical things in motion. Many people use these months to plan travel, think about classes, look at leave and start gathering what they need. You do not need to do it all now, but having more energy makes it easier.
If you are still feeling unwell, you are not behind. Every pregnancy keeps its own schedule.
Try this: Write down three things you would like to do or sort out during the second trimester, and put them somewhere you will see them.
Day 93 · 13 weeks 1 day
Sharp twinges low in your belly are usually round ligament pain Two thick, rope-like ligaments run from the top of the uterus down to the groin on each side. They hold the uterus in place. As it grows, they stretch, and sometimes they tighten suddenly.
The result is a brief, sharp or stabbing pain low in the belly or groin, on one or both sides. It often comes when you stand up quickly, roll over in bed, cough, sneeze or laugh. It usually lasts a few seconds, sometimes a dull ache follows. Round ligament pain is common from now until about 24 weeks and is harmless.
To ease it, move more slowly when changing position. Before a sneeze or cough, bend your hips and knees a little. Rest, a warm (not hot) bath or a heating pad on low, and lying on your side with a pillow under your belly and between your knees can all help.
Call your care provider if the pain is severe or does not go away with rest, or if it comes with fever, chills, bleeding, fluid leaking, pain when you pee, or regular tightening of your belly. These need checking, as they are not typical of ligament pain.
Try this: The next time you get out of bed, roll onto your side first and push up with your arms.
Day 94 · 13 weeks 2 days
Making the most of returning energy
Somewhere between now and 16 weeks, many people wake up one morning and realize they are not exhausted. The extreme tiredness of the first trimester was driven largely by hormone surges and the work of building the placenta. Now the placenta is fully up and running, and your body has adjusted.
It is tempting to make up for lost time all at once. A better approach is to spread it out. Use good days for things that matter to you, but keep resting when you need to. Tiredness will likely come back in the third trimester. This is a great time to build regular movement into your week, if you have not already. As you read earlier, moderate exercise is safe and helpful for most people in pregnancy. Aim for about 150 minutes a week, such as brisk walking, swimming, cycling on a stationary bike or a prenatal class. You should be able to talk while you exercise.
Energy can also be a chance to reconnect: see friends, enjoy a hobby or take a short trip.
If you are not feeling any lift in energy, mention it at your next visit. Anemia, thyroid problems or low mood can all cause lasting tiredness. Try this: Choose one 20-minute block this week for a walk, and put it in your calendar like an appointment.
Day 95 · 13 weeks 3 days
Your baby is making faces
Your baby's facial muscles are now working. Scans at this stage capture squinting, frowning, grimacing and what looks like smiling. These expressions are not reactions to feelings yet; they are the nervous system and muscles practising.
The neck has grown longer, so the chin no longer rests on the chest. The body is lengthening faster than the head, and the arms are now close to their final length in proportion to the body. The legs will take a little longer to catch up.
Your baby may suck a thumb or bring a hand to the mouth, another skill that will come in handy at feeding time.
Inside, the thyroid gland has started making its own hormones. The spleen has begun to help make red blood cells, and the liver is making bile. In babies with male genitals, the prostate is forming. In babies with female genitals, the ovaries hold millions of early egg cells.
The movements are becoming smoother and more coordinated, though still too small for you to feel.
Try this: If you have a scan or a picture from one, look for an open hand or a hand near the face.
Day 96 · 13 weeks 4 days
The second trimester is the easiest time to travel
If you are hoping to take a trip, the middle of pregnancy is usually the best window. Nausea has often settled, the risk of miscarriage is low, and you are not yet near the end, when preterm labour becomes more of a concern. Plan with your pregnancy in mind. Check that your travel insurance covers pregnancy, including care for an early birth and the newborn, and read the fine print about week limits. Pack your prenatal records and know where the nearest hospital with maternity care is at your destination. Some places carry particular risks. Many health authorities advise pregnant people to avoid travel to areas with ongoing Zika virus outbreaks, as the virus can cause serious birth defects. Areas with malaria are best avoided too, as malaria can be more severe in pregnancy. Check official travel health advice for your destination well in advance, and ask about any vaccines, since some are not given in pregnancy.
Food and water safety matter even more abroad. Stick to bottled or treated water, avoid raw or undercooked food and unpasteurized dairy, and keep washing your hands.
Call your care provider or get local care promptly if you develop a fever, diarrhea that will not settle, bleeding or belly pain while you are away.
Try this: Before booking anything, check your travel insurance policy for its pregnancy rules and the latest week it covers.
Day 97 · 13 weeks 5 days
Flying is generally safe in pregnancy
For most healthy pregnancies, flying is safe. Airport security scanners are safe to walk through, and the small amount of cosmic radiation on a flight is not a concern for occasional travellers.
Airlines set their own rules. Many let you fly up to about 36 weeks with one baby and 32 weeks with twins, and some ask for a letter from your care provider after about 28 weeks. Check before you book, especially for your return flight.
The main health concern on long flights is a blood clot in the legs, which is more likely in pregnancy. On flights longer than about four hours, choose an aisle seat if you can, walk every hour or two, flex and point your feet often, and drink plenty of water. Well-fitted compression stockings can help. Wear your seatbelt under your bump, across your hips.
If you are prone to nausea, bring snacks and sit over the wing, where the ride is smoothest.
Get help right away if during or after travel you have swelling, pain or redness in one leg, sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, or coughing up blood. These can be signs of a clot.
Try this: If you have a flight coming up, buy a pair of graduated compression stockings and try them on at home first.
Day 98 · 13 weeks 6 days
Your relationship is changing too
As the pregnancy becomes more visible and more real, your relationship may shift in ways you did not expect. Some couples feel closer than ever. Others notice tension, especially if one person is carrying most of the physical load and the other feels on the outside.
Partners often say the pregnancy felt abstract for a long time. Seeing a scan or a growing bump can suddenly make it real, along with worries about money, work and whether they will be a good parent. The pregnant person, meanwhile, may feel that their body and their life have changed far more. These are good months to talk, while you have the energy. What are you each looking forward to? What worries you? How do you picture sharing the work once the baby is here, from night feeds to housework? What did you like, and not like, about how you were raised?
You will not agree on everything, and you do not need to. The aim is to understand each other before the baby arrives and sleep gets scarce. For your partner: Ask to come to the next appointment or scan, and bring one question of your own to ask.