Second Trimester Of Pregnancy

The second trimester of pregnancy is considered the eye of the storm, in terms of how a woman feels. The bouts of nausea subside and the headaches head for the hills between weeks 13 and 27 of pregnancy. At prenatal visits, a woman may be able to tune into the baby's pattering heartbeat and she'll finally find the need to wear those cute maternity clothes she's been eying at the department store. The Mayo Clinic website says that women can expect to experience the following physical symptoms: larger breasts, a growing belly, Braxton Hicks contractions, darkening skin, minor bleeding from the nose or gums, dizziness, leg cramps, shortness of breath, vaginal discharge and bladder or kidney infections.

A woman's first trimester is emotionally and physically exhausting, but the second trimester will bring more energy and a healthful glow to her.

A woman has to keep all these physical and emotional changes in check, and this means more frequent visits with her health care provider. According to the Mayo Clinic, the second trimester care is more focused toward the baby's development. Early on in the second trimester, the gender of the baby is determinable, from there the baby's skeleton develops bones, fingernails form, the baby's facial muscles begin to make expressions, can begin to hear, swallow and explore the woman's uterus.