You might have heard the second trimester of pregnancy referred to as “the sweet spot” — and there’s a good reason why. By now, you may have dealt with nausea throughout the day, those essential midafternoon naps, and changes to your taste and smell. You might even be able to see your bump poking out over your jeans. You’ve got that elusive glow.
However, pregnancy is still a huge thing for your body to go through, and all symptoms don’t necessarily disappear once you reach 14 weeks of pregnancy. At that point, you might start experiencing some of the symptoms commonly associated with your second trimester. So, what exactly can you expect?
It’s so important to remember that while it’d be really convenient if you could split your different pregnancy symptoms into three clear trimesters, it doesn’t always work like that.
“The trimesters are really broken down by how many weeks you are. There are some symptoms that can be more common in one trimester than the other, but there’s nothing that’s 100% in the first trimester or 100% in the second,” notes Dr. Charlsie Celestine, obstetrician and gynecologist, New Jersey, US.
So, what’s generally going on in your body during your second trimester, and why might it mean you start experiencing new symptoms?
Second-trimester pregnancy symptoms: What can you expect?
One of the easiest (and quickest) ways to know you’ve entered your second trimester is by keeping track of how many weeks pregnant you are. You can do this using an app like Flo. And just so you’re up to date, your first trimester wraps up at the end of 13 weeks.
At this point, many people report feeling much better and more “themselves” again. That’s because, often, some of the symptoms you experienced during your first trimester start to ease off.
“The second trimester is interesting because it’s usually the trimester where women feel the best,” explains Dr. Celestine. “During the first trimester, you [can feel] very sick. Your body is building a human being from scratch, which is what I like to tell my patients. So it can make you very tired and can drain you.”
Your second trimester can be quite different, but that’s not to say there isn’t a lot going on in your body then, too. During the first 13 weeks of pregnancy, your baby was growing and developing all of their organs. During the second trimester, they’ll be growing quickly and putting on weight. By around 20 weeks, you might be able to start to feel your baby moving around, which can be a really exciting milestone for any expectant parent.