What happens in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy?
Time flies! Now you are already in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, the so-called “feel-good” third. This begins with the 13th week and lasts until the 26th week. Many pregnant women report that they now feel completely well. The nausea of the first weeks is over, the hormones have adjusted, and you have really arrived in your pregnancy, also emotionally. Your belly is growing, but you are not yet restricted by it and feel fit and mobile.
How the baby develops in the 2nd trimester
An overview of the weeks of pregnancy:
- 13 Weeks
Your baby is a miracle! By the end of the 13th week of pregnancy, all the organs are now formed. You only need to increase in size. Your baby even has real facial features already. It is now about 6 cm tall. It can actually already perceive sounds. And although the eyelids are closed, it is possible to distinguish between light and dark.
- 14th Week of Gestation
From the 14th week of gestation, the baby is covered by the so-called “cheese gland”. It protects his skin. His hair also begins to grow slowly. In addition to the hand-grasp reflex, his sucking reflex is now developing. As it progresses, it will do its first swallowing exercises and drink plenty of amniotic fluid. Breathing is also practiced, stimulating further growth of the lungs.
- 15th Week of Gestation
In the 15th week, your baby is about 3.98 in. tall. Over the next few weeks, it will gain more and more fat.
- 17th Week of Gestation
In the 17th week, your baby can already feel touch through the abdominal wall.
- 19th Week of Gestation
In the 19th week, your baby has downy body hair, the so-called lanugo hair. Its gastrointestinal tract is now functioning, and it is forming its own amniotic fluid with its kidneys.
- 20 Weeks of Gestation
In the 20th week, your baby still has a lot of room in your uterus. It bounces, turns, gymnastics, and plays with the umbilical cord. In the following weeks, his brain will grow more and more and his bones will solidify. In addition, toenails and toenails form. You may also notice that your baby has hiccups frequently. When this happens, your whole belly twitches, which looks quite funny. This is because your baby’s diaphragm is not yet fully developed.
- Week 24
Around the 24th week, your baby weighs about 600 grams. Its taste buds have developed, and it can now already taste differences in amniotic fluid.
- 25 Weeks of Gestation
In the 25th week, your baby’s sense of balance is developing. He can now balance and hold movements better and better. He exercises diligently in your belly, and sometimes little feet or hands can already be felt from the outside.
- 26th Week
From the 26th week, the baby opens its eyelids. This week, it weighs about 1.68 lb. and is 14.02 in. tall.
Your baby is now almost “ready”. It just needs to gain more size and weight. And the most important thing is that the lungs are not yet mature. This is so important so that the lungs are strong enough to work independently after birth. In the 3rd trimester, there are still more vital developmental steps for your child. And you will also experience further physical changes. So it remains exciting!
