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Second Trimester: Weeks 13 to 27 Explained

Often the most comfortable stage: what changes, what scans to expect and how to stay active.

Before you use this guide: This is general educational information, not an individual medical assessment. We do not identify a clinician reviewer on this page, so please confirm personal health decisions with your doctor, midwife or paediatrician.

Many women feel better in the second trimester, which runs from about week 13 to week 27. Nausea often eases and energy returns. Your bump begins to show, and you may feel your baby move for the first time, often called quickening, usually between weeks 16 and 25. For many people this is the most comfortable and enjoyable stage of pregnancy.

How your baby grows

• Weeks 13 to 16: your baby's face and features become more defined, and the skeleton hardens. The baby can make facial expressions and may suck a thumb. The sex organs have formed, though they may be hard to see on a scan yet.
• Weeks 17 to 20: hair, eyebrows and a fine downy coat (lanugo) appear, and a waxy protective coating called vernix forms on the skin. Your baby can hear sounds, including your voice and heartbeat. At around 20 weeks you are halfway through, and your baby is roughly the length of a banana.
• Weeks 21 to 27: your baby puts on fat and weight, develops a regular sleep and wake pattern and has a stronger kick. The lungs are still maturing. By week 27, your baby weighs roughly 900 g to 1 kg (2 lb) and measures about 35 cm (14 inches) from head to heel.

What you may notice

• A growing bump and steady weight gain. Your midwife or doctor will tell you what is healthy for you.
• First flutters of movement, like bubbles or gentle taps, which become clearer kicks over the weeks
• Back ache and round ligament pain, a sharp, brief pain in the lower belly or groin when you move suddenly
• Leg cramps, heartburn, mild swelling of the feet and ankles
• A stuffy nose, nosebleeds or bleeding gums, caused by increased blood flow
• Skin changes, such as a dark line down the belly (linea nigra), darker patches on the face (melasma) and stretch marks
• Vivid dreams, and more vaginal discharge, which should be thin, milky and mild-smelling
• Tingling or numbness in the hands (carpal tunnel syndrome)

Our guide to common pregnancy discomforts explains what helps with each.

Appointments and scans

• Anatomy (anomaly) scan, around weeks 18 to 22: a detailed check of your baby's organs, spine, limbs and the placenta. Many people can also find out the baby's sex if they wish. See when you can find out your baby's gender.
• Routine visits to check your blood pressure, urine and baby's growth, and to listen to the heartbeat
• Screening for gestational diabetes, usually between weeks 24 and 28, sooner if you have risk factors. See our gestational diabetes guide.
• A blood count to check for anaemia, usually at around 28 weeks, and an anti-D injection around then if you are Rhesus negative
• Vaccines recommended in your country, for example whooping cough (pertussis), flu and, in some places, RSV or COVID-19. The timing varies, so ask your midwife or doctor.

See our guide to antenatal appointments and tests for a full overview.

Staying well

• Keep moving with walking, swimming or antenatal yoga, unless your doctor advises otherwise. See our guide to safe exercise in pregnancy.
• Lying flat on your back can feel uncomfortable as your bump grows. Sleeping on your side, with a pillow between your knees, is comfortable, and is advised from 28 weeks.
• Eat a balanced diet with iron-rich foods and vitamin C, drink plenty of water, and keep taking your prenatal vitamins.
• Continue to follow the guidance on foods to avoid.
• Do your pelvic floor exercises daily. They can help prevent leaking later.
• Look after your skin with moisturiser and sun protection, since your skin may burn or darken more easily.

Using this energy for planning

• Find out about your maternity or parental leave, and talk to your employer
• Look into childcare, and check the budget for baby costs
• Book antenatal classes, which fill up quickly
• Think about where you would like to give birth. See our guide to where to give birth.
• If you want to travel, the second trimester is often the most comfortable time. Check with your doctor first.
• Start a list of baby names, and enjoy choosing them together

Your feelings

Pregnancy can bring worry, excitement and mood swings, even in the so-called easy trimester. If low mood or anxiety lasts for more than two weeks, tell your midwife or doctor. See our guide to mental health in pregnancy.

Call your doctor or maternity unit if you have

• Vaginal bleeding, or fluid leaking from the vagina
• Regular tightenings or contractions, severe pain or pelvic pressure
• A severe or persistent headache, blurred vision or sudden swelling of the face or hands
• A fever of 38 °C (100.4 °F) or higher
• Severe itching, particularly on the hands and feet
• Pain, swelling or redness in one leg
• Burning when you pass urine
• Reduced or no movement from your baby, once you are feeling regular movements

In an emergency, call 911 in the US and Canada, 999 in the UK and Ireland, or 000 in Australia. See our guide to pregnancy warning signs.

Where to check current advice

Schedules and screening differ between countries, so follow your own provider's plan and check the latest advice from the NHS in the UK, the HSE in Ireland, ACOG in the US, the SOGC in Canada and RANZCOG in Australia.

This content is for general information only and is not medical advice. Every pregnancy and every baby is different. Always talk to your doctor, midwife or paediatrician about your own situation, and seek urgent care if you are worried.