After the exhaustion, fatigue and nausea of the first trimester, many pregnant people say that the second trimester is a much easier ride! By week 16-20, any lingering morning sickness has usually faded away.

This trimester is also exciting in that you start to LOOK pregnant – your tummy no longer looks simply swollen and bloated – but begins to round out as your uterus expands and your baby grows bigger.

So, let’s explore what’s going on for your baby in weeks 13-27 – the second trimester!

The Second Trimester: your baby’s development

• Your baby’s movement increases drastically. Most mothers will feel movement between weeks 16-22. Second time+ mothers feel their babies move a bit earlier than first time mamas. This first movement is known as “the quickening”.
• The placenta is fully developed. Delivering your baby with all the nutrients they need to grow and thrive!
• Eyebrows and eyelashes are starting to grow.
• At the start of the second trimester, your baby is creating and passing urine.
• If you’re expecting a girl, eggs will start to develop in her ovaries.
• Taste buds and sensory neurons are developing. Your baby can taste and touch!
• Around week 18, your little one will start being able to hear sounds inside your body like your beating heart.
• Lanugo: fine, soft hair grows all over your baby’s body. It keeps your baby warm and protects their skin.
• Baby’s skin is thickening and a greasy substance called ‘vernix caseosa’ coats their skin. This acts as a protective coating and provides lubrication, which is still seen at birth.
• Around week 19 you may be able to find out your baby’s sex (if they cooperate) while the sonographer tracks your baby’s growth and development.
• Your baby’s brain is undergoing rapid development, and they are experiencing sleep and wake cycles.
• Baby starts to gain fat which will intensify more in the third trimester.
• Hair is starting to sprout on your little one’s head. This may even be visible on an ultrasound!
• Towards the end of the second trimester, your little one’s lungs are producing a substance called surfactant. This helps to keep the airways open and makes it possible for your baby to breathe once they are born.
• Around week 27, your baby can start to open his eyes!
• By the end of the second trimester your baby will likely be almost 2lbs (907g) and around 9 inches (230mm) long (crown-rump).