Important Second Trimester Fetal Development Milestones

A Huge Growth Spurt

Your second trimester is a time of much growth and development. The fact that there’s really a baby in your womb will become more apparent during this trimester. You will actually begin feeling your baby move around, and those first few butterflies are simply magical. 

Consider Getting the Flu Vaccine

As for mom, this is an important trimester to monitor your vaccinations. If you have not received the flu vaccine, now is the time you may wish to get it. Speak with your doctor for his or her recommendation. When pregnant, you’re more likely to be hospitalized with the flu. If you experience flu-like symptoms, get to your physician immediately. If the flu is diagnosed early, there are lots of treatments the doctor can recommend that will help shorten the duration of the illness as well as make the symptoms less severe.

Your Baby’s Organs and Bones are Beginning to Form

The developing baby, which was a mass of cells, is now developing a functioning liver, bladder, kidneys, nerves, and muscles. The bones in the skeletal system begin to become firmer—most notably in the femur, humerus, neck, and skull.

Soon the Baby’s Sex Can be Determined!

If you're one of those expecting mothers who wants to know whether to decorate the nursery with princesses or cars and trucks, you can find out what sex your baby is at around 14 weeks Baby’s red blood cells are beginning to form, and your doctor will be able to visualy determine the sex of the baby through an ultrasound at about 15 or 16 weeks. 

Mom’s Diet Absolutely Matters

To be sure your baby stays healthy, you should pay close attention to what you eat in the second trimester. This will ensure the baby continues to develop in a healthy fashion. Foods to avoid include raw meat, raw eggs, and raw fish. If you enjoy sushi, we hope you had enough before this point in your pregnancy because it is not recommended! Another thing to avoid is fish with high levels of mercury, such as swordfish, shark, and orange roughy.

Soft cheeses are also not advisable during this trimester, so avoid brie, Camembert, chèvre, bleu cheese, and Feta cheese. These cheeses are oftentimes made with unpasteurized milk, and eating them can increase the risk of Listeria poisoning, which is dangerous for your unborn baby.

Now Your Baby’s Ears & Eyes are Developing

All ears! Your unborn baby’s ears are beginning to form, and his/her eyes will also start to develop. The baby’s eyes will even start to move a bit. Your baby’s skin has been a little transparent up to now, and this is starting  to go away, making his/her skin appear more normal. 

During this stage, the baby will begin moving about in the amniotic sac, but it will still be too early for you to feel it move. He or she is becoming more active in the amniotic sac, doing somersaults and rolling over just like an acrobat! At around week 17, your baby’s toenails are beginning to develop. When you’re at 18 weeks, baby will slowly start to hear sounds, and his or her tummy is beginning to digest nutrients. Now the rapid growth spurt will slow down a bit. 

Nature’s Way of Blanketing Your Baby for Protection

Nineteen weeks into your pregnancy, the baby’s growth slows down.  He or she is encased in a film known as vermix caseosa. This white, film-like material entirely covers the baby for protection from the amniotic fluid. It’s a natural way to protect your baby while you’re moving into the next trimester.

20 Weeks = Halfway Mark! You’re at the Midpoint, so Pat Yourself on the Back!

When you get to your 20th week of pregnancy, you’re halfway there! What a significant milestone! Congratulate yourself that you’re at the midway point. This is when you may feel the flutter of butterfly wings or the first movement you can detect. 

If your baby is going to develop a thumb-sucking habit, this is when it will surface. Sucking the thumb or fingers is completely natural because of the sucking reflex that’s needed for him or her to be fed through nursing or a bottle.

Keep up your exercise routine if you’ve been cleared by your doctor to do so, but during the second trimester you need to avoid exercises that create a jarring motion, such as extensive hopping, jumping, running, and moving back and forth rapidly. 

Good Hair Day for Baby

Hair begins to form on the scalp and eyebrows at about week 22, and fingerprints are developing at week 23. If your baby experiences hiccups while in the womb, you may notice jerky movements that you can feel. Believe it or not, your baby will begin to recognize Mom’s voice at about week 25. Most of the time during this phase, your unborn baby is sleeping and storing up energy for his or her entrance into the world. Lungs form at week 26 and begin inflating. Week 27: You’re at the end of your second trimester. Baby is becoming less wrinkled due to the healthy fat that has developed.The nervous system is becoming more mature.

Healthy and Happy Mom & Baby

These second trimester milestones are important reasons to celebrate your journey to motherhood. By taking care of yourself, you’re also taking care of your soon-to-be bundle of joy. Congratulate yourself on making it through the second trimester. After all, you’re in the home stretch!

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