If the first trimester left you queasy, exhausted, and living in a body that felt unfamiliar, the second often brings a shift. The relentless tiredness can lift, the queasiness may ease, and your bump becomes something you can see and feel. The second trimester runs from around week 13 to week 27 or 28 of pregnancy, and some of its body changes are among the biggest of the whole pregnancy. Knowing what to expect can help you make sense of what your body is doing.1
Oestrogen, energy, and feeling like yourself again
The deep tiredness that ran through your first trimester often eases as your body settles into pregnancy. Your energy can come back, and you may find this the most comfortable stretch of the whole nine months. It does not go this way for everyone though. You might keep feeling drained or unwell, and that sits within the normal range too.2
You may notice your skin looking flushed or brighter, the so-called 'pregnancy glow'. That comes largely from rising oestrogen and the extra blood flow moving through your body. The shift can go the other way too, leaving your skin oilier or bringing pigmentation changes. Both are normal responses to the hormones of pregnancy.3
Your growing bump and skin changes
As your uterus grows, your bump becomes more visible through the second trimester. Your skin stretches to make room, and that can bring stretch marks across your tummy, thighs, or breasts. The areas growing fastest can feel itchy as the skin pulls.4
Round ligament pain: a common second trimester discomfort
You may feel a sharp twinge or a dull ache low down on one or both sides of your belly or groin. It often catches you off guard when you change position, cough, sneeze, or roll over in bed. This is round ligament pain, one of the most common things to come up in the second trimester.5
The reason is simple. The round ligaments that hold your uterus in place are stretching as it grows. Sudden movements can set off a brief spasm, and the pain usually passes quickly.6
A few things can take the edge off. Moving more slowly when you change position helps, as does supporting your bump when you cough or sneeze. Gentle stretching and sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees can ease it too.7
Other physical changes worth knowing about
You might also run into headaches, nosebleeds, or bleeding gums around this time. These are common and often come down to the hormonal shifts and the extra blood your body is moving to support your pregnancy.8
Heartburn, indigestion, and constipation can carry over from the first trimester or turn up for the first time now. They come from the same hormones, plus the growing pressure your uterus puts on the organs around it. If you want to try something from the pharmacy, check with your midwife or pharmacist first, as not everything is suitable in pregnancy.9
Feeling your baby move for the first time
Feeling your baby move for the first time is one of the milestones of this trimester, a moment called quickening. It can feel like a flutter, a light tap, or even a bubble. It usually happens somewhere between 16 and 24 weeks, though the timing varies a lot.10
If anything about your second trimester worries you, whether it is pain, itching, headaches, or changes in your baby's movements, call your midwife, GP, or maternity unit. They are the right people to check what you are feeling.