Our Second Trimester Guide for Dad

Gents you and your partner have done it you have got through that scary, tiring first trimester and you are into the second. As well as your partner feeling and looking more pregnant during these weeks, they might seem a little more energetic than they have been. This will come as a great relief to you and your partner if they have been struggling with sickness, tiredness or anxiety about getting through the first trimester.

So, starting with basics...

Your partners second trimester starts in week 14 of pregnancy and lasts through the end of week 27. Your baby is very, very busy in the second trimester. By week 18 of pregnancy, they weigh about as much as a chicken breast, and can even yawn and hiccup. Too cute!

By around week 21 your partner should be able to feel their newly coordinated arms and legs give them little jabs and kicks. Here are few other things your baby is going to be doing during this time...

By 16 weeks

  • Baby’s face looks more human
  • The head has hair
  • The ears stand out
  • Your voice can be heard.

By 20 weeks

  • The developing baby begins to store some of your antibodies
  • Eyebrows and eyelashes appear.
  • A fine downy hair (lanugo) appears all over the baby’s body and may be present at birth.
  • The skin is thin, shiny and covered with a creamy protective coating called vernix.
  • The baby’s legs lengthen and move well.
  • Teeth develop – enamel and dentine are being formed.
  • By the end of the fifth month, baby is about half the length of a newborn.

By 28 weeks

  • Sweat glands form.
  • The baby has a lean body with red wrinkled skin.
  • Early breathing movements begin.
  • A substance called surfactant is formed in the lungs to help them expand normally after the baby is born.
  • The baby’s outline may be felt through your partners abdomen.
  • The eyes may be open now.

So, as we have mentioned your partner may be feeling a little more energetic but of course those are not the only changes they will be going through, this is a list of changes and symptoms that may happen during the second trimester...

  • Appetite may increase.
  • Your partner may be able to feel the movement of the foetus for the first time around 20 weeks.
  • The uterus grows to the height of the bellybutton around 20 weeks, making the pregnancy visible.
  • The skin on the belly may itch as it grows, and there may be pain down the sides of the body as the uterus stretches. The lower stomach may ache as ligaments stretch to support the uterus.
  • The need to urinate often may decrease as the uterus grows out of the pelvic cavity, relieving pressure on the bladder.
  • Their nose may become congested, and they may experience nosebleeds. This is due to the increase in hormones (estrogen and progesterone) and blood flow that affect the mucous membranes and blood vessels in the nose.
  • Their gums become spongier and may bleed easily.
  • Varicose veins and haemorrhoids may appear.
  • The increasing weight gain may cause backaches.
  • Skin pigmentation may change on their face or abdomen due to the pregnancy hormones.
  • Heart burn, indigestion and constipation may continue.

As we said your mum-to-be and baby will be going through a lot of changes. Just remember you have a unique ability to comfort, support and encourage her in a way that no one else can. Keep going you Dad you will get to meet you little one soon.


Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published