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Getting Bigger and Feeling Your Baby Move:

There are a number of women who will start to see and feel a bump on their uterus and start showing in the early part of the second trimester. And although you might be able to tell that you are pregnant, most people will not be able to tell just yet. Most women start showing by the end of the second trimester if not earlier. And with getting bigger, also means feeling your baby move inside of you. Feeling your baby moving can start as early as the first parts of the second trimester. Some women don't feel their baby moving until sometime in their third trimester. Don't be discouraged if you are not feeling your baby move just yet. You will feel your baby move soon enough and it does get more and more noticeable towards the end of your pregnancy.

Morning Sickness:

For many women, morning sickness does not go away and persist even in the second trimester. While every woman is affected differently, don't feel bad if you are one of the lucky ones who do not have to go through this stage. Some women will have morning sickness during the first trimester, while others don't get it until the third trimester. Still others will have it during two of the three trimesters and some unlucky women will be sick throughout their whole pregnancy.

Morning sickness happens not only in the morning, but throughout the whole day. So to keep yourself feeling better, make sure that you drink plenty of fluids and try to eat a little bit of something throughout the day. Those women who eat six to seven small meals a day usually have less sickness over those who eat three bigger meals in the day. You can also munch on crackers all day long to keep something going down.

Preparing for Your Baby:

Preparing for your baby's arrival can be done at anytime throughout your pregnancy. Although most pregnant women will wait until their third trimester to do this, others start as early as the first trimester. There is nothing wrong with getting your baby preparation done early or late.

Some of the things to prepare for your baby's arrival is the bedroom that your baby will be sleeping in. Purchasing the items for your baby's room little by little usually helps on the budget while allowing you to slowly enjoy being pregnant. Make a list of all the things that you want and need and make sure that you buy the things needed first before the wants, if you are trying to budget.

Another way to prepare for your baby is to start checking on the hospital where you will be delivering your baby. You can visit a number of hospitals that is covered by your insurance and choose the one that is right for you. You can then start packing your bag as well as your baby's bag for the hospital so that you don't have to think about it later.

Breast Getting Bigger:

Your breast along with your uterus will start showing around the second trimester. And although this is not the case for every pregnant women, everyone will start showing by the third trimester of pregnancy.

You may or may not feel your breast getting bigger. Some women get an early start on their breast enlargement while many don't see or feel anything until the baby is out. If you don't see any changes in your breast, just know that this is quite normal for a lot of people.

Stretch Marks:

Almost every pregnant woman will get stretch marks to some degree during the second or third trimester. There are of course really lucky ones who don't get any at all. And although there are lotions, etc. that you can use to prevent or reduce stretch marks, they don't really work.

Instead of spending money on lotions or creme, just try to eat a normal, healthy amount of food each day so that you can gradually gain weight. Sometimes, the fast weight gain will cause more stretchmarks because your skin is not able to catch up on your growth.

Doctors Visit:

During the second trimester, you are still seeing your OB/GYN doctor for prenatal visits once every three to four weeks. You will not start going every other week until around week 28, basically starting your third trimester.

Your doctor will take blood samples for an AFP testing around week 16. An ultrasound will normally be done to measure the size of your baby at around week 20. Some doctors will do another ultrasound towards the end of the third trimester.

Baby Heartbeat Monitor:

If you have not purchased a baby heartbeat monitor by now, this is the time to do it if you are thinking about it. The baby heartbeat monitor for home is similar to the heartbeat monitor that the doctor uses to check on your baby's heartbeat during your prenatal check ups. Most women can start hearing their baby's heart beat by week 10.

Nutrition and Diet:

Having a healthy diet should start way before you plan on conceiving to ensure a healthy baby. Although this is not always possible for most people due to busy schedules, you can still start eating healthy at any time during your pregnancy. Of course the earlier you start the better. Just remember that what ever you eat, you are also feeding your baby.

Try to make sure that you cover all the food groups from meat, fruit, vegetables, grains to carbs. Every food group is important to your diet. Make sure that you consume enough milk and fruits and vegetables if nothing else. And make sure to start taking prenatal vitamins prescribed by your doctor as soon as you find out that you are pregnant. You can also start taking prenatal vitamins in the months before conceiving.