Week 14: The golden trimester

Welcome to the second trimester — often called the “golden” stretch, and for good reason. Your baby, about the size of a lemon now, can already squint, frown and grimace, has a fully formed palate, and is growing a fine downy hair called lanugo to help keep warm.

For many people this is when the fog lifts: the nausea eases, energy returns, and you start to feel more like yourself. Your bump may be becoming visible as the uterus rises above your pubic bone. A few new quirks can appear too — like a stuffy nose (pregnancy rhinitis) from all the extra blood flow.

It’s a lovely time to ease into gentle movement if you haven’t already — swimming and walking are ideal — and to start sleeping on your side, which is kinder on your circulation. A pregnancy pillow can make that much comfier.

Now’s a lovely window to do the things that are easier with a bit of energy back. Gentle exercise — walking, swimming, prenatal yoga — feels good again and sets you up well for later in pregnancy. If you’re thinking of travelling, mid-pregnancy is generally the most comfortable time, though it’s worth checking airline rules and your travel insurance, and running any big plans past your midwife. And if intimacy is on your mind, sex is safe in a normal, healthy pregnancy — even if changing shapes and feelings mean it looks a little different for a while.

It’s also a lovely time to start thinking ahead without pressure — browsing what you’ll actually need for the baby, looking into antenatal classes, and chatting through early hopes for the birth with your partner. None of it needs deciding now; it’s just nice to let the ideas percolate while you have the energy and headspace.

In Australia, second-trimester antenatal checks are usually about every four weeks. If you didn’t have the first-trimester screen, your provider may talk to you about maternal serum screening around now.