All About the Second Trimester

Everything you need to know to sail through most women's favorite time of pregnancy

BY Laurie Tarkan

1 | 2 | 3 | Page 4

The Test: Glucose Screen
What it’s for: Screens for gestational diabetes, which affects about 5 percent of pregnant women. Women who are over 30, overweight, have had a large baby previously or have a family history of diabetes are at higher risk. Who gets it: Nearly all pregnant women.
When it’s given: Weeks 24–28.
How it’s done: Blood test one hour after drinking a sugar solution.
Risks and drawbacks: None reported.
What you should know: About 15 percent of all test results are deemed abnormal; if yours are, you’ll take a lengthier glucose-tolerance test at a later date. Approximately 85 percent of women with elevated blood sugar in the screening test turn out to have normal levels, says OB-GYN Stone.


Your Baby
During the second trimester, your baby begins signaling its presence. Between weeks 16 and 20, most women notice a fluttering that may be mistaken for gas. Between weeks 20 and 22, you feel kicks, turns and other movements, and between weeks 23 and 27, they come in waves as the baby develops waking and sleep patterns. (Call your doctor if you don’t feel the baby move by 22 weeks.) Between weeks 18 and 22, your doctor will use ultrasound to gauge your baby’s development and check for visible problems. Three percent of babies have a major anomaly, Stone says, and ultrasound can detect two-thirds of them.

1 | 2 | 3 | Page 4