Second trimester pregnancy in Australia

Find your own pace

The middle months of pregnancy can bring a little more breathing room, or a different set of questions. Perhaps food is appealing again. Perhaps nausea is still hanging around. You may be noticing a changing shape while everyone else seems to have an opinion about your bump.

You do not have to call this the easy trimester. Use this stage to check in with your care team, understand upcoming appointments and make everyday life more comfortable. There is time to prepare without turning the next few months into one long to-do list.

Reading for the middle months

Gestational diabetes and care

An introduction to testing, individual care and follow-up in Australia.

Read the guide →

Your tests and scan options

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby explains common checks and their timing.

Read the guide →

Pillows for adult comfort

Compare shapes, space and care for an optional comfort pillow, without promises of pain relief or better sleep.

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Your baby and body: weeks 13–27

Your baby: Growth becomes more noticeable as limbs and body proportions develop. Movements become more coordinated, hearing develops, and fine hair (lanugo) and a protective skin coating (vernix) appear. Many people first feel movement between 16 and 24 weeks, as flutters, swishes or rolls. Timing varies, and the placenta’s position can affect what you feel.

Your body: Your growing uterus changes your bump, posture and balance. Nausea and tiredness may ease, but not for everyone. Reflux, constipation and back discomfort may appear; ask for suitable relief if symptoms affect sleep, eating or daily activities. Care focus: an anatomy scan is usually offered at 18–22 weeks and diabetes testing at 24–28 weeks. Your team may recommend a different schedule.

Sources: Pregnancy, Birth and Baby — second trimester; baby movements during pregnancy.

Keep antenatal care on the calendar

Regular pregnancy appointments are a chance to check your health and your baby’s growth, as well as talk through concerns. Your provider will arrange a schedule that suits your pregnancy. Feeling well does not make these visits unnecessary, and feeling worried is a good reason to speak up between them. Australian pregnancy checkups.

Keep appointment details and results together somewhere easy to find. If more than one clinician is involved, ask who receives each result and who will explain it. Before leaving a visit, check what happens next rather than assuming another service will contact you.

Plan vaccinations with your clinician: whooping-cough vaccination is recommended at 20–32 weeks of each pregnancy. Influenza vaccination can be given at any stage. You can also plan ahead for the maternal RSV vaccine, recommended at 28–36 weeks. Ask which recommendations apply to you and book suitable timing. Australian Government immunisation guidance.

Understand your scan and screening choices

An ultrasound is commonly offered at 18 to 22 weeks to look at your baby’s anatomy and other aspects of the pregnancy, including the placenta. Gestational diabetes testing is usually offered at 24 to 28 weeks. Your own timing or recommended tests may differ. Checkups, tests and scans.

Ask what a test looks for, how to prepare, when results should arrive and what happens if follow-up is needed. You can also ask about out-of-pocket costs before booking. Having these practical details written down can make an unfamiliar appointment feel more manageable.

A useful question is, “What can this test tell us, and what can it not tell us?” It helps keep expectations clear without assuming that any one scan answers every question.

Get to know your baby’s movements

Early movements may feel like small flutters or rolls. Many people notice them around 20 weeks, sometimes earlier in later pregnancies. There is no single movement count that suits every baby. As movements become more consistent, learn what is usual for yours. If you are concerned about movement, contact your midwife, doctor or hospital birth unit immediately, not the next day. Baby movements during pregnancy.

If you have not felt any movement by 24 weeks, contact your midwife or doctor. Do not use a home Doppler for reassurance about reduced or changed movements. Ask your provider how to contact the birth unit after hours and save the number. You do not need to decide for yourself whether a concern is important enough before asking for advice.

Find comfort without a shopping checklist

As your body changes, everyday routines may need adjusting. You might prefer different clothing, shorter outings or a more comfortable place to sit. Start with the problem you want to solve, then consider what you already own before buying something new.

Physical activity can be part of a healthy pregnancy, with activities adapted to your health and experience. Australian guidance includes pelvic floor exercises. Ask your care team what suits you; a pelvic health physiotherapist can provide individual assessment when needed. Exercise during pregnancy and pelvic floor guidance.

If discomfort is affecting movement, sleep or work, describe it at your appointment. A product review cannot tell you what is causing pain or whether a support garment is suitable for you.

For comfortable movement, try walking or swimming if your clinician has not advised otherwise. Adapt activity as your body and energy change, drink regularly and avoid overheating or activities with a risk of falling or collision. Stop and seek advice if activity causes pain or you feel unwell. Ask how to both exercise and relax your pelvic-floor muscles; pain or leaking is a reason to seek individual help.

Start practical planning at your own pace

Choose one manageable task each week instead of making every spare moment about pregnancy. You might explore antenatal classes, talk through leave arrangements or ask a support person which appointments they could join.

Consider what would help after birth too. Who could bring a meal, collect groceries or keep visitors organised? Specific offers are often easier to use than a general promise of help. You can write a short list now and revisit it later.

If advice from relatives, social media and your maternity team conflicts, take the questions to your next visit. Understanding your options and discussing what matters to you can help you make decisions.

Questions for your next appointment

Which appointments or tests should I book next? How and when will you explain my results? What movement changes should prompt a call? What can help with discomfort during my usual activities? Are there local classes or support services that fit my needs?

You do not need to reach the end of this trimester with a finished nursery. Knowing your next appointment, your contact number and where to ask for help is a useful kind of preparation.

This is general information, not personalised medical advice. Follow your maternity team’s advice about your care and any symptoms that concern you.

When to seek prompt care

Contact your doctor, midwife or maternity unit immediately for bleeding, leaking watery fluid, severe abdominal pain, fever, a severe headache, visual changes, sudden swelling or regular painful contractions before 37 weeks. Severe itching also needs assessment. Call 000 in a medical emergency.

After 20 weeks, a severe headache, changes to vision, sudden swelling or pain under the ribs can be warning signs of pre-eclampsia. Seek advice promptly rather than waiting for your next appointment. Your care team can assess the cause; a symptom list cannot diagnose it.

Source: Healthdirect — warning signs during pregnancy.