Second trimester (weeks 13 to 24)

• Develop a birth plan with your provider (Click here for a template.)
• Sign up to tour your hospital’s Maternity Center
• Research childcare options, if applicable
• Begin to prepare your nursery
• Research maternity leave options and required paperwork with your employer, if applicable
• Shop for (or borrow) maternity clothes

In your second trimester, your practitioner will do a sonogram (also called an ultrasound), and you’ll be able to see your baby and hear his or her heartbeat. At the same time, an anatomy scan will be ordered to find out (if you want to!) whether you’re having a boy or a girl.

This is also the time to discuss prenatal tests (such as for anemia and diabetes) with your clinician to address any potential complications.

You can select a pediatrician or family doctor for your baby by viewing the profiles at kp.org/doctorsandlocations

Then schedule a visit to meet your baby’s future doctor.

We know how important it is to find a doctor who’s right for you. To choose or change doctors at any time, for any reason, browse our online profiles here by region, or call in your area.

Important: If you think you or someone you care for is having a medical or mental health emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. Do not attempt to access emergency care through this website.

You may have questions or concerns about how COVID-19 could affect you and your baby. The good news is that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective for pregnant people. Learn more about COVID-19 and how it relates to your pregnancy here.

The flu and Tdap vaccines are also reccomended by the CDC to protect you and your baby.

If you are a Kaiser Permanente employee, please be sure to follow the below steps:

• You MUST enroll your newborn in medical coverage within 31 days of the birth or your child will not have coverage. Your baby is ONLY covered for 31 days under the parents’ medical plan.
• Your baby born in a KP hospital is NOT automatically reported to Member Services for enrollment in medical coverage.
• Newborn wellness care can be expensive — Make sure you add your baby to your medical coverage within 31 days of the birth.
• If you do not enroll within 31 days of the birth, you must wait until open enrollment or until you have another qualifying life event.

If you are an expectant mother, you may want to take time off for doctor’s appointments before you have your baby. You may be able to use:

• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Personal Leave

Expectant mothers who meet the eligibility requirements you may be entitled to time off under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and/or Medical Leave. To maintain a paid status while on leave you may be able to use:

• Paid Time Off (PTO)

Each time off and leave policy has different rules. Visit HRConnect.

If you take leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act your job will be protected for up to 12 weeks in a rolling 12-month period.

• You may experience heartburn along with a sour taste in your mouth. It’s not a cause for concern, but it can be uncomfortable.
• Pregnancy hormones also cause the digestive tract to relax and work more slowly. As a result, you might feel constipated, especially as your pregnancy progresses.
• You may begin feeling Braxton Hicks contractions, especially if this isn’t your first pregnancy. This painless tightening of muscles in the uterus is normal.
• Notice brown patches on your face? It’s called the “mask of pregnancy” and is due to a temporary increase in estrogen. The brown patches may darken in the sun, so use sunscreen.
• You may see a narrow, dark line (the linea nigra) running from your belly button to the top of your pubic bone. After birth, the darkened areas should lighten and then disappear.
• You may notice a rhythmic jerking motion that can last several minutes. This means your baby has the hiccups!
• You may also notice that your baby kicks and stretches more (and you may even be able to see your baby squirming under your clothes).
• Many pregnant women report an increase in nightmares as their pregnancy progresses. These vivid dreams are just your mind’s way of helping you process the changes in your life.

This is a time of rapid growth for your baby. Your baby now has more muscle tissue and harder, more developed bones. He or she is rolling, kicking, and moving a lot. Skin is beginning to form, but it’s almost transparent at this point. Your baby’s kidneys are functioning and start to pass urine. Most of the amniotic fluid that nourishes and protects the baby comes from this urine. The intestinal tract is starting to work too, producing meconium, which will later become the first bowel movement. You might now be able to hear the heartbeat with a Doppler heart monitor. By 16 weeks, your baby is about 6 inches long and weighs about 3 to 4 ounces.

Your baby is swallowing more amniotic fluid, which is good practice for the digestive system. The umbilical cord that connects you and your baby is thickening and continues to carry blood and nutrients. It’s about not that your baby’s sucking instinct develops, and he or she may have started thumb-sucking. Your baby’s head is no longer as big compared to the rest of the body. Hair is starting to grow on the scalp, and tiny eyelashes and eyebrows are appearing. Your baby also sleeps and wakes regularly. By week 20, your baby’s body fat is starting to build up. Your baby is about 8 to 10 inches long and weighs about 10 ounces. Your doctor may be able to hear your baby’s heartbeat with a stethoscope.

By weeks 21 to 24, babies hear sounds outside the mother’s womb and they respond by kicking or moving. Talk to your baby often so that he or she will recognize your voice and be comforted by it, both now and after birth. The fetus is still small enough to change position a lot — from head-down to feet-down, or even sideways. The eyes are beginning to open and close, and the brain is very active now. Your baby can grip firmly with little hands, which now have fingernails and fingerprints. The skin is wrinkled, red, and shiny, and hair is continuing to grow. The fetus is still building up body fat and starting to put on a lot of weight. At the end of week 24, your baby will weigh in at around 1 to 1.5 pounds and measure 11 to 12 inches long.