The Ultimate Second Trimester Checklist
Hooray for starting your second trimester, mama! Many moms will agree that the second trimester is the best, and for good reasons, too!
For instance, your belly is starting to be more noticeable (if it hasn’t been already), but it’s not so big that you are uncomfortable all day. Plus, so many fun things are going on this trimester, which I’ll delve into below with this second trimester checklist.
Before we get started, make sure you check out our list of things to do when you find out and our first trimester to-do list to make sure you haven’t forgotten to do anything!
This post contains affiliate links to products I have used and enjoyed. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To find out more, you can read my disclaimer here.
When is the second trimester of pregnancy?
The second trimester of pregnancy starts at week 13 and goes till week 28. It’s around this time when your pregnancy seems to start picking up speed.
With the first trimester behind you, all of a sudden, you have more you can do to prepare for your baby, and your growing baby bump is making everything that much more real.
Second Trimester Checklist – Things To Do
1. Know What to Expect at Prenatal Visits
Like in your first trimester, you’ll continue seeing your doctor throughout the second. As your pregnancy progresses, it’s nice to know what to expect ahead of time.
How often will you see your doctor in the second trimester?
When it comes to seeing your doctor in the second trimester, you will continue to have appointments once every four weeks.
Like your previous appointments, your doctor will check your weight and blood pressure every visit. Also, they will measure your uterus, listen to your baby’s heartbeat, and address any questions you might have.
What standard tests and procedures happen in the second trimester?
In addition to routine appointments, you’ll find that there are many unique doctor visits throughout your pregnancy. Here are some special appointments you’ll have in the second trimester:
20-Week Ultrasound
Around week 20 in your pregnancy, you will have an exciting ultrasound! During this ultrasound, you will be able to check on your baby’s physical development and even find out your baby’s gender if you choose to.
Glucose Test
Sometime between weeks 24-28, your doctor will suggest you do a glucose test. Doing a glucose test will check to make sure you don’t have gestational diabetes.
For this test, your doctor will give you a sugary drink to consume an hour before your scheduled glucose test. Mine tasted like flat orange soda, so it’s not as terrible as some moms might tell you.
Then, after an hour has passed, you will have your blood drawn to check how your body is processing the sugar levels.
2. Start Sleeping On Your Side
You’ll want to start sleeping on your side as your belly gets bigger. Either side is okay, but your left side is the preferred option.
Sleeping on your side is recommended as it prevents circulation problems because your baby bump won’t be putting pressure on any veins or arteries.
One of the pregnancy essentials I recommend getting is a pregnancy pillow like this one. I love that it has a detachable side that you can remove to use in different sleeping positions.
If you don’t like full-body pillows, try using a pillow between your knees. I have found that sleeping with a pillow between my knees helps relieve lower back and hip pain.
3. Decide If You’ll Find Out Baby’s Gender
As I mentioned above, you’ll have an anatomy scan around 20 weeks of pregnancy. In the weeks leading up to the scan, you’ll want to talk with your partner and decide if you’ll want to find out your baby’s gender or wait until birth.
4. Have a Gender Reveal
If you and your partner have decided to find out your baby’s gender, then you can go ahead and do a gender reveal in the second trimester!
If you want to have a party to reveal the gender of your baby, there are so many fun options on Pinterest. Just remember that you don’t have to go that route if you don’t want to. And, you can make the gender reveal however big or small you want!
My husband and I chose to find out at the appointment, which is just as unique as a reveal party—being able to look at your baby on the ultrasound machine and find out if it’s a boy or a girl was truly remarkable. I loved sharing that special moment with only my husband.
5. Start Looking Into Pediatricians
Just as you looked into medical professionals in the first trimester to help you through your pregnancy, you will want to look into pediatricians for your baby.
You might be thinking, ‘Why do I need to have a pediatrician before my baby is even born?’.
Once your baby is born, your pediatrician will be notified to check on your baby shortly after birth. If you don’t have a pediatrician chosen already, the hospital will choose one to do the initial checkup for you.
By choosing your own pediatrician ahead of time, you will know that you like them and can trust their advice.
Be sure to check out this post to learn everything you need to know about picking a pediatrician. Plus, grab the free printable of interview questions to bring with you to the meet and greet!
6. Create Your Baby Registry
Creating your baby registry is one of the most fun things to do on this second trimester checklist! You get to start picking out all of your nursery must-haves, daydream about your nursery theme, and look at all the cute baby things.
But before you start on your registry, it’s crucial to know what not to put on your baby registry. Adding unnecessary items to your baby registry can ruin your budget and make your space feel cluttered.
Now, when starting a baby registry, I recommend starting one at Target and one with Amazon. These registry options will give you free welcome kits with baby samples and products.
Also, both of these registry options give you a completion coupon. A completion coupon means that you will get a coupon (either 10%-15%) to use on anything that you need to buy that is still left on your registry after your baby shower. That is awesome when trying to have a baby on a budget!
I recommend having both registries because they are each so different. By having an Amazon registry, you can add nearly any item that you can think of to it since they have such a wide product variety.
Having a Target registry allows you to go into the store and see items in person. Seeing things in person can help you decide if you are stuck between two or more options. Plus, who doesn’t love just browsing at cute baby stuff? (Or just wandering around Target in general 😉 )
Related Articles:
- When To Start Buying Baby Stuff – The Ultimate Guide
- How Many Crib Sheets Does My Baby Need?
- Newborn Essentials You’ll Need for the First Months
- How Many Baby Clothes Do I Really Need?
- The Best Things to Put in a Diaper Caddy
7. Start Prepping the Nursery Room
After getting your baby registry set up, you should better know what baby items you’ll need to make space for. If you are setting up a designated nursery for your baby, the second trimester is the ideal time for starting.
As you clean out the nursery room and start to get things like the crib and dresser set up, it’s also an excellent time to work on nursery organization. Ensuring the nursery is organized well will make things like diaper changes go smoothly.
Also, if you want to paint the room walls, it’s best to do that sooner rather than later so there is enough time to air out the paint fumes. If possible, have your partner or someone close to you do the painting, and be sure to choose paint with low/no VOC.
8. Start Thinking About Baby Names
Unless you had your baby’s name picked out years beforehand, you will want to start thinking! If you need some suggestions, this baby name book was pretty helpful for us.
Also, don’t feel obligated to share the name you have picked out! Here are a couple of reasons not to share:
- You could change your mind. Let’s say you announce your baby’s name, and then weeks later, you decide that isn’t the right name. You might feel a little weird telling everyone that the name has changed.
- You won’t have to listen to everyone’s opinions. It can be a rare occasion that you will tell someone the name you picked out, and they will be just as excited as you are about it.
- It can be a fun secret between you and your partner. It’s nice to have something that is just between the two of you when you get asked so many questions about your pregnancy daily.
9. Invest in Some More Maternity Clothing
Next on this second trimester checklist is adding more maternity clothing to your wardrobe. Now, you’ve probably already started getting some pieces in the first trimester, so you’ll want to add some more staples.
When choosing maternity clothes, you’ll want to try to buy items that can grow with you. I loved wearing shirts like these ones that have ruching along the sides because they grow with your belly, and you can wear them throughout your pregnancy.
Also, if your breasts are getting bigger, I recommend buying larger nursing bras instead of regular bras in a larger size. I used these ones, and they are so comfortable. Plus, nobody will be able to tell that they are nursing bras, and you can use them after you have your baby!
Another thing that I overlooked for too long in my first pregnancy is maternity underwear. Grabbing some maternity underwear will be so much more comfortable for your growing belly, and you will not be disappointed!
10. Prepare Other Children For Their New Sibling
If you already have a child, you’ll want to start introducing the thought of having a new sibling around the second trimester.
When you wait until the second trimester, you’ll have plenty of time to talk to your child and ensure they understand this significant change.
There are many ways to prepare your older kids for a new baby. For example, you’ll want to talk to them about all aspects of bringing a new baby home. You’ll need to tell them that babies cry to communicate, and it can be a while before the new baby wants to play.
Also, reading books about having a baby sibling in the home can be fun. Books are great at showing younger children what to expect, and kids can ask questions as you read through. I Am A Big Brother, and I Am A Big Sister are both great, simple books to get you started.
Related Articles:
- The Pros and Cons of Breastfeeding vs. Formula
- Polite Ways To Say ‘No Visitors’ After Birth
- How Many Diapers Will I Need For The First Year?
11. Don’t Skip The Dentist
Visiting the dentist during pregnancy is more important than ever. WebMD states,
“Regular exams are important because pregnancy causes hormonal changes that put you at increased risk for periodontal disease and for tender gums that bleed easily, a condition called pregnancy gingivitis.”
WebMD
In the WebMD article above, you can find answers to all of your dental-related questions. But, in short, stick with your routine, 6-month dental cleanings!
12. Get Back Into Exercising
Next on our second trimester checklist is ensuring you’re still exercising. Now that you’re through with the first trimester, you should be feeling much better. Your morning sickness should be mostly gone, and your fatigue should be clearing up some, too.
So, if you fell off your exercise routine, or haven’t started one yet, now’s the time to get back into exercising! Exercising can help you feel more energized and keep you active as your pregnancy progresses.
13. Start Planning a Babymoon
If you’ve never heard of a babymoon before, it’s basically a honeymoon for you and your partner before the new baby arrives. It allows you to be alone and connect before bringing your baby home.
A babymoon can be however elaborate or simple as you’d like it to be. I know some moms-to-be who went on a tropical vacation as a babymoon, while others take a weekend road trip to relax and have fun.
All it comes down to when planning a babymoon is what you prefer to do. If you decide to take a babymoon, you’ll want it to be relaxing and exciting.
Second Trimester Checklist – Things To Do if Returning to Work
If you know you’re returning to work after you have your baby, the following second trimester checklist items are for you.
14. Tell Your Employer
When ready, you’ll need to tell your employer about your pregnancy. Also, you’ll want to keep your boss informed on any work restrictions you might have or accommodations you may need.
For example, if you have a job requiring a lot of heavy lifting, you’ll likely need to adjust your work responsibilities. If you have a position where you have to stand for 8 hours, you will need to request a chair or a stool as you get farther along.
15. Look Into Maternity Leave Options
Once you tell your employer you’re pregnant, you’ll want to contact your HR department about maternity leave options.
You will want to ask them how long of leave you’re qualified to take and how much of your leave you will get paid for. Also, find out if there are any forms you need to fill out before your due date arrives.
16. Start Seriously Looking into Childcare
As I mentioned in the first trimester checklist, it’s prevalent that childcare facilities are pretty booked up. Most good daycares will have a waiting list that you can get on.
But, now that you’ve scoped out some daycares already, it’s time to get serious and see about the waiting lists for your favorites.
As a refresher, here are a few things to look for in a good daycare:
- They are in your budget.
- They meet safety and health standards.
- The caregivers are qualified.
- You feel like you can trust them.
Have an in-depth discussion with anyone you’ll possibly be leaving your child with, and ensure that your child is in good hands at all times.
And that’s it for our second trimester checklist! Now sit back and relax as much as possible; the third trimester will be here before you know it.
Also, check out our third trimester to-do list to get an idea of what’s to come.
Before you go, check out these related articles:
- How To Have A Baby Shower On A Budget
- Postpartum Must-Haves Every New Mom Needs
- How To Write The Best Baby Shower Thank You Cards
- The Best Reasons To Be A Stay-At-Home Mom
- The Ultimate Hospital Bag Checklist for Mom, Dad, and Baby
What is your favorite thing to do on this second trimester checklist? I would love to know in the comments below!