Between the 18th to 20th week of pregnancy, most women will start to feel the baby move. Weight gain continues. In most cases, the mother gains about 1 pound per week.

Symptoms that occur during the second trimester include:

• Back pain
• Breast tenderness
• Breast enlargement
• Nipple discharge:
• Thin yellow fluid, called colostrum
• The skin around the nipples becomes dark.
• Increased libido:
• Increase in sex drive
• During this time, intercourse will not harm the fetus
• Constipation
• Fatigue:
• The fatigue should decrease with time.
• Frequent urination:
• The uterus places pressure on the bladder.
• Heartburn
• Hemorrhoids
• Itching:
• About 1 out of every 5 women have itching.
• Leg cramps
• Lower abdominal pain:
• Stress is placed on the ligaments in the pelvis.
• Nosebleeds
• Swelling:
• Foot swelling (bilateral)
• Ankle swelling (bilateral)
• Hand swelling (bilateral)
• Facial swelling
• Varicose veins
• Weight gain:
• Most women gain 3 to 4 pounds each month.