In the second trimester, you should be well on your way to enjoying more normal meals and able to eat most foods in small, frequent portions.  As the placenta starts to take over most of the production of progesterone for the remainder of the pregnancy, moms start to feel more energized and nutritional needs significantly increase as blood levels begin to expand.  From this point until the beginning of the third trimester, your body must grow approximately 10 cups of extra blood (above optimal levels) to accommodate the rapid changes occurring in you and your baby.

Your organs increase in size to accommodate the higher blood flow needed for placenta growth, amniotic fluid expansion, baby’s development, and your body’s needs to eliminate your and your baby’s toxins.  It takes approximately four weeks for new blood cells to develop and mature.  In addition, you need extra blood volume to accommodate the expected, healthy, blood loss at birth (less than 2 cups in 24 hours).  If you’re not well nourished or have a lot of anxiety or fear or stress in your life, you’ll need even more blood volume to accommodate an expected higher than optimal blood loss due to how fear and stress affect uterine contractions.

In the first trimester, your body almost completely stopped its ability to absorb iron.  So, pre-conception iron stores are really important to your first trimester iron needs.  Iron supplements during the first trimester can be toxic to you and your baby, if they’re not needed, and are one cause of “morning” sickness.  However, in the second trimester your body can digest and store a lot of iron as it prepares for the substantial iron needs of the third trimester and postpartum.  Iron-rich foods like liver and dark leafy greens are nutrient-dense options for building these necessary iron and blood levels.  Know that if iron supplements are necessary, small doses every other day is more effective than high doses every day (which can be toxic).  Be sure you’re not taking an iron supplement unless you’ve at least had your ferritin and iron (not hemoglobin) levels verified through venous labs.  Remember, iron is a part of hemoglobin, but iron is not hemoglobin, and both these labs tell you different things.  A finger poke is not adequate for iron.  In most cases, low B-vitamins and leafy greens are the cause of low hemoglobin and low blood volume.  Leafy greens, spirulina & chlorella, or chlorophyll can be taken confidently daily to boost blood volume without iron labs.

With adequate nourishment, around midway through pregnancy, your baby is developed with all their necessary, but immature, parts.  Now, they will continue to develop thousands of neurological cells every second (even after birth).  The hormones they are bathed in from your body during pregnancy are shaping the kind of personality, stress-regulatory system, and immune system your child will have.  Can they handle stressful situations well; will they get sick often; will they have blood sugar imbalances or digestive imbalances, how do they sleep?  Your hormones of stress (adrenaline and cortisol) and joy or safety (oxytocin) will turn their epigenetics on or off and begin to prepare your body for spontaneous labor.  The more joy, calm, peace, and love you experience now the healthier and happier your baby will be, and the more straightforward your birth and postpartum will be.

As your baby reaches the stage of potential viability (around 4-6 months) you should start to experience breast changes.  Your breasts may grow in size as the mammary tissue begins to expand (though most of this happens in the first days after birth).  You may even notice colostrum (your baby’s first milk and their immune system when they’re born) leaking at times.  Sometimes, women even experience foot- size changes as the relaxin hormone increases and makes fascia and ligaments more flexible.  Other women may need to change eye-glass prescriptions to accommodate vision changes for the same reason.

Overall, the second trimester is usually filled with energy and a welcome ability to eat a lot of nourishing food in small, frequent, portions as your body’s and your baby’s body’s nutrient needs increase.  Hydration is imperative during these months, too, getting 1 oz per every pound of body weight.  Frequent, balanced, meals help to supply healthy amounts of glucose to your baby’s maturing brain, and balanced bitter veggies and whole-meats help to prevent the common blood sugar roller-coaster caused from nutrient-deficient food and lifestyle choices.  So, make every moment count!