Most women are aware of a “bump” from about 12 to 14 weeks after their last period but at first it may only be obvious at the end of the day. By 14 to 16 weeks your pregnancy “bump” should be noticeable to family and colleagues at work. Between 18 and 20 weeks most women will have started to feel baby moving.

During the early part of the second trimester there are some further screening tests that many women opt to have. These include screening tests for Down Syndrome that comprise a blood test at 9 to 14 weeks and a nuchal translucency scan at 11 to 14 weeks. The results of these two tests are used together as a “combined screening test” to produce an individualised assessment of the chances of you having a baby with Down syndrome. For more information, see our Medical Testing page.

At 18 to 20 weeks most women will have an anatomy scan to check baby’s heart, spine, brain and other important organs. This scan also checks that the placenta is in the right place and that your baby has grown appropriately.

At this stage we are only seeing you every four weeks but there is no need to save all your queries for your clinic visits. You can call us between appointments with any questions or concerns that you might have.

If you are planning to attend antenatal classes it is worth booking these now as they fill up quickly. You can find more information about antenatal education providers on our Helpful Information page.

At 26 weeks you will have a second set of blood tests to screen for diabetes (the polycose test), anaemia and blood group antibodies.

If you are travelling overseas at this time do check that your insurance covers problems in pregnancy as most insurance companies will not cover you after 24 weeks. You will also need to start planning when you will cut back or stop working.