Second trimester pregnancy: weeks 13 to 27, your checkups in Singapore and what to plan

The second trimester of pregnancy runs from week 13 to about week 27, and for most women it's the easiest stretch: HealthHub says your appetite returns and nausea fades, and you'll probably feel your baby move for the first time. It's also the busiest for checkups in Singapore. KKH schedules the detailed anomaly scan at 18 to 21 weeks, a blood test for anaemia and gestational diabetes at 24 to 28 weeks, and the whooping cough (Tdap) vaccine, which works best between 16 and 32 weeks. It's a good time to book antenatal classes and tell your employer your maternity leave plans. Below is a week-by-week checklist, what's happening to you and your baby, and the warning signs that need a doctor straight away.

Hospitals draw the line slightly differently: HealthHub counts the second trimester as weeks 13 to 28, and NUH as weeks 13 to 26. Our week-by-week guides start at 13 weeks pregnant.

Your second trimester checklist

How you'll feel

HealthHub describes the early weeks of this trimester as the time your appetite returns and your weight starts to rise gradually. Many women have more energy than in the first trimester, though some stay tired a while longer. As your womb grows, HealthHub says you may get backache, breathlessness and palpitations, and later varicose veins and trouble sleeping. Our guide to common pregnancy discomforts by trimester covers what eases these and other aches, and pregnancy sleeping positions explains when to move off your back.

KKH recommends low-impact exercise, about 20 minutes three times a week, if your pregnancy is uncomplicated. Walking and swimming suit this trimester, and so does prenatal yoga.

Your baby's development

According to HealthHub, your baby's limbs are fully formed by the start of this trimester. Between 17 and 24 weeks, you'll likely feel the first flutters of movement, which HealthHub calls quickening. After 24 weeks, HealthHub says a baby is considered potentially viable: they could survive with intensive care if born early. By the end of week 28, your baby weighs about 1.2 kg.

Once movements are regular, KKH asks you to know your baby's pattern: there should be at least 10 movements in 12 hours, and a persistent drop in movements is a reason to seek help.

The checkups in detail

The anomaly scan

The detailed ultrasound at 18 to 21 weeks looks at your baby from head to toe for structural problems. KKH notes the scan has limits to its accuracy, so a normal scan is reassuring but not a guarantee. HealthHub says you may also find out your baby's sex at this scan, if the baby is lying in a position the sonographer can see. Our 20 weeks pregnant guide explains what the scan checks.

The glucose tolerance test (OGTT)

HealthHub says pregnant women in Singapore are screened for gestational diabetes with a 3-point oral glucose tolerance test at 24 to 28 weeks. Women at higher risk may have an earlier 2-point test and then the full test at 24 to 28 weeks. It's done in the morning and takes 2 to 3 hours, so bring a book. Our guide to gestational diabetes in Singapore explains the results.

The whooping cough vaccine

KKH recommends the Tdap vaccine between 16 and 32 weeks of every pregnancy, because protection fades over time. Vaccination in pregnancy cuts the risk of severe whooping cough in babies under three months by over 90%, as antibodies pass to your baby before birth. KKH also suggests that close family members get a booster if they haven't had a Tdap vaccine in the past 10 years. If you catch a cold or flu, see our guide to flu while pregnant.

Planning ahead

• Antenatal classes: NUH recommends starting in the second trimester. Its course costs $288 for five Saturday sessions plus a baby massage session, $238 for one Saturday, or $50 online. Prices include GST (read 11 October 2026). Our guide to antenatal classes in Singapore compares hospitals.
• Maternity leave: under MOM's rules, tell your employer at least one week before you start Employment Act maternity leave, and at least four weeks before Government-Paid Maternity Leave, which has applied since 1 April 2025. You can start leave up to four weeks before the birth by agreement. If you've worked for your employer for at least three months, MOM says you're protected from dismissal without sufficient cause or retrenchment during pregnancy. Our maternity leave calculator works out your dates.
• Travel: KKH says domestic travel is usually allowed until 36 weeks, but international travel may be curtailed after 32 weeks, so the second trimester is the time for a last trip abroad.
• Your hospital and costs: if you haven't chosen yet, our delivery cost calculator compares public and private hospitals.

When to get help straight away

Contact your obstetrician or go to hospital for:

• A sudden gush or steady trickle of clear fluid from the vagina
• Bright red bleeding, which KKH says can come from a low-lying placenta or the placenta starting to separate
• Fewer baby movements than usual, once you've started feeling them regularly
• Regular tightenings or period-like pains before 37 weeks, which can be preterm labour
• A severe headache, blurred vision or sudden swelling of the face or hands after 20 weeks, which can be signs of pre-eclampsia

At KKH, the Urgent O&G Centre sees women below 22 weeks, and the Delivery Suite triage assesses everyone from 22 weeks. For minor problems such as a cold, a tummy upset or a rash, KKH says your family doctor can usually help.

Frequently asked questions

When does the second trimester start and end?

At week 13. It ends around week 27, though HealthHub counts it to week 28 and NUH to week 26.

What tests are done in the second trimester in Singapore?

The anomaly scan at 18 to 21 weeks, serum screening at 15 to 18 weeks if needed, and a blood test for anaemia and gestational diabetes (OGTT) at 24 to 28 weeks. Urine, blood pressure and weight are checked at each visit, KKH says.

When will I feel my baby move?

Usually between 17 and 24 weeks, HealthHub says. By the end of the trimester, movements should be regular enough to notice a pattern.

When should I get the whooping cough vaccine?

Between 16 and 32 weeks of every pregnancy, KKH says. It reduces the risk of severe whooping cough in young babies by over 90%.

Is it safe to travel in the second trimester?

For most women, yes. KKH says international travel may be curtailed after 32 weeks, so plan any trip abroad before then, and check your airline's rules and travel insurance.