As with your entire pregnancy, good nutrition and proper weight gain are essential during your second trimester. During this period, most women begin to experience decreased symptoms of morning sickness (though some may get morning sickness throughout pregnancy). It's a good thing these symptoms decrease for most because starting now, you need to begin to boost your calorie intake. The guidelines in Chapter 3 can help you to eat a healthy diet and properly add 300 calories each day. The nutritional concerns in this stage of pregnancy come from the digestive troubles that most women begin to experience.

As your pregnancy progresses into the second trimester, your baby continues to grow, which causes your stomach to work a little slower. Some women experience an intolerance to milk products at this time. Since calcium and other nutrients in dairy products are so essential to good health, especially during pregnancy, it is important to find an alternative. Guidelines in Chapter 8 can help you to deal with this problem. Other digestive problems women may experience as they enter the second trimester include gas, indigestion, and heartburn. Constipation can become a problem during the second trimester and continue until the end of your pregnancy. It is important to deal with these discomforts so that they don't interfere with your efforts to eat a healthy diet and don't turn into more complex complications. Tips and guidelines in Chapter 11 can help you to relieve these symptoms while still eating a healthy diet.